Name: Niamh O'Sullivan mezzo-soprano; Gary Beecher piano
Start: 2024-10-07T13:00:00
Location: Wigmore Hall

Dive into the heart of London this fall with a series of mesmerizing events dedicated to the genius of Gustav Mahler. From the haunting depths of Symphony No. 6 at Royal Albert Hall to the youthful exuberance of the London Schools Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican, Mahler's music will resound throughout the city. Don't miss the grandeur of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra or Marin Alsop's poignant rendition of Symphony No. 5 at Royal Festival Hall. This season, London's premier venues are set to bring Mahler’s timeless compositions to life.

London Celebrates Gustav Mahler: A Symphony of Events

London is set to host an extraordinary lineup of musical events celebrating the genius of Igor Stravinsky. From the intimate recitals at Wigmore Hall with Leila Josefowicz and Niamh O'Sullivan, to the grand orchestral performances at the Barbican featuring The Rite of Spring, these concerts promise to captivate audiences with a blend of classical and contemporary music. Also, don't miss the deconstruction of The Firebird by Aurora Orchestra at Southbank Centre and a compelling evening with London Choral Sinfonia at Smith Square Hall.

Unmissable Stravinsky-Inspired Concerts Coming to London: A Celebration of Genius

Get ready, London! Wigmore Hall is set to host a series of captivating events celebrating the genius of Hugo Wolf. From tenor performances and literary launches to avian-themed recitals and contemplative evenings, there's something for every classical music enthusiast. Mark your calendars and immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Hugo Wolf's compositions this fall.

Experience the Magic of Hugo Wolf: Upcoming Events at Wigmore Hall, London

London is set to be the epicenter of musical brilliance with a series of captivating performances featuring the works of Erich Wolfgang Korngold. From Niamh O'Sullivan's avian-themed recital at Wigmore Hall to the orchestral magnificence of Bartók's Concerto at Royal Festival Hall, there’s something for every classical music aficionado. Don't miss James Ehnes and Orion Weiss's chamber music, Laura van der Heijden's nocturnal-themed programme, and the soaring beauty of Korngold’s Violin Concerto at Cadogan Hall.

Experience the Magic of Korngold in London: Unmissable Musical Events

Niamh O'Sullivan

Gary Beecher

Wigmore Hall

Quatuor Agate’s biography tells the story of how its four players joined forces to prepare for a concert that was destined never to happen. The French string quartet, inspired by the rehearsal process, overcame that initial setback to make its debut a decade ago and progress to become one of the finest among today’s young chamber groups. It pairs Haydn’s tuneful Op. 20 No. 4 with the equally melodious second of Korngold’s string quartets, written shortly before he made his first visit to Hollywood in 1933.

Quatuor Agate

Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespers, first published in 1610, harnessed ancient and modern styles of sacred music to create a sublime setting of the Latin service of evening prayer. Using one voice per part and a company of ace period instrumentalists, Vox Luminis and Lionel Meunier direct their exceptional collective artistry and long experience of music from the early Baroque to the performance of one of western classical music’s richest achievements.

Vox Luminis; Lionel Meunier artistic director, bass

Grammy Award-winner Linda May Han Oh, known for her rhythmically complex, melodically enchanting music, has beguiled critics and audiences alike with her distinctive musical voice. The Malaysia-born, New York-based Australian bassist and composer returns to Wigmore Hall for a red-letter date with her regular duo partner and husband, the Cuban American artist Fabian Almazan, hailed by DownBeat for his ‘remarkable piano virtuosity’.

Linda May Han Oh jazz bass; Fabian Almazan piano

Elisabeth Leonskaja’s recording of the complete works of Schubert stands among the finest in the catalogue. ‘No question about it,’ notes Gramophone, ‘Leonskaja’s Schubert … should provide you with a lifetime’s worth of musical nourishment.’ The esteemed Austrian pianist opens her recital with the 20-year-old composer’s Piano Sonata in B, a delightful companion to the poetic nuances of his four late Impromptus D935. Post-interval, she turns to the radiant charm and playfulness of the sonata Schubert composed during a summer visit to the spa town of Bad Gastein.

Elisabeth Leonskaja piano

Tamara Stefanovich offers a programme that reflects music’s power to transcend the ordinary and touch aspects of the human spirit that words cannot express. The Grammy Award-nominated pianist, hailed by the Guardian as ‘Fearless, dazzling, exceptional’, creates a feeling of sacred space and intimacy with a lunchtime recital that rises from Bach’s Aria variata and embraces Messiaen’s tender meditations on the infant Christ.

Tamara Stefanovich piano

The works in Clare Hammond’s recital demand a union of exceptional technical skills and deep artistic sensibility, qualities she possesses in abundance. The British pianist’s programme reflects her profound interest in the music of Poland and determination to broaden the keyboard repertoire with new work, present here in the form of the world première of two études by Emma-Ruth Richards, a composer praised by Musical Opinion for the ‘exceptional refinement and subtlety’ of her music.

Clare Hammond piano

The Danish String Quartet, known for its adventurous programming and heartfelt artistry, is joined by Johannes Rostamo in an engrossing programme. Schubert’s String Quintet in C, completed just weeks before his death in 1828, is a magical work suffused with inventive brilliance and an astonishing breadth of moods. Thomas Adès’s Wreath – for Franz Schubert, a single-movement composition commissioned by the Danish String Quartet, echoes elements of Schubert’s Quintet as it explores the complexities of existence.

Danish String Quartet; Johannes Rostamo cello

Join Ian Page to discuss the evening concert.

Pre-Concert Talk: Ian Page

Zee Zee’s Piano Festival programme combines coruscating examples of the art of transcription and original compositions by Schubert and Liszt. Schubert’s C minor Piano Sonata combines the composer’s lyricism with the energy and dramatic contrasts he absorbed from the music of Beethoven. The Chinese American pianist ends with Liszt’s near-mystical vision of the Villa d’este fountains and fiendishly difficult Tarantella.

Zee Zee piano

Friedrich Klinger’s play Sturm und Drang, which retrospectively gave its name to the emotionally turbulent movement that swept through literature, art and music in the 1760s and 1770s, was written 250 years ago in 1776. To mark this anniversary, Ian Page and The Mozartists present a characteristically dynamic and highly-charged programme, culminating with Haydn’s celebrated and darkly dramatic ‘Farewell’ Symphony.

The Mozartists; Ian Page conductor; Alexandra Lowe soprano

Julia Hamos’s debut album, including Bartók’s Hungarian Peasant Songs together with works by Ligeti and Schubert, prompted Gramophone’s reviewer to praise the ‘sheer finesse, innate musicality and total commitment informing every note she plays.’ The Hungarian American artist, Sir András Schiff’s assistant at the Kronberg Academy in Germany, offers an equally satisfying lunchtime repertoire menu with her vibrant programme.

Julia Hamos piano

200 years after its first performance, Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 130 with its original Grosse Fuge finale has lost none of its revolutionary force and power to shock. The Belcea Quartet prefaces the composer’s late masterwork with the first of his string quartets, itself a radical statement of musical democracy in which all four players serve as equals.

Belcea Quartet

The Irish mezzo studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin under Veronica Dunne before moving on to the Opera Studio at the Bavarian State Opera from 2016 to 2018. She is a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist for 2023-5, during which time she will debut at major recital venues including Wigmore Hall. She recently sang Wellgunde in Barrie Kosky’s new production of Das Rheingold at the Royal Opera House and will make her role debut as Carmen at the 2024 Buxton Festival. Her programme takes an avian theme.

Niamh O'Sullivan mezzo-soprano; Gary Beecher piano

Articles & News