Preview - Performances at Wigmore Hall
Published: 26 January, 2012
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
The Wigmore Hall box office opens for public bookings for spring/summer concerts on Tuesday – and there are some terrific concerts that are going to be snapped up pretty quickly.
Greatest demand is likely to be for tickets for the June 10 recital of a programme of French and German pieces being sung by Jonas Kaufmann arguably the leading lyric tenor of the moment, certainly a heartthrob of the opera houses.
Other top singers include American tenor Anthony Dean Griffey on April 25; mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená (pictured) accompanied by Mitsuko Uchida on May 18; and mezzo Joyce Didonato on July 4.
My eye’s also been taken by some really first-rank violinists.
Legendary Russian violinist Maxim Vengerov is playing Handel, Bach and Beethoven on Thursday April 5, in what will be his first London concert since taking a sabbatical from playing to devote time to conducting, teaching and humanitarian projects.
He’s followed by American violinist Hilary Hahn on April 22 and Israeli-American violinist Gil Shaham on May 3.
Piano recitals are being given by the likes of Hong Xu, Christian Blackshaw, Richard Goode and Krill Gerstein.
There’s also likely to be great demand for some string quartets, notably the Tokyo, Quatuor Ebène, Jerusalem, London Haydn and Leipzig quartets.
Early music enthusiasts are spoilt for choice, too, with performances being given by vocal group Stile Antico and Les Talens Lyriques.
• Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP, 020 7935 2141, www.wigmore-hall.org.uk5