CLASSICAL music fans who have thrilled to the lively concerts of John Wilson – principal conductor at The Sage Gateshead – will be curious to see one of his mentors in action in two of the region’s most atmospheric buildings.

Neil Thomson was head of conducting at the Royal College of Music from 1992 to 2006 – the youngest ever incumbent of the post.

The widely respected conductor, who taught Gateshead-born John, is flying in from Paris this weekend to conduct Orchestra North East in two concerts of Russian music at Durham Cathedral and then at St George’s Church, Jesmond.

Born in 1966, he studied at the Royal College of Music and later at Tanglewood, Massachusetts, with Leonard Bernstein and Kurt Sanderling.

He has conducted, among others, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Hallé.

Under his baton, Orchestra North East – formerly Durham Sinfonia – will perform Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, Eight Russian Folk Songs by Anatoly Liadov and the Arutunian Trumpet Concerto.

The latter, composed by Alexander Arutunian in 1949, is known as a virtuoso showpiece – a challenge even for a trumpet playing maestro.

Orchestra North East will have such a person – soloist Anthony Thompson, who began his musical training with the Salvation Army in Yorkshire and now travels the world.

He has performed with many of the country’s top orchestras, including the Northern Sinfonia, and artists as diverse as Lesley Garrett and Sting.

According to his own CV, he can play pretty much anything you blow into, including flugelhorn, didgeridoo and conch shells, although you’ll get none of that this weekend.