Concerto Grosso

Concerto Grosso was a unique commission, written for a soloist ensemble of both professional able-bodied and disabled musicians, RNS Moves, alongside the strings and timpani of the Royal Northern Sinfonia. Whilst RNS Moves and RNS are both resident ensembles at the Sage Gateshead, this was the first occasion when they had performed together on the same stage. The piece can be seen as a valuable model on how to integrate disabled musicians with an orchestra.

The project had a clear and developed methodology including individual development sessions with musicians such as Clarence Adoo (Headspace), and ensemble workshop development sessions with RNS Moves to learn how to collaborate effectively with disabled musicians, each with different disabilities.

Concerto Grosso was performed in one of the RNS’s main concerts, to a large audience. In 2022, the piece was shortlisted for a Ivor Novello Award in the Large Ensemble Category, whilst in 2023, the piece was shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award in the Large Scale Category and was featured on BBC Radio 3 for both awards.

Concerto Grosso was commissioned by Sage Gateshead for RNS Moves and Royal Northern Sinfonia, first performed at Sage Gateshead on 11/3/22 (also livestreamed), published by Composers Edition (2022)

Please note, a vimeo link to the video of the performance is included but it is private access and has a password which is: Concerto Grosso