Pdf Friends of Wigmore Hall News Spring 2015

SPRING 2015

SPECIALN 2015/16E PREVIEWWS EDITION BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE I AM DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR BUILDING WILL CONTINUE THIS YEAR WITH A MAJOR PROJECT DESIGNED TO SHARE EVERYTHING WE DO WITH THE WIDEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE.

Over ten years have passed since the successful refurbishment and restoration of Wigmore Hall’s front of house and almost as long since we bought the building’s long-term lease. The investment we made then has effectively transformed our organisation, enabling us to enrich our artistic programme and make great strides by boosting the support we give to young artists, ensembles and composers. In turn we have seen a dramatic rise in Jean-Guihen Queyras ticket sales and the arrival of new audiences, broader and comes to Wigmore Hall more varied in age and background than ever before. next season as Artist in Our building, the heart of everything we do, will benefit Residence, opening on this year from a substantial refurbishment of its backstage 19 September with a spaces, the Bechstein Room included, and the essential programme of trios for development of the Hall’s digital media facilities. flute, cello and piano. This will ensure the longevity and sustainability of our work by addressing two crucial areas: the building and our audience reach. Reconfigured, flexible rehearsal spaces will allow us to accommodate larger international ensembles; we will improve air-handling systems and building services equipment; secondary glazing will be installed backstage to reduce temperature-related instrument tuning issues, and a dedicated space for Wigmore Hall’s valuable archive will be created. Following this year’s building work, we will be equipped to stream, broadcast, record and present every facet of our work digitally. A number of next season’s concerts will be available to audiences worldwide via our new website, while recordings will continue to be made available on the award-winning label Wigmore Hall Live. Audience reach will also grow thanks to around 100 planned BBC Radio 3 live broadcasts. I am delighted that Wigmore Hall is able to extend its global reach through our new digital infrastructure. We are also determined to build on the work of recent seasons in broadening our audience at the Hall itself. That is why we are offering 10,000 tickets at £5 for under-35s, and are offering more lower-priced tickets than ever. We must ensure that the arts continue to play a vital, positive and lasting role, whether here in this Hall, in the wider community, or through the rapidly changing digital and new media world. Wigmore Hall is committed to growing in all areas of its work and is determined to increase its reach and impact as part of what we see as our responsibility as a world-leading arts organisation. 2015/16 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS EMERGING ARTISTS John Gilhooly OBE, Hon FRAM, HonRCM Director of Wigmore Hall WIGMORE HALL LIVE NEW RELEASES

FRIENDS OFFICE 020 7258 8230 WWW.WIGMORE-HALL.ORG.UK 1 © MARCO BORGGREVE The Sixteen © ARNAUD STEPHENSON THE 2015/16 SEASON WIGMORE HALL DIRECTOR, JOHN GILHOOLY, INTRODUCES HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2015/16 SEASON, AHEAD OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE ANNUAL SEASON BROCHURE IN APRIL EXPLORING REPERTOIRE

SCHUBERT: Other participating artists include music occupied a prominent place THE COMPLETE SONGS Henk Neven, Sarah Connolly, in concert programming, its profile ‘A man is not taken away before he Christoph Prégardien, James Baillieu, has diminished in recent decades. has said all he has to say,’ Hugo Malcolm Martineau, Lucy Crowe, And yet his dislike of ‘schools’ of Wolf observed about Schubert’s early Christianne Stotijn, Christopher composition and the shape-shifting death. Much of what Schubert had to Maltman, Luca Pisaroni, nature of his musical language, open say is contained within his 600-plus Simon Keenlyside, Ian Bostridge, but not subject to influences as diverse songs, works that express a world Miah Persson, Angelika Kirchschlager, as Bach, Beethoven, Debussy and of emotion far greater than most Helmut Deutsch, Robin Tritschler and Magyar folksong, remain as rewarding The English Concert Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien © RICHARD HAUGHTON composers could hope to explore in Roderick Williams. The Schubert song © SUSSIE AHLBURG as ever. Bartók Chamber Music offers several lifetimes. Next September series, three years in the making, marks the chance for audiences to experience HENRY PURCELL: Wigmore Hall presents one of its most the beginning of a new international BARTÓK CHAMBER MUSIC the earthy richness, elemental power A RETROSPECTIVE ambitious artistic projects ever, with partnership for Wigmore Hall with the Béla Bartók’s creative mind and visionary beauty of the composer’s Capacity audiences have been drawn Schubert: The Complete Songs. Schubertiade Schwarzenberg and generated a torrent of fresh ideas most expressive works. to Wigmore Hall this season for the Over the next two seasons Schubert’s Hohenems festival. and enduring masterworks. The first phase of its tribute to one of the complete Lieder will be performed by Hungarian composer’s chamber FRIEDRICH CERHA FOCUS DAY greatest musicians London has ever truly outstanding artists, interpreters THE MOZART ODYSSEY music, championed at Wigmore Hall Born in Vienna in 1926, Friedrich produced. Henry Purcell: A acclaimed for their profound Wigmore Hall’s survey of Mozart’s during his lifetime, offers striking Cerha stands today among the most Retrospective continues in 2015/16 understanding of the composer’s chamber music enters its second insights into the human condition, distinctive and original voices in with an enhanced and extended poetic and musical insights. season with an extensive programme touching on profound joy and sadness Austrian music. The composer studied programme of concerts. The series Florian Boesch and Graham Johnson embracing everything from intimate and reflecting on music’s power to at the Vienna Academy of Music recommences on 13 October when begin the journey on 22 September. works created for aristocratic audiences transform and transcend mundane with one of Schoenberg’s pupils and Trevor Pinnock and a hand-picked to the stirring ‘Gran Partita’ Serenade. cares. Wigmore Hall’s Bartók Chamber achieved international fame in the late team of singers and instrumentalists The latter will be performed by Music series opens on 18 September 1970s with his completion of the final perform Dido and Aeneas. Michael Collins and members of the with a recital by Canadian violinist act of Alban Berg’s Lulu. Wigmore Hall The Sixteen and Harry Christophers City of London Sinfonia to mark James Ehnes crowned by the complex marks Cerha’s forthcoming ninetieth offer two programmes of royal Mozart’s birthday on 27 January, Violin Sonata, and unfolds over the birthday with a Focus Day (10 October) welcome songs for Charles II and two days after Francesco Piemontesi season with seven further concerts, devoted to his often serene and elegiac James II (3 March & 7 June), while launches his complete cycle of the including a survey of the six string chamber music, performed by close Vox Luminis applies its characteristic composer’s piano sonatas. quartets from the Heath Quartet colleagues and musicians steeped tonal refinement and irresistible Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien (11 & 13 May 2016), the Sonata in his multi-faceted art, Ensemble commitment to Purcell’s anthems for conclude their series of Mozart’s for two pianos and percussion with Modern, clarinettist Andreas Schablas the Chapel Royal (25 October). Other complete works for violin and piano with Cédric Tiberghien, François-Frédéric and HK Gruber among them. highlights include the dream-team two concerts (27 October & 30 January). Guy, Colin Currie and Sam Walton The programme includes the colourful pairing of Iestyn Davies and Andreas Aurora Orchestra is sure to add extra (19 March), and a recital by Keintate, a work infused with the Scholl with The English Concert in energy to the series with a coffee Gramophone Award-winning Hungarian popular tunes Cerha learned during an unmissable concert of solo arias concert programme on 24 April and violinist Barnabás Kelemen (11 June). his formative years playing second and duets (19 November). a Wigmore Lates concert on 17 June. While for many years Bartók’s chamber fiddle in Viennese folk bands.

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Available on CD and as digital downloads directly from www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/live © ERIC MANAS/HARMONIA MUNDI or 020 7935 2141

Christian Gerhaher Wolfgang Holzmair baritone © SIMON JAY PRICE Geoffrey Parsons piano CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS Schubert Die schöne Müllerin WHLIVE0072 Christian Gerhaher Series The Sixteen Residency Renowned for his captivating, Lieder makes extraordinary demands Harry Christophers, raised on the sensitive artistry, Geoffrey Parsons on its performers, calling for total great tradition of English choral singing is fondly remembered to this day honesty of expression. Christian during his time as a Canterbury for his legendary status among Gerhaher’s uncanny ability to probe Cathedral chorister and Oxford choral pianists and for the wealth of recitals deep beneath the surface of the scholar, formed what swiftly became he gave with the world’s leading songs in his repertoire, to step beyond one of the world’s finest professional singers during his lifetime. considerations of ego and touch the choirs nearly forty years ago. He This extraordinary release James Baillieu

expressive heart of words and music © KAUPO KIKKAS and The Sixteen come to Wigmore from the Wigmore Hall archive have marked him out as an artist in Hall next season for a three-concert presents Geoffrey Parsons with a million. Wigmore Hall’s Christian Introducing James Baillieu residency, opening on 3 November baritone Wolfgang Holzmair Gerhaher Series celebrates the When experienced reviewers rank with a delectable programme of works for a recording of Die schöne German baritone’s visionary work a young artist in company with from Monteverdi’s Selva morale e Müllerin, steeped in the musicians’ Iestyn Davies

© MARCO BORGGREVE with four concerts and a lunchtime outstanding figures from past and spirituale of 1641, complete with trademark curiosity and searching masterclass session, the latter given present, audiences understandably the composer’s sumptuous Dixit interpretations of the text and Season Opening Concert with postgraduate students from want to hear more. James Baillieu’s Dominus settings for eight voices, performed with great expressive One of today’s brightest vocal stars, London’s conservatoires. He is joined work as song pianist and chamber violins and continuo. They return later subtleties and musical conviction. Iestyn Davies, connects with the by regular duo partner Gerold Huber music partner has attracted favourable in the season to perform a selection legacy of a great artist from the past on 8 November for a programme critical comparisons to the artistry of of Purcell’s royal welcome songs for in a programme specially built to including song-cycles by Beethoven Gerald Moore and Graham Johnson, Charles II and James II (3 March launch Wigmore Hall’s season. and Schoenberg and returns for identifying him as the standard-bearer & 7 June). The countertenor, whose second recitals throughout the season of a new generation of fine recital release on the Wigmore Hall Live (4 & 8 February, 31 March). accompanists. The prodigiously Llyˆr Williams Beethoven label, ‘Arise my muse’, won a coveted gifted young South African pianist is Piano Sonata Cycle Gramophone Award, joins forces with the subject of a season-long run of Since performing Beethoven’s thirty- The English Concert on 12 September concerts at Wigmore Hall in 2015/16, two piano sonatas for the first time five to explore a selection of Handel’s opening on 27 September in company years ago, Welsh pianist Llyˆr Williams operatic arias, including ‘Venti turbini’ with Henk Neven. Introducing has often returned to the monumental Elias String Quartet and ‘Vaghe pupille’, arias ideally James Baillieu includes dates with cycle to deepen his insight into their Beethoven: suited to the thrilling musicianship Iestyn Davies and Allan Clayton limitless imaginary worlds. His ongoing The Complete String Quartets of an artist ever in demand at the (4 December), the Heath Quartet Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycle at Volume 1 world’s leading opera houses. (5 January), Johnny Herford Wigmore Hall garnered critical acclaim WHLIVE0073 (10 April), Ailish Tynan and last season with interpretations of the Since 2012, the Elias String Quartet Adam Walker (29 March) and composer’s early works. The series has been immersed in its Beethoven at Wigmore Hall’s Schubert Gala continues over the next two seasons, Project, performing all Beethoven’s (31 May). moving to the sonatas of Beethoven’s string quartets at venues throughout intensely creative middle years on the UK. In this, the first volume of Eggner Trio: Haydn and Dvorˇák 3 October. He offers his thoughts on its complete Beethoven cycle to be The three brothers Eggner – violinist such familiar works as the ‘Pathétique’ recorded live at Wigmore Hall over Georg, cellist Florian and pianist on 13 January and reaches the mighty the coming seasons, the ensemble Christoph – formed the trio that ‘Hammerklavier’ on 19 April by way of captures both the intimacy and Jean-Guihen Queyras

© MARCO BORGGREVE bears the family name in 1997. the concise Op. 79 and impassioned grandeur of the works. A firm favourite with the Wigmore Hall Op. 90 sonatas. Jean-Guihen Queyras audience, the Trio offers a series Magdalena Kožená

Artist in Residence © HARALD HOFFMANN / DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON devised to show the alchemical blend French cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras of invention, craft and imagination connects with music in ways that Celebrating Magdalena Kožená at play in the piano trios of Haydn remind listeners of the art-form’s Soon after leaving music college in and Dvorˇák. The Eggners begin essential presence in mind and the mid-1990s, Magdalena Kožená proceedings on 23 September with body. His approach to making established a glittering international a programme complete with Haydn’s music, whether on modern or period career. The Czech mezzo-soprano has seductive ‘Gypsy Rondo’ trio and instruments, offers an artistic vision been a favourite at Wigmore Hall for return to perform Dvorˇák’s Piano Trio Bertrand Chamayou informed by an innate ability to allow many years, delighting connoisseurs in G minor Op. 26 on 5 June. © MARCO BORGGREVE Iestyn Davies countertenor imagination and intuition to guide of fine singing with her eloquent Thomas Dunford lute expressive gestures in the moment of artistry, intelligent programming and Borodin Quartet Beethoven Bertrand Chamayou Jonathan Manson viol performance. He comes to Wigmore charismatic stage presence. and Shostakovich Cycle Critics were unanimous in praising Flow my tears – Hall next season as Artist in Residence, The Celebrating Magdalena Kožená Seventy years since its foundation, the Bertrand Chamayou’s Wigmore songs for lute, viol and voice opening on 19 September with a series opens with a recital of songs Borodin Quartet continues to set the Hall debut recital five years ago, WHLIVE0074 programme of trios for flute, cello by Dvorˇák, Wolf, Schumann and highest standards in chamber music with the Guardian describing it Iestyn Davies takes us on a and piano, given in partnership with Schoenberg given in partnership with performance. The group’s regular as an ‘exceptional occasion’ and voyage through the thrilling world Emmanuel Pahud and Eric Le Sage. Mitsuko Uchida (2 & 5 October) and appearances at Wigmore Hall continue the Independent noting how his of late Tudor and Stuart lute The series unfolds on 22 December includes a programme of music from next season with an essential series Liszt playing ‘took the breath away’. songs and a new work by Nico when Queyras, Isabelle Faust and the 1920s and 1930s to be presented devoted to works central to The French pianist, now securely Muhly. This programme exhibits Alexander Melnikov perform piano at Wilton’s Music Hall in the heart its artistic and spiritual identity established on the international the poetic eloquence which runs trios by Schumann, Salvatore Sciarrino of London’s East End (8 & 9 July). (15 & 17 September; 22 & 24 April). stage, returns with a captivating through the work of John Danyel, and Schubert, and continues with Kožená will also be accompanied by her The original Borodins worked closely all-Ravel programme on 23 October, Thomas Campion and, above all, masterclass sessions, a recital with husband, Sir Simon Rattle, making his with Shostakovich and passed on the spanning everything from the tender John Dowland, whose feeling for Alexandre Tharaud (13 March), Wigmore Hall recital debut as pianist wisdom of their collective experience lyricism of Pavane pour une infante emotional extremes surges through and a chamber music evening with (29 January), and exploring works by to their successors, an evolutionary défunte to the fiendish technical songs such as Can she excuse Lisa Batiashvili, Antoine Tamestit Monteverdi, Berio and Vit Zouhar in process that continues to inform the demands and fantasy soundscapes my wrongs and Flow my tears. and Jonathan Biss (17 May). company with La Cetra (8 March). Quartet’s uncompromising ethos. of Gaspard de la nuit.

FRIENDS OFFICE 020 7258 8230 WWW.WIGMORE-HALL.ORG.UK 3 KING ARTHUR AND THE COMMUNITY PURCELL’S KING ARTHUR IS THE STARTING POINT FOR THE 2015 COMMUNITY CHAMBER OPERA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EARLY OPERA COMPANY

This season, we are exploring explore some of the themes Alasdair will create a work and reimagining one of raised in the opera around that weaves together new Purcell’s best-loved operas. national heroes and identity music with some of Purcell’s St Edward’s Primary School, in the context of our diverse original material which will be Edward Wilson Catholic Primary Westminster community today. rehearsed and performed by School, St Marylebone Girls Taking away this inspiration, the community cast alongside and Boys Schools and All Sing! Wigmore Hall Learning’s Harrow Road Community Choir resident ensemble Ignite and form our community cast which COMPOSER AWARD instrumentalists and singers is working with director Hazel FOR KERRY ANDREW from Early Opera Company. Gould, composer Alasdair Kerry Andrew, the composer Come and experience Wigmore Nicolson and musical director behind Woodwose, our very Hall once again transformed Isabelle Adams. first community opera, has by a magnificent large-scale The groups have seen won the prestigious British community production which a performance of Purcell’s Composer Award in the brings together so many strands King Arthur, performed here community in 2014 for her of Wigmore Hall’s vibrant at the Hall in February – and work on this project. programme.

© WWW.BENJAMINHARTE.CO.UK this begins their journey to Thursday 16 July 2015 6.00pm WIGMORE HALL EMERGING TALENT WIGMORE HALL HAS PROVIDED A PLATFORM TO OUTSTANDING YOUNG MUSICIANS SINCE ITS EARLY YEARS. TODAY THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING AND NURTURING TALENT IS CENTRAL TO THE HALL’S LONG-TERM ARTISTIC STRATEGY, UNDERPINNED BY SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FROM MAYFIELD VALLEY ARTS TRUST AND KEENLY FOLLOWED BY AUDIENCES AND CRITICS ALIKE.

Wigmore Hall Emerging Talent Malcolm Martineau. The of subtle nuance associated is set to grow in 2015/16 thanks American lyric tenor’s bold with the Golden Age of fiddle to Mayfield Valley Arts Trust’s repertoire choice includes playing. She makes her coffee ongoing investment, and we songs by Bridge, Berlioz, Villa- concert debut on 20 September are delighted to present more Lobos and Wolf, a programme with a programme of works by emerging artists than ever informed by his commitment to Schubert, Clara Schumann before in the coming seasons. uninhibited communication. and Szymanowski. © LAURA ROSE © MATHIAS BOTHOR / DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON It remains of the utmost © QUATUOR VAN KUIJK importance for Wigmore Hall to nurture the finest young artists Jan Lisiecki piano Escher String Quartet Quatuor van Kuijk and the best in emerging talent Born in Canada in 1995 to The scope of the Escher A Wigmore Hall coffee concert in the world today, in order to Polish parents, Jan Lisiecki has String Quartet’s repertoire on 17 July stands among ensure that the demanding been described by The New encompasses everything next season’s highlights for standards and values set York Times as ‘a pianist who from Classical masterworks to the admirable Quatuor van deep within today’s musical makes every note count’. He collaborations with jazz artist Kuijk, winner of the Trondheim

practices live long into the makes a welcome return to © DAVID JERUSALEM Joshua Redman. The New International Chamber Music © TIMM KÖLLN next generation and beyond. Wigmore Hall on 30 October York-based ensemble, praised Competition. Founded in Wigmore Hall Emerging Talent with a programme including Benjamin Appl baritone by The New York Times for 2012, the ensemble served Viviane Hagner violin allows us to create essential Chopin’s dozen Études Op. 25, Mentored by Dietrich Fischer- its ‘glowing tone and insightful its apprenticeship in the Ysaÿe Since making her concerto performance opportunities which he recently recorded for Dieskau and taught today by musicianship’, returns to Quartet’s class at the Paris debut in 1990 at the age of for some of these artists Deutsche Grammophon. Rudolf Piernay, Benjamin Appl Wigmore Hall on 18 October Conservatoire and continues thirteen, German violinist as they gain experience and is directly connected to the with an imaginative programme to study in Madrid with Viviane Hagner has cultivated a broaden their knowledge of Henk Neven baritone great legacy of Lieder singing. of works by Mendelssohn, Günter Pichler. deeply reflective, insightful and the repertoire. With his distinctive lyric voice, He’s also a prodigiously talented Janác˘ek and Brahms. eloquent performance style. The artists highlighted sublime feeling for words and representative of the new Benjamin Beilman violin She returns to Wigmore Hall below are all artists to watch! their emotional content, and generation of young artists. The Jack Liebeck violin American violinist Benjamin on 30 March for a recital of charismatic stage presence, German baritone can be heard Attracting and holding an Beilman’s career has unfolded works rich in musical nuance, Henk Neven has been in Schubert: The Complete audience’s attention are at breathtaking pace, propelled including Debussy’s Violin Sonata compared to the young Dietrich Songs series (6 March), and in trademark conditions of Jack by the richness of his tone, the and pieces by Schubert, Bartók, Fischer-Dieskau and praised as company with James Baillieu Liebeck’s expressive music- searing passion of his playing Debussy and Saint-Saëns. an artist of great individuality (18 July). making. The London-born and his readiness to take risks and vision. The Dutch baritone violinist made his Wigmore Hall in performance. The 25-year joins James Baillieu on 27 debut in 2002 and has been a old, described as ‘mightily September in Wigmore Hall’s regular visitor ever since. His impressive’ by the Washington Schubert: The Complete Songs. potent artistry can be heard Post, presents a coffee concert again in recital on 25 May. recital on 10 July. © GISELA SCHENKER © © BENJAMIN EALOVEGA / DECCA CLASSICS © BENJAMIN EALOVEGA © Behzod Abduraimov piano Christiane Karg soprano The thrilling Uzbek artist, whose Tim Horton piano Few but the finest artists are pianism blends astonishing Those fortunate enough to know blessed with the open-hearted

musicianship, returns on to the eloquence and refined PATRICK ALLEN © of Christiane Karg. The soprano, 16 September following the Paul Appleby tenor beauty of his playing. In the two named Young Performer of the triumph of his series debut Paul Appleby, critically decades since he graduated Tamsin Waley-Cohen violin Year by Opernwelt in 2009, is recital last year. Abduraimov’s acclaimed for his starring role from Trinity College Cambridge, Lyrical and tender emerge an established Wigmore Hall latest recital is crowned by in Nico Muhly’s Two Boys at he has earned a gilt-edged high on the list of adjectives favourite. She recently made her Musorgsky’s Pictures from the Metropolitan Opera, makes reputation for his sensitivity and apt to describe Tamsin Waley- debut at the Royal Opera House an Exhibition, a work ideally his London recital debut at perception as a musician, not Cohen’s music-making. Her as Mozart’s Pamina, the latest complemented by the full range Wigmore Hall on 4 March in least in regular partnership with performances are also filled with landmark in a career already of the pianist’s exceptional gifts. company with pianist cellist Adrian Brendel. artistic risk and a degree marked by high achievement.

Isabel Harvey-Kelly Individual Giving Administrator Alice Pollock Development Assistant Registered Charity Wigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BP Box Office 020 7935 2141 @wigmore_hall /wigmore.hall No. 1024838

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