The Glasshouse International Centre for Music

🥳 Everything music can do. Under one iconic roof. Yesterday’s breathtaking performance of A Child of Our Time marked the beginning of our 20th birthday celebrations. For two decades, The Glasshouse has been a home for spine-tingling, mind-blowing, life-affirming experiences. From unforgettable performances to nurturing the next generation of musicians, this is where music truly lives and grows. Over the next year, we’ll be sharing stories, memories, and exciting plans as we celebrate 20 years of music and creativity - and look ahead to shaping one big future for music in the North East. This is just the beginning of a new era. Join us for what’s next: https://lnkd.in/etZu55Rq 🎶 Music: Crab Attack by Dilutey Juice.

🎉 Wonderful news – The Glasshouse has earned the Continuing Excellence Award for Health and Wellbeing as part of the Better Health at Work Awards! 🏆 This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to fostering a healthy and supportive environment for our team. We're proud to provide an environment that prioritises the health and well-being of our people. A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this possible. Here's to continuing our journey toward even better health and well-being in the workplace!

At our December Board meeting, we said goodbye to a group of fantastic Board members – Hilary Florek, Alfie Whillis, Roy McEwan-Brown OBE, Emyr Dance, Suba Das, Sir Martin Narey DL and Herb Kim. We’re hugely grateful for the time and expertise our Board provide to our charity. It’s because of the trust and support they have for the work we do that we've been able to set out our plans for our ambitious third decade. One of the departing Board members is our inspiring Chair, Sir Martin Narey. As he steps down, Martin shared a few reflections on his time at The Glasshouse: https://bit.ly/3ZP7VUZ

"The Glasshouse has shown that access to culture and music can be a way of creating better life chances. We can’t claim to be the solution. But we can claim to be part of the solution. We’re part of the economic and social fabric of the North East and the nation." In Arts Professional, Abigail Pogson shares some reflections on the impact our charity has made over the last two decades - and our role in supporting the next generation of music lovers. 

On 17 December 2004, a spectacular music venue opened in North East England. Two decades on, it would take 14 million minutes to experience all the performances that have happened at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music. Young people and adults have joined a music class 2.7 million times. 🎼 Designed by Foster + Partners, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (formerly Sage Gateshead) sits on the banks of the River Tyne in Gateshead, overlooking Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Inside the distinctive free-flowing glazed envelope, you’ll find three performance spaces – an acoustically state-of-the-art concert hall that can seat up to 1,650 people, a unique 10-sided hall for up to 400 people, and a large rehearsal space for resident orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia. Below, a labyrinth of studios and spaces for music making of all kinds. Everything music can do. Under one iconic roof. As we celebrate 20 years, here’s a glimpse of something special – stay tuned for the full story coming later next year. Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio, performed by Royal Northern Sinfonia with Principal Conductor Dinis Sousa #TheGlasshouse #Architecture #Design #MusicVenue

Under one iconic roof. We’ve been looking back through the photo albums and dusted off these amazing construction photos from the archive leading up to when we opened our doors for the first time on 17 December 2004. Do you remember seeing the building take shape on the Quayside back in 1997–2004? Over the next year, we’re going to celebrate all the great things our charity has achieved in the last two decades. Digging in the archive to learn more about our incredible building – and how we’ll secure it for the next decade. Scrolling through the camera roll to uncover some of our favourite memories and moments, and the people who help make it all happen. And looking ahead at what’s to come from our third decade. Photos Image 1: The metal grid shape of our iconic roof, ready for the glass panels. Image 2: A view of from South Shore Road as the roof frame is constructed. Image 3: A view from the Millennium Bridge as the glass panels start being laid on the roof. Image 4: Looking up from South Shore Road at the Millennium Bridge side entrance. Image 5: A look inside Sage One concert hall from the stalls, before the wood panelling, seats and acoustic panels are installed. Photos courtesy of Theatre Projects

Big news... The Glasshouse has popped up in a report about how concert halls like ours are powering the UK economy - £328 million worth, to be exact. We’re pleased to play a part in creating amazing music experiences and making a difference in our community.

This week, members of Royal Northern Sinfonia had the honour of performing at a reception hosted at 11 Downing Street, attended by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves. This special event kicked off a year of celebrations for our 20th birthday and was a chance to showcase the impact of The Glasshouse over two decades - thousands of concerts, millions of music classes, and a lasting contribution to the North East’s cultural and economic landscape. As we look ahead to our third decade, we’re committed to unlocking even more creative potential, opening doors to a life of music, and creating unforgettable moments. Here’s to the next era of music-making - under one iconic roof. Listen to our Downing Street performance on Classic FM Thursday 28 November at 9pm https://lnkd.in/e4xYSTTj

After months of hard work, a new musical community was born. Share the Stage blew the roof off yesterday as over 300 musicians came together to perform Michael Tippett's A Child of Our Time. The performers included passionate local musicians of all abilities alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia, Chorus, and stellar soloists. Everyone made the most of their extraordinary chance to share the Sage One stage.

As it's Arts Council England’s Creative Careers week, we're rewinding to when six work experience students got a taste of how we function. 📖See our organisation through fresh eyes in this blog: https://lnkd.in/e9HuJnTW