London’s Wigmore Hall has announced that it plans to commission up to 15 works per season from 2013.
The venue’s 2012/13 season includes 30 world and UK premieres by composers including Nico Muhly, Judith Weir and Julian Anderson.
‘We are redoubling our efforts to commission new chamber works over the years ahead,’ said director of Wigmore Hall, John Gilhooly. ‘Our commissioning scheme will continue to develop and grow as an integral part of Wigmore Hall’s programming. We plan to make Wigmore Hall one of the world’s foremost centres for contemporary music.’
Although Wigmore Hall has always presented new works (Elgar’s Piano Quintet and String Quartet received their premieres there in 1919), the Hall launched a policy of commissioning new chamber music and song six years ago. In 2008 the venue received funding from Fondation Hoffmann for the project and has since commissioned works by Thomas Larcher, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Luke Bedford.
André Hoffman, president of Fondation Hoffman said: ‘Wigmore Hall not only offers an ideal context where new work is introduced by fine artists before a large audience but also creates co-commissions with other concert halls, concert series and festivals. This gives these works the chance to become established in the repertoire.’
The 2012/13 season will see world premieres of commissions by Nico Muhly, Bent Sørensen, Judith Weir and Wolfgang Rihm.
Laura Parkin