From the world’s greatest classical musicians to young artists making their debut, Wigmore Hall’s 2017/18 Season promises to be accessible to more people than ever before.
Situated in the heart of Marylebone, London’s Wigmore Hall is a unique venue to experience exceptional performances, set apart from other concert venues by the clarity of the acoustic in the iconic and intimate auditorium. Nowhere else in London can you get as up close and personal to the performers and musicians. If it is your first time visiting, or your five-hundredth time, the 2017/18 Season is packed with something for every musical taste.
In announcing Wigmore Hall’s 2017/18 Season John Gilhooly, Director of Wigmore Hall, who is responsible for all areas of the Hall’s programming, commented: “Our partnerships with artists have never been stronger. Musicians love the atmosphere in the Hall, they love the intimacy, they love being able to communicate with everyone in the audience. This is reflected in the number of projects they are prepared to take on specifically for Wigmore Hall. Everyone at Wigmore Hall is deeply grateful to our many supporters who enable us to present such a rich, diverse and adventurous programme and for making all artists feel like they’re returning home”.
Wigmore Hall has a strong history of supporting and profiling American classical artists. In past seasons the likes of mezzo-
soprano Susan Graham and the Chamber Music Society of the Lincoln Centre have taken to the Wigmore stage. 2017/18 Season will be no different as the Hall is pleased to welcome some of the greatest American performers in the industry.
Joyce DiDonato, the acclaimed mezzo- soprano, will be performing a programme of Strauss and Debussy at Wigmore Hall this autumn, alongside the Brentano String Quartet. DiDonato will also be performing a piece written specifically for her by the American composer Jake Heggie that responds to the creative genius and tragic end of Rodin’s muse and lover Camille Claudel. DiDonato’s artistry and consummate professionalism promises to enthral the audience, and she will be sharing her experience and wisdom in a Masterclass a few days earlier.
Violinist Joshua Bell stands among today’s great performers. He is renowned for impassioned music making and will be in London this season with the musicians of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Bell and the ASMF are uniting further in a performance at Wigmore Hall that will show the clarity and beauty of works by Bach and Tchaikovsky.
Wigmore Hall welcomes the best of all instrumental performances and have a strong Jazz programme. For the last season, Jazz pianist, bandleader and composer Vijay Iyer has held a residency at the Hall. In the final concert of his series, Vijay is expanding his
classic Trio with three great horn players to build the Vijay Iyer Sextet, for a concert not to miss. The extraordinary Dianne Reeves takes to the stage in March when she will be performing works from her GRAMMY Award- winning albums.
Whatever your interest or experience of chamber music, there is something for every taste at Wigmore Hall.
Click here to see what's on at Wigmore Hall this season.
Support Wigmore Hall
American Friends of Wigmore Hall was set up to strengthen classical music ties between the UK and the US. Funded by its membership, the organisation supports American artists and projects on both sides of the Atlantic, with a preference for those where there is a connection with Wigmore Hall.
If you would like to support chamber music and song and international musical partnerships, please consider making a donation to American Friends of Wigmore Hall.
American Friends of Wigmore Hall is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organisation (TIN 30-0125674). Donations to it are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
For more information please contact: Marie-Hélène Osterweil
President of American Friends of Wigmore Hall - email americanfriends@wigmore-hall.org.uk or call +44 (0)20 7258 8220
Judith Schrut goes behind the red canopy on a Covent Garden back street to meet the folks be ind Joe Allen, as the iconic restaurant marks 40 memorable years as an American on the London scene.
What brought Joe Allen to
Britain?
It was the mid-1970s.The real Joe Allen, who ran his eponymous restaurant in NewYork, recognised the keen British taste for Americana. He wanted to offer something beyond burgers, a more sophisticated feel. That came together with a chance to buy property cheap in Covent Garden, which at that time was run down and off the beaten track. He saw the opportunity for something unique.
How has Joe’s made its mark?
From the beginning Joe’s has gone out of its way not to be an American food or theme restaurant, but American-style dining, meaning a relaxed place for a great pre-or post-theatre experience and atmosphere, a solid menu, fabulous cocktails, and real cheesecake. And Joe’s rejected the class system and instead embraced London’s diversity way before it was openly acceptable to do so. When Joe’s opened it was the only place in London where you could be sitting next to a punk on one side and a suited City boy on the other. We’ve also been the starting point for loads of amazing young chefs and people who
became key players on the UK restaurant scene, who helped re-define eating out in London. Rowley Leigh, Russell Norman and Jeremy King are all famous alumni. But it’s a myth that Graham Norton once worked here as a waiter!
What keeps Joe’s going after
40 years? What’s changed and
what’s stayed the same?
Loyalty plays a key part of Joe’s longevity on the ever-changing London restaurant scene. Current
owners Lawrence Hartley and Tim Healy, who took over 5 years ago, are both experienced and successful restaurateurs. But, more importantly, both cherish fond memories of visits to Joe Allen in their youth, and care deeply about its heritage. Joe’s has always relied on truly loyal staff, some of whom have been with us a very long time. Like Cathy, our general manager, who has worked here for over 25 years.
The London food scene has changed enormously since 1977- the sheer number of restaurants and the boom in quality and choice,
for example- but Joe Allen just keeps going like it’s always been. We still have live piano every night, brunch on Sunday, and a traditional turkey dinner at Thanksgiving.
Tell us about a memorable
moment at Joe’s.
On Joe’s opening day, 14 January 1977, a smash hit new musical called Chorus Line had recently opened at nearby Drury Lane Theatre. The show’s stars came and high-kicked their way down the stairs and across the bar to the show’s hit tune, Singular Sensation. Since then we’ve had many stars dancing on the bar or playing the piano. Peter Cook and Richard Harris singing, drunkenly, round the piano, was a pretty memorable moment for us.
You’ve had quite a few notable
diners over the years. Why did
they come?
Indeed, anybody who is anybody has been here. You can see their pictures on the walls. Rock Hudson, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Wagner, and Stephen Sondheim, to name a few. They’d expect to sit at one of the tables along the far wall, known as “the Fifties”. Chita Rivera practically lived here when she visited London. Elaine Stritch had her own table. Kenneth Williams would always sit in the corner table and snipe at people. People came to be seen— not particularly for the food— which could be a bit wounding for the chefs! Joe’s has always been a place to relax and feel comfortable. Theatre people, especially Americans playing the West End, would come here after a show, dressed in jeans or no makeup, for down time, to feel home from home. They could bring their lovers, boyfriends, mistresses, knowing Joe’s firm policy: “we don’t kiss and we don’t tell”.
Your pianist Jimmy was a
legend, wasn’t he?
The great Jimmy Hardwick was our pianist for 37 years, the longest serving house pianist anywhere. He played 6 nights a week from our opening night till the day he died, aged 88. He was a real character, genuinely a legend in his own lunchtime. With Jimmy, our regular
customers each had their own tune which he’d play as soon as they walked in. This was known as a Jimmy Jam. He was such a talent, he knew every single show tune by heart. And if you were famous— or he fancied you— he might just let you sing with him at the piano.
Tell us three things about Joe’s
that might surprise us.
Well, Joe Allen’s was the first restaurant in the UK to have an American-style‘hatch’and a beer slider on our long bar. We have a secret underground passage from Joe Allen to our sister restaurant, Orso. Also, we have an incredible collection of first edition theatre posters and photos of American stage and screen greats lining our walls, but notably no Brits in any of our photos.
Tell us about your menu and
the famous secret burger.
Well, from the beginning Joe refused to have burgers on our menu. But diners wanted burgers, so they became our ‘secret’ menu item. They’ve always been our best seller, but they’re still not on the menu and never will be. From the menu we’d suggest starting with our Caesar salad, beautifully executed, followed by either sticky ribs or Mac Ragu, with a side of fries and coleslaw. Finish with pecan pie or our classic chocolate brownie smothered in ice cream. Or, if you’re a vegetarian, try the three-bean chili from our Green Menu. And a cold American beer, of course.
How is Joe’s marking its 40th
birthday and what does the
future look like?
We’re having a year-long party with lots of surprises and treats, including a £19.77 retro menu. As for what’s next, we’re super-excited about moving house very soon. But we really don’t feel we’re moving the restaurant: we’ll still be nearby, in Covent Garden, the whole team are coming with us and we intend to keep our soul!
Joe Allen’s is at 13 Exeter Street, London WC2, moving nearby soon. Our thanks to Geoffrey Davies for his photography, and to Lawrence, Cathy, Sadie, Francesco and the rest of Joe’s lovely team.
By the time you are reading this, the holiday bright lights and seasonal buzz will be fond memories, and it will be some weeks before winter’s thaw and the first snowdrops of spring are with us. Well, we say that just gives us more time to snuggle up and savour the new year’s best toasty treats. We are delighted to share with you some great ways to cheat that chill and warm those cockles.
1. Dare To Dance
You might have heard of “the Strictly Effect”, after Britain’s favourite television show, Strictly Come Dancing, but have you ever wondered why we humans get such pleasure from all things dance?
Growing scientific evidence shows deep-seated reasons for our excitement at watching others in motion and being in motion ourselves. Apparently, rhythmic movement stimulates and rewards important parts of our brain that other things just cannot reach. Adding music to the mix increases this effect, which may explain why watching others dance or taking part ourselves gives us a double dose of pleasure and food for the brain.
Whether you dare to dance or just wish to watch, you’ll find Britain’s 2017 dance scene packed with opportunities to indulge in this healthful habit.
The English National Ballet’s new season features a classic production of the spellbinding
love story, Giselle; Rudolf Nureyev’s sumptuous version of romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet; and My First Ballet: Cinderella, everyone’s favourite rags-to-riches story in a beautifully adapted ballet version for children aged three and up. This promises to be a very special treat for the whole family and will include children’s workshops in London and on its UK-wide tour. ENB also hosts an impressive programme of master classes, open rehearsals, ‘ballet buddy’ days and courses for all ages and levels.
The Barbican Centre presents its most ambitious dance programme ever, with dance-connected performances, exhibitions and screenings taking place across the year and a treasure trove of guest companies and artists from around the globe, across its stages. Highlights include the world premiere of the Royal Ballet’s Les Enfants Terribles as part of a weekend celebrating Philip Glass at 80; bold, original works from Ballet Black, an expressive feast from the London International Mime Festival and a unique season of films in the Barbican cinema with dance at their heart.
Sadler’s Wells brings the world’s best contemporary dance to its three London stages, with a vibrant year-round programme of tango to hip-hop, ballet to flamenco, Bollywood to cutting-edge modern. Although its current space was extensively re-designed in 1998, there
has been dance and body-based entertainment on Sadler’s Wells historic Islington site for over 300 years. Back in the 17th century, visitors to Sadler’s Wells might be entertained by jugglers, tumblers, rope dancers, ballad singers, wrestlers, fighters, dancing dogs and, reputedly, a singing duck. Its 2017 season won’t include either dogs or ducks, but does have some splendid options for dance buffs.
Look out for the annual Flamenco Festival, setting the stage alight with exciting figures from the global flamenco scene and culminating in the Gala Flamenca. Japan’s astonishing Yamato drummers push their limits in a display of physical strength, using their whole bodies to produce thunderous music with drums weighing up to half a tonne. NewYork’s award- winning Dorrance Dance imaginatively takes the traditional American art of tap dance to a new level. With its astonishing use of electronic tap boards, the Company’s every step, swipe, and scrape sets off an element of sound, turning the stage into a musical instrument in its own right. Twenty years ago, Matthew Bourne turned the ballet world upside down with his unforgettable all male Swan Lake. Now he and his ever innovative company, New Adventures, debut a mesmerising Red Shoes, a ballet version of the classic movie, before heading out on an extensive UK tour.
If all those top taps and tango turns give you the urge to get up and boogie, there are dozens of dance options you can try for yourself in halls, churches and community centres around the country.
Apart from all that brain food we mentioned, dancing is a wonderful way to warm up in winter as well as meet new people, keep fit and have tremendous fun. Top of the stops for DIY dance lovers is Cecil Sharp House, the delightful North London headquarters of the English Folk Dance and Song Society for the past 80 years. With a wide variety of classes, workshops and events on offer, you can dance your way around the world with a choice of Irish Set Dance, Quadrille Club, Lancashire Clogging, Balkan, Morris Dancing and regular live band Celtic Ceilidhs, American Barn Dances and Filet Gumbo Cajun.
Anyone in the drama-know will tell you that some of the UK’s best theatre can be found on its many wonderful regional stages, venues like Liverpool’s Everyman and Playhouse, long famed as launching pads for groundbreaking drama and talent like Julie Walters, Jonathan Pryce and Bill Nighy. The E&P’s upcoming season has been proclaimed ‘a dream come true season’. It includes an eagerly awaited production of Fiddler on the Roof, a rock ‘n roll Beauty and the Beast and The Story Giant, marking the 50th anniversary of The Mersey Sound.
March winds blow in some thrilling regional premieres. One Love: The Bob Marley Musical debuts at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Sleepless in Seattle, the New Musical, opens with an all star cast at the Theatre Royal Plymouth before transferring to London’s West End.
Naturally, you’ll expect more than a few hot tickets to warm the London stage. An American in Paris, a gorgeous, award- winning reinvention of the Hollywood film and Gershwin musical, has its eagerly awaited UK premiere at the Dominion Theatre. 42nd Street, the classic song and dance American dream fable of Broadway comes to Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and Doctor Who and Broadchurch star David Tennant will play the title role in Don Juan in Soho at Wyndham’s Theatre.
At long last, Hamilton, the critically acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning play and multi-awarded Broadway musical, hits the Victoria Palace Theatre, with tickets on sale from January and an opening date in late 2017. Hamilton tells the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the nation’s first Treasury Secretary. The score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway and is described as “the story of America then, as told by America now”.
For something completely different as well as historic, beautiful and reasonably-priced, you’ll love an evening at Wilton’s Music Hall. This one-of-a-kind gem in the heart of London is the oldest Grand Music Hall in the world. Recently re-opened after a glorious restoration and re-design, Wilton’s offers a year round programme of exceptional productions and community events. Highlights of 2017’s first season are an electrifying Frankenstein and the renowned and hilarious Reduced Shakespeare Company in Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play. Wilton’s also has terrific stuff for the whole family, like time-travelling magicians Morgan & West’s Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show for Kids(and Childish Grown Ups!) and Silver Electra, an inspirational show about American pioneer aviator, Amelia Earhart.
To many music lovers, Britain is Music Heaven, with hundreds of venues, concerts and gigs to suit every taste or genre. Whether your favourite is rock, jazz, folk or classical; grime, gunge or gangsta rap - or a sound so new it doesn’t have a name yet - the UK hosts a breadth and variety of music unequalled anywhere on the planet.
London’s Southbank Centre, a particular jewel in the nation’s musical crown, starts the new year with a passion, offering plenty to stir the heart and warm the soul. Expect a glittering array of classical pearls, historic gems and
contemporary sparklers, as the world’s most gifted musicians take centre stage and wave batons, show off vocal vim and make their instruments sing.
Belief and Beyond Belief is the Southbank Centre’s rich, ripe central theme for 2017, bringing with it an ambitious year-long festival of music, performance, film, debate and exhibitions. If you’ve ever asked yourself “Being human: what’s it all about?”, this is the festival for you. In a fruitful partnership with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, there will be eight themed weekends across the year. A creative mix of music, words and ideas will explore massive themes like “The search for the meaning of life”; “How do we live with death?” and “Can science and religion live side by side?”.
The coming Southbank year will also see dozens of musical premieres and artist
debuts, movie screenings with live orchestra, an international piano series and a Nordic season, as well as the annual Women of the World, EFG London Jazz, Darbar Indian Music and Imagine Children’s festivals.You’ll be spoilt for choice with evenings of Mozart masterpieces, the Sounds of Musicals, the Glenn Miller Orchestra and concerts from the cream of classical soloists like Mitsuko Uchida, Pinchas Zukerman, Maurizio Pollini and Vladimir Ashkenazy.
You can always depend on the Southbank to have plenty for families and young people, including its popular FUNharmonics family concert. This year’s Imagine Children’s Festival will have a strong Nordic focus. There will be dancing, singing, wiggling, giggling and other childish fun for all ages, from Groove Baby, dance for the very youngest set, to Rave-a-Roo, a brand new clubbing experience for the whole family.
The Southbank offers many attractively priced or free options, such as over-60s concessions, student and family tickets, series savings, Friday Tonic after-work concerts and other free foyer events.
From the world’s greatest classical musicians to young artists making their debut, Wigmore Hall’s 2017/18 Season promises to be accessible to more people than ever before.
Judith Schrut goes behind the red canopy on a Covent Garden back street to meet the folks be ind Joe Allen, as the iconic restaurant marks 40 memorable years as an American on the London scene.
Anyone in the drama-know will tell you that some of the UK’s best theatre can be found on its many wonderful regional stages, venues like Liverpool’s Everyman and Playhouse, long famed as launching pads for groundbreaking drama and talent like Julie Walters, Jonathan Pryce and Bill Nighy. The E&P’s upcoming season has been proclaimed ‘a dream come true season’. It includes an eagerly awaited production of Fiddler on the Roof, a rock ‘n roll Beauty and the Beast and The Story Giant, marking the 50th anniversary of The Mersey Sound.
London’s Southbank Centre, a particular jewel in the nation’s musical crown, starts the new year with a passion, offering plenty to stir the heart and warm the soul. Expect a glittering array of classical pearls, historic gems and
contemporary sparklers, as the world’s most gifted musicians take centre stage and wave batons, show off vocal vim and make their instruments sing.
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