Northern Sinfonia and its Music Director Thomas Zehetmair command a unique position in Europe, with repertoire spanning three centuries and commissioned new work.

This is the second full season since the orchestra moved into its own spectacular Lord Foster designed home for music, The Sage Gateshead, where Northern Sinfonia is central to the extensive classical programme. The orchestra also appears at the world's other leading venues including the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Musikverein in Vienna and the Royal Albert Hall where it performed at the 2006 BBC Proms to great critical acclaim.

Northern Sinfonia is always adding to its varied list of performance spaces, including Swan Hunter's Shipyard in Wallsend where it performed with the Pet Shop Boys in May 2006. This year Northern Sinfonia also became the first chamber orchestra and non-BBC orchestra to play for the final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year, held in The Sage Gateshead. Northern Sinfonia regularly appears at major UK festivals, including the 2006 Edinburgh International Festival, performing a complete cycle of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos over two evenings.

In October, Northern Sinfonia premiered the last of thirteen new commissions to celebrate The Sage Gateshead's opening seasons; Sir Peter Maxwell Davies' Kettletoft Inn – written for the Sinfonia and Kathryn Tickell.

The orchestra's work includes concerts, recordings, radio and TV broadcasts and national and international touring with Music Director Thomas Zehetmair, and other distinguished musicians including Pierre- Laurent Aimard, Frans Brüggen, Imogen Cooper, Thierry Fischer, Lesley Garrett, Evelyn Glennie, Heinz Holliger, Gidon Kremer, Sir Roger Norrington and Heinrich Schiff.

Northern Sinfonia's latest recording is Mozart's Piano Concerto No.23 and Piano Concerto No.9 'Jeunehomme' with Imogen Cooper is available from The Sage Gateshead.

In How Music Works, Northern Sinfonia perform the traditional Siegfried Idyll by Wagner, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Vaughan Williams and Adagio by Tomaso Albinoni. The leader is Bradley Creswick and Howard Goodall was the conductor.

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