In this series of three essays, Frances Wilson offers a personal celebration of the Wigmore Hall, from its beginnings to the present day Early days The first concert at the new Bechstein (now Wigmore) Hall took place on 31st May

Alongside composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and collector Cecil Sharp, Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was a key figure in the early 20th-century English folk song revival. This movement was part of a process in which the English identity became located in an

“We need to have the bravery to trust the music itself to be its own biggest advocate” Helen Charlston, mezzo-soprano The above quote comes from a recent interview by Helen Charlston. It reflects a deep conviction in the inherent power

Johanna Bordewijk-Roepman is one of the most compelling – and still unfairly overlooked – figures in 20th-century Dutch classical music. A largely self-taught composer who came into her own in midlife, she forged a distinctive voice despite formidable obstacles: rigid

The exceptional and legendary Alicia de Larrocha, born on 23 May 1923 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, won four Grammy Awards after being nominated fourteen times, along with a Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts and other prizes and various

You may not know the name of pianist Magda Tagliaferro, but after hearing her play, you will remember it forever. She was an extraordinary pianist and musician who came of age with some of the greatest French composers of the

Beethoven‘s symphonies – and recordings of his symphonies – are ubiquitous in the classical music world, so of course many musicians and music lovers have made lists of their favourites. Have you ever wondered if there’s a slightly more objective

As soon as Richard Wagner had put the finishing touches on Lohengrin on 28 April 1848, he became embroiled in the stirrings of the 1848 Revolutions. He delivered a fiery speech, denouncing the evils of money and speculation, which he