Wigmore Hall Podcasts

Jonathan Biss, following the December concert in his Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycle, is joined by Antoine Lederlin and Krzysztof Chorzelski of the Belcea Quartet (who are currently performing the complete Beethoven String Quartets) for a discussion on their programmes. The conversation includes comparisons between the string quartets and piano sonatas, the co-existence of contrasting elements - huma...

Georgina Born, Professor of Music and Anthropology at Oxford University and Professorial Fellow of Mansfield College, joins Vijay Iyer for an exchange of ideas traversing the arts, the humanities, and the social and natural sciences. The two musician-scholars each give a brief mini-lecture, Iyer on ‘Musicality’ and Born on ‘Musical Experience’, followed by a dialogue considering the intersections...

Bringing together two intertwined stories – a performer’s lifelong passion for the mélodie, and its history at Wigmore Hall. Dame Felicity Lott shares stories and highlights from her life as a performer and devotee of French song, in conversation with Wigmore Hall’s Archivist Emily Woolf. This unique interview interweaves these recollections with material from our Archive illustrating some of the...

Over the course of four years (excluding 2021) British pianist Christian Blackshaw will be performing the complete cycle of Mozart’s piano sonatas on the composer’s birthday, 27 January. In conversation with music critic and author Jessica Duchen, join Christian to explore the sonatas in this Wigmore Hall podcast. The pair talk about what makes the cycle of piano sonatas special, how Christian has...

The frequently tragic life of the Polish-Jewish-Russian composer Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996) did not prevent him from composing prolifically in many forms; important to both his personal life and career was his friendship with Shostakovich, which began during the Second World War and continued until the latter’s death. Ahead of Quatuor Danel’s two-season survey of Weinberg’s string quartets, M...

The frequently tragic life of the Polish-Jewish-Russian composer Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996) did not prevent him from composing prolifically in many forms; important to both his personal life and career was his friendship with Shostakovich, which began during the Second World War and continued until the latter’s death. Ahead of Quatuor Danel’s two-season survey of Weinberg’s string quartets, M...

Following each concert in his Beethoven Piano Sonata series, Jonathan Biss will host a post-concert talk in the Hall. On Sunday 29 September, this took the form of a Question & Answer session with the audience. Led by questions from the auditorium, Jonathan explores the evening concert programme and the development of Beethoven over the decade the performed works span. He discusses how teaching an...

Vijay Iyer in conversation with Simon Rentner Ahead of his 2019/20 Residency, Wigmore Hall’s 2019/20 Composer in Residence Vijay Iyer invites Simon Rentner into his New York home to talk about the different aspects of his residency. Together, the two discuss each of Iyer’s 2019/20 collaborations and how he answers the question of his musical “origin” and heritage. Iyer addresses the concept of imp...

Ahead of his Schubert series in 2019/20, pianist Francesco Piemontesi talks to music critic Michael White at Wigmore Hall. The pair talk about whether Piemontesi, a pianist with a background of multiple nationalities and cultures, considers himself a 'citizen of the world', how he couldn't ever confine himself to any one area of piano music, and the excitement of programming the Ascona Music Festi...

Baroque violinist and orchestral director, Rachel Podger introduces her ensemble Brecon Baroque and discusses her passion for Baroque music with BBC Radio 3 presenter, Sara Mohr-Pietsch. Since their first concert in 2006, following the Brecon festival, Brecon Baroque has grown from strength to strength. Rachel Podger has drawn upon her past experiences of working with other ensembles including Flo...

Katy Hamilton and Emily Woolf explore the history of women composers at Wigmore Hall. From the very beginning, works by women have been an integral part of concert programming at Wigmore Hall, and though trends and styles have shifted and changed through the years, there has never been a time when the creative voice of women was not given room on our stage. Musician, writer and presenter Katy Hami...

Katy Hamilton and Emily Woolf explore the history of women composers at Wigmore Hall. From the very beginning, works by women have been an integral part of concert programming at Wigmore Hall, and though trends and styles have shifted and changed through the years, there has never been a time when the creative voice of women was not given room on our stage. Musician, writer and presenter Katy Hami...

The Russian pianist has been an Artist in Residence at Wigmore Hall for the 2018/19 Season. Novelist and classical music writer Jessica Duchen discusses with Alexander Melnikov the varied and demanding programming behind his residency and adapting his style between fortepiano and modern piano. They take a look back at Melnikov's education, his musical influences and collaborations, including that...

Chief Executive of the Royal Philharmonic Society, James Murphy talks to Jane Glover about her latest book ‘Handel in London’ Aged 25, Handel arrived in London in 1710 and transformed the musical scene. Whilst London has changed drastically from then, much has remarkably stayed very similar, conductor Jane Glover discusses this in her acclaimed new book ‘Handel in London’. In this special event, c...

‘A pianist of ideas’, as The New Yorker has called him, leading Schubert interpreter Christian Zacharias delves into the great composer’s unique melodic, harmonic and thematic flourishes. Through close examination of these musical hallmarks and idiosyncrasies, he takes us on a journey to the very essence of Schubert’s style.

Ahead of his concert with Julius Drake on 15 June, the Canadian baritone Gerald Finley talks about programming, Schubert and Wigmore Hall with music broadcaster Sara Mohr-Pietsch Together the pair discuss the motivation and inspiration behind programming a song recital and Gerald's nearly decade-long relationship with pianist Julius Drake. Gerald explores his changing perceptions of the Schubert L...

In April 2019, the JACK Quartet performed a two-concert cycle of the complete string quartets by Elliott Carter, in a lunchtime and evening recital they have been looking forward to with anticipation. Journalist Tom Service breaks down the music particularly of Carter’s 2nd and 3rd quartets, which form part of the evening concert programme, and 1st quartet which the JACK played at lunchtime. The J...

French baritone Stéphane Degout discusses French song, oratorio, opera and gastronomy with Richard Stokes.  

The string quartet, a combination of two upper voices, one middle and one lower, gives the composer the minimum requirement for fourpart harmony. This idea of a bare minimum has entranced composers from Haydn – who started it all – right through to the present day, and the attention that so many great composers have given the genre has created an almost unrivalled succession of masterful works; Be...

The string quartet, a combination of two upper voices, one middle and one lower, gives the composer the minimum requirement for fourpart harmony. This idea of a bare minimum has entranced composers from Haydn – who started it all – right through to the present day, and the attention that so many great composers have given the genre has created an almost unrivalled succession of masterful works; Be...

The string quartet, a combination of two upper voices, one middle and one lower, gives the composer the minimum requirement for fourpart harmony. This idea of a bare minimum has entranced composers from Haydn – who started it all – right through to the present day, and the attention that so many great composers have given the genre has created an almost unrivalled succession of masterful works; Be...

The string quartet, a combination of two upper voices, one middle and one lower, gives the composer the minimum requirement for fourpart harmony. This idea of a bare minimum has entranced composers from Haydn – who started it all – right through to the present day, and the attention that so many great composers have given the genre has created an almost unrivalled succession of masterful works; Be...

Ahead of her 70th Birthday Concert at Wigmore Hall, Dame Emma discusses chamber music and her career with Jessica Duchen. She will perform at the Hall on Thursday 28 February alongside long-term musical associates as well as a younger generation of artists she believes will play an important role in the future of early music.

Appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2017, Dame Sarah Connolly has maintained a standard of excellence in the opera house as in concert and recital halls. With a repertoire ranging from the Baroque masters through bel canto, Wagner and Elgar to new works, she continues to explore a wide variety of music with dedication and unique interpretative skills.

Founded in 2004 by singer, musician and conductor Lionel Meunier, the Belgian vocal ensemble has acquired a wide reputation for its specialist programming realised to a standard of creative imagination that places it at the forefront of such groups today, drawing on rigorous historical research to achieve music-making of prodigious vitality.