WHAT’S ON: Classical season launched with Lars Vogt conducting Royal Northern Sinfonia, at Sage Gateshead, at 7.30pm on Saturday.

Programme includes works by Beethoven and Brahms. Box Office: 0191-443-4661.

REVIEWS: American Chamber Music (Onyx4129) James Ehnes and the Seattle Chamber Music Society take a foray into chamber music with some of the giants of 20th Century American classical music. Highlights include Copland’s masterful Violin Sonata and Bernstein’s vibrant Piano Trio and Barber’s B minor String Quartet, along with works by Carter and Ives.

Allessio Bax plays Beethoven (Signum Classics SIGCD397) The award-winning pianist Alessio Bax turns his talents to two masterworks of Beethoven’s piano repertoire. An incisive rendition of Sonata No 14 is coupled with dynamic performance of Sonata 29 Hammerklavier. The album is rounded off with Bax’s arrangement of The Ruins of Athens.

Airplane Cantata: Gabriel Jackson (SIGCD381) The BBC Singers perform a collection of secular works composed by Gabriel Jackson. Central to the programme is Airplane Cantata, charting the early days of aviation through the journals, news reports and accounts of the era. Expressive singing of highly distinctive music is accompanied by sterling playing by pianola player Rex Lawson. Contemporary music-making at its best.