Wigmore Hall
Sir Andras Schiff, Elisabeth Leonskaja and Eric Lu will all take to the stage as part of the London Pianoforte Series
London’s Wigmore Hall has announced its 2019/20 season, and some of the piano world’s biggest names are all set to perform. The new season features a big focus on Beethoven, Brahms and Britten. Aptly named the ‘Three Bs’, it will at time stretch to four, with Bach staying very much in the picture. Wigmore Hall also plans to salute Polish-Jewish-Russian composer Mieczysław Weinberg in his centenary year.
The season’s wealth of Beethoven is shared between Jonathan Biss, Sir András Schiff (who also offers a Schubert lecture-recital) and Elisabeth Leonskaja. Complementing Beethoven’s works are explorations of such themes as music and disability and the composer’s legacy in the creative life of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The Brahms strand is sustained by Jonathan Plowright. 2020 sees the celebration of 250 years since the birth of Beethoven, so it’s no surprise that there will be a large focus on the legendary composer.
Among the other artists appearing in the London Pianoforte Series are Inon Barnatan, Christian Blackshaw, Bertrand Chamayou, Kirill Gerstein, Nelson Goerner, Richard Goode, Benjamin Grosvenor, Marc-André Hamelin, Pavel Kolesnikov, 2018 Leeds Competition winner Eric Lu, Garrick Ohlsson, Francesco Piemontesi (launching a Schubert cycle) and Beatrice Rana, who appeared on the cover of Pianist 87. Leif Ove Andsnes gives a solo recital and also performs with musicians from the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Paul Lewis and Steven Osborne team up for duets, whilst Imogen Cooper celebrates her 70th birthday in October 2019 with Schubert’s three last sonatas.
‘We have a duty to expand audiences, nurture young artistic talent and provide a home for great artists, as we bring our unique chamber music to as many people as possible,’ says John Gilhooly, the Hall’s Artistic & Executive Director, as he launches his 2019/20 Season
Elsewhere, the 2019/20 Composer in Residence has been announced as Vijay Iyer – the New York-based pianist, composer, bandleader, producer, and Harvard professor.
As announced at the end of 2018, 25,000 tickets will be available for younger audience members through Wigmore Hall’s Under 35s Scheme, in partnership with Classic FM. This is hoped to attract younger and often first-time concert-goers.
For more detailed information on dates, repertoire and more, visit the Wigmore Hall website.