Wigmore Hall celebrates its 110th anniversary with landmark gala concerts

Friday 27 May 2011

On 31 May and 1 June, Wigmore Hall celebrates its 110th anniversary with two anniversary gala concerts. The venue, originally called Bechstein Hall, opened with two gala concerts on 31 May and 1 June 1901, with Ferrucio Busoni, Eugène Ysaÿe and Vladimir de Pachmann among the performers. Wigmore Hall has since provided a platform for many of the world’s greatest solo artists and chamber groups, securing its place among the leading international chamber music venues.

“Our anniversary gala concerts celebrate the artistic strengths of Wigmore Hall in its 110th year,” comments Wigmore Hall’s Director, John Gilhooly. “It was my great pleasure and privilege to create this season’s programme, and I am especially delighted that such a distinguished company of artists agreed to take part in our gala events. These two concerts reflect the exceptional quality of our anniversary season as a whole.”

Next week’s anniversary concerts feature artists who have been frequent guests at Wigmore Hall. The celebrations commence on Tuesday 31 May with a programme of works by Haydn, Beethoven and Dvořák, performed by the Takács Quartet and pianist Stephen Hough. Violinists Joshua Bell and Pamela Frank join forces with violist Tabea Zimmermann, cellist Steven Isserlis and pianist Jeremy Denk on Wednesday 1 June, to create the ideal combination of artists to perform Elgar’s Piano Quintet (which was premièred at the Hall in May 1919) and works by Beethoven, Schubert and Dvořák.

“In the decade since I joined the Hall, with the vital help of our donors and patrons, we have been able to refurbish the building, acquire a long-term lease, launch a critically acclaimed record label, Wigmore Hall Live, and broaden our programming in traditional and new directions while attracting record audiences,” John Gilhooly observes. “Our 110th anniversary gala evenings are a fitting tribute to all those who have supported Wigmore Hall’s recent development and are committed to its future as one of the world’s finest chamber venues.”