Years ago the Wigmore Hall was the place where all aspiring young performers made their recital debuts, pianists, singers, violinists - whatever you had you needed to present it in London, so "doing a Wigmore" was the answer. It cost you money but Ibbs and Tillett organised it all and you were seen and heard.
With Ibbs and Tillett long gone, I don't think it works quite like that any more. But this beautiful hall, which opened as the Bechstein Hall one hundred and eleven years ago, remains a wonderful place to hear chamber music and song. There is nothing else quite like it in London (or in Chicago for that matter).
This evening I will be here for a promising evening with interesting artists (including a talented Syrian pianist) and a varied program ranging from Scarlatti and Schumann, to Scriabin, Ligeti, Poulenc and a new piece by young clarinettist and composer Mark Simpson.
What has drawn me to this is the participation of composer and pianist Kate Whitley, the grand daughter of an old friend. But I expect to get a good deal more out of it than just that!
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