The weekend’s mini Proms festival in Gateshead ranged widely from Star Wars to Sibelius, with the electro soul of Jordan Rakei an undoubted highlight

The Royal Northern Sinfonia’s principal oboist pays tribute to the orchestra’s much loved former music director; and, below, Ian Bostridge remembers a revelatory accompanist, an ideal chamber musician and a friend of grace and generosity

A predominantly baroque programme at this brand new concert hall found the RNS on disappointing form, although Haydn and Herschel brought drama and energy

The conductor’s final ever concert was at Sage Gateshead with the Royal Northern Sinfonia playing an all-Haydn programme. He leaves classical music changed emphatically for the better – and with less of that ‘wobbly stuff’

In the final concert of Sage Live 2020, the French composer’s rarely heard Third Symphony was conducted by Duncan Ward

Handel’s Ariodante makes a captivating return to Covent Garden, while necessity is the mother of invention from Gateshead to uprooted Bath and Huddersfield

The opening concert of Sage Live 2020 included the overture to The Marriage of Figaro and a double bass concerto performed with great relish

Pianist Lars Vogt conducted and performed two Beethoven concertos with ease, unleashing something beautiful and dangerous

Three soloists blended their techniques into a ‘super-violin’ for Mustonen’s persuasive spiritual homage to Bach, Vivaldi and European baroque

Lars Vogt keeps the orchestra on their toes – and at one point seems to be conducting them with his knees – as he opens the RNS’s new season with a burst of energy

Conductor McGegan brought avuncular expression to Beethoven and Mahler and the RNS triumphed

The Reykjavik musician has put the bad old days behind him for a witty, orchestra-backed set, writes Malcolm Jack