Appointed Young Conductor in Association with the Northern Sinfonia at the age of 19 and the first conductor of the then new Young Sinfonia 10 years ago, Ilvan Volkov’s career has blossomed since. Now the chief conductor at the Scottish Symphony Orchestra, he returned to the region to conduct a challenging mix of music at The Sage Gateshead. The concert opened with a cleanly executed and tightly managed reading of Stravinsky’s Octet for Wind Instruments. The work, with its interweaving lines and witty exchanges, showcased the impressive talents of the sinfonia’s players. In complete contrast came Haydn’s Symphony No 60 Il Distrato. It was as incidental music for the comic tale of the absent-minded bridegroom, who has to be constantly reminded of his imminent wedding. The enlightening programme notes helped lay out the action, making it a more meaningful experience. But, all was in preparation for Shostakovich’s Symphony No 14. Not for the faint-hearted, the unremittingly gloomy work was written as the composer contemplated his own mortality, following a run of ill health. The songs, take their texts from several poets, and brood on death in all its forms and guise. In the opening De Profundus, baritone Neal Davies’ cavernous voice seemed to well up from the bowels of the earth; set against an eerie backdrop of strings. The sliding scales of the double basses added to the otherworldliness of the song. Soprano Joan Rodgers hurled herself into the anguishing opening lines of the next movement. . .There goes death! in and out of the tavern . . . The song Lorelei featured fine exchanges between the two soloists. The highlight had to be The Suicide, with Rodgers’ voice entwined in exquisite agony with a mournful cello, played with heartfelt conviction by Louisa Tuck. Volkov had a complete grasp of the work, leaving an air of finality at its conclusion. Some of the audience remained rooted in their seats for a while afterward, still taking in what was an unforgettable performance.