Wigmore Hall Podcasts

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 Festival. With the first concert of his series in November, Piemontesi discusses his programme choices and the parallels he feels between Schubert's life and final three piano sonatas.

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 Florilegium and The English Concert to develop her own performance practice. In this podcast she discusses one of her first performances of Bach, her practice technique and her ideas behind communicating with an audience through music. A humbling delve into Rachel’s passion for the violin and her love of the Wigmore Stage and audience. 

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 Hamilton and the Hall’s Archivist Emily Woolf provide a fascinating overview of women composers at Wigmore Hall, tracing the story of their works in performance here throughout the 20th century and up to the present day. 

This podcast is an original recording of an Archive Event held for Friends of Wigmore Hall earlier this year. As such, there are a series of images that are referred to throughout the talk, which are available for viewing in the slideshow below.

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 Hamilton and the Hall’s Archivist Emily Woolf provide a fascinating overview of women composers at Wigmore Hall, tracing the story of their works in performance here throughout the 20th century and up to the present day. 

This podcast is an original recording of an Archive Event held for Friends of Wigmore Hall earlier this year. As such, there are a series of images that are referred to throughout the talk, which are available for viewing in the slideshow below.

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 with fellow pianist Andreas Staier, and some more unusual interests in his life… did you know he has a pilot's licence?

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, co-presented by Wigmore Hall and the Royal Philharmonic Society, James Murphy talks to Jane about the iconic composer, his lasting impact in Britain, and how she draws upon the exploration of his extraordinary life to shape how she performs his music today.

Written in elegant prose that wears its author's scrupulous scholarship lightly ... Glover deftly weaves musical analysis into her biographical flow. Her greatest achievement, however, is to give life and music a political and social context. - Richard Morrison, The Times

‘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 Lied, the difference between his approach to a song recital and an opera, and the "sweet spot" of the Wigmore Hall stage.

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 JACK Quartet joins Tom with instruments in hand, to give live musical examples and bring to life the exuberant and exciting characters under discussion.

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