Find articles | Jane Shuttleworth

The Sixteen's 40th anniversary choral pilgrimage mixes Tudor music from the treasure trove of the Eton Choirbook with music that hadn't been written when the group were founded, including a striking new work by James MacMillan.

Royal Northern Sinfonia and Lars Vogt take us on a joyful dance through central Europe in the company of Brahms, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Dvořák.

Opening their season with an all-Russian programme, Royal Northern Sinfonia ventured beyond the standard chamber orchestra repertoire, with patchy results.

Peter Sellars' dramatised production of di Lasso's Lagrime di San Pietro is stunningly sung by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, but the dramatic element causes problems.

An affectionate Trout played by long-standing colleagues and friends from Royal Northern Sinfonia, along with Imogen Holst's Phantasy Quartet and Thomas Adès's fascinating Piano Quintet. 

The Oslo Philharmonic and Vasily Petrenko with Nikolai Lugansky bring Delius, Grieg and a sublime Sibelius Fifth Symphony to Sage Gateshead.

Simple rules to keep your altos happy, from a true “altoholic”.

An excellent choice of programming, with Royal Northern Sinfonia and Lars Vogt performing Handel and Brahms, but disappointing in its execution. 

The St Petersburg Philharmonic unleash all the unstoppable forces of Russian excess in a programme of Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev at Sage Gateshead.

A joyful evening of Franco-Brazilian dance music with Royal Northern Sinfonia and Jess Gillam as part of Sage Gateshead's New Year New Music 2019 festival.

In his Christmas Oratorio, Johann Sebastian Bach brings the familiar Christmas story vividly to life.

A gloriously romantic performance by Lars Vogt and Royal Northern Sinfonia of Brahms' First Piano Concerto, complemented by Beethoven and Schumann.

Royal Northern Sinfonia welcomed their new chamber pianist in residence, Alisdair Beatson, with some brilliantly imaginative programming.

The Sixteen's Choral Pilrimage dissolves the boundaries between old and new, sacred and profane with striking performances of music by Cornysh and Britten. 

English Touring Opera's triple bill of early Baroque miniatures promised an intruiging evening but failed up to expectations. 

Viktoria Mullova is dazzling in Sibelius' Violin Concerto but the audience of Sage Gateshead fail to make their mark when asked to sing along to Finlandia. 

Angels abound as Rachel Podger joins with VOCES8 for a collaborative exploration built around music from her Guardian Angel album.

Light shines through tears in a concert with a luxurious line-up of VOCES8, the Academey of Ancient Music and Robert Hollingworth at the Milton Abbey Music Festival in Dorset. 

Nevill Holt Opera and Royal Northern Sinfonia offer a sumptuous production, with gorgeous singing, but one unafraid to make us confront the uncomfortable aspects of the plot.

Lars Vogt and Royal Northern Sinfonia deliver Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 with swaggering self-confidence, and heroic chorus singing.

Singer Meral Azizoğlu with the Gypsy Fire Ensemble take us back to the glamourous world of early twentieth century Istanbul.

Imaginative Bach and an exciting new work by Dobrinka Tabakova played by the Amsterdam Sinfonietta with pianists Ferhan and Ferzan Önder.

Youthful Mahler, earth-shattering Shostatovich and life-affirming Schumann, played by The Maisky Trio and Maxim Rysanov at the Istanbul Music Festival.

The complexities of Istanbul's rich culture and history, explored in a heady mixture of music from Bach to Afganistan, played by the Melodies of Istanbul Orchestra, directed by Hakan Güngör. 

A patchy performance by The Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia in a concert following the influence of J.S. Bach on later choral composers.

The gut strings and period bows of the Chiaroscuro Quartet cast dramatic light and shade movements on from Bach's The Art of Fugue and quartets by Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn.

Alexandre Bloch and Royal Northern Sinfonia throw down a challenge to any listener who thinks that Brahms is comfortable and easy with a radical reading of his Fourth Symphony.

Breezy Ravel from Steven Osborne and a clear warning about the dangers of drug-taking from the BBCSSO at Sage Gateshead.

Harry Bicket leads Royal Northern Sinfonia and Chorus and a fine line-up of soloists in a performance that moves effortlessly between the human and eternal time lines of Bach's St John Passion.

Royal Northern Sinfonia’s performance of Sir James Macmillan’s St Luke Passion had moments of high drama, but one crucial element of the piece was mostly missing. 

Understated mastery in Peter Donohoe’s recital of Scriabin, Ravel, Schumann, Mozart and Schubert in Hall One Sage Gateshead.

As Concerto Copenhagen prepare a tour of Handel's unusual work, Artistic Director Lars Ulrik Mortensen tells us why he thinks it is unjustly neglected. 

Jane Shuttleworth reflects on the very different natures of Bach's St John and St Matthew Passions. 

Royal Northern Sinfonia's popular Conductor Laureate Thomas Zehetmair makes a well-received return visit to Sage Gateshead, with symphonic music ranging from an exquisite jewel by Webern through to a fizzing performance of Schubert's "Great" Ninth.

In her first appearance with the CBSO at Sage Gateshead, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla switches between energy and tranquility with Sibelius, Brahms and Bartók.

Lars Vogt, Royal Nothern Sinfonia and Chorus and a strong quartet of soloists bring the angelic tidings of peace and goodwill in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

The Royal Northern Sinfonia and Olli Mustonen push Shostakovich to the brink of insanity, and suprise with Mozart's 'Coronation' Concerto.

Symphonies by Glass and Rachmaninov played by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra show how time doesn't always flow at the same rate.

Lars Vogt takes to the stage of Hall One at Sage Gateshead for some impromptu keyboard practice.

When the Bolshevik Revolution and subsequent civil war smashed through Russian society a hundred years ago, the close links between Russian and European music, and between Russian art, music and literature were shattered, and a new artistic world had to be built on what was left.

Ian Bostridge and Lars Vogt bring their recital tour to Sage Gateshead, where they bring bold physicality to their interpretations of songs by Schubert and Beethoven. 

In Edinburgh and Glasgow, the RSNO is bringing swathes of new audience into the concert hall to hear a live orchestra for the first time. 

Nicholas McGegan leads Royal Northern Sinfonia and Samling soloists through a dramatic and thought-provoking performance of Handel's Israel in Egypt to offer an alternative look at the Easter message of hope. 

Now in its 45th year, the Istanbul Music Festival embraces and celebrates an extraordinary city, bringing together Turkey’s musical heritage with music from around the world.

Royal Northern Sinfonia hide a feast of quirky, inventive string writing by Shostakovich, Stranvinsky, Mozart and Schoenberg behind a sedate title.

Jane guides you through Der getreue Music-Meister, Telemann's treasure trove of pieces for amateur musicians of every description.

Julian Rachlin as soloist and conductor combines Beethoven's violin concerto and Third Symphony into one long story, told with great clarity by Royal Northern Sinfonia.

The St Petersburg Philharmonic make their contribution to Sage Gateshead's year long theme of dance, delighting a sold-out Hall One with their luxurious sound.

The opera parody Atys en Folie created for the Valletta International Baroque festival is an interesting historical curiosity, but the genre's very specific brand of humour doesn't appeal to everyone.

Meditations from the Bach family on the human condition in "Cantatas for the soul" performed by the Dunedin Consort in Ta Giezu Church at the Valletta International Baroque Festival.