London’s Cadogan Hall is resuming indoor performances with live audiences from Wednesday 30 September. It is the first time the venue has invited audiences since March, when the UK coronavirus lockdown was announced. It became one of the country’s first venues to reopen following lockdown in July, when it launched a series of livestreamed concerts and recording sessions.
Its new series with audiences will include lunchtime concerts with musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, performances as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival and a seasonal adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo for narrator and orchestra.
The live audiences will be restricted to 300, with all staff and audience members asked to comply with the UK government’s social distancing guidelines.
Cadogan Hall's announcement follows those of other UK venues, who have recently opened up for live audiences. Those include the likes of Snape Maltings in Aldeburgh and London's Wigmore Hall.
The RPO will host lunchtime concerts showcasing the different sections of the orchestra: brass and percussion on 30 September, wind on 14 October and strings on 11 November. Songwriter Donovan is also scheduled to appear at Cadogan Hall on 12 October, joined by his grandson in an acoustic performance of some of his biggest hits.
The EFG London Jazz Festival is set to take place between 13-22 November, with two performances at Cadogan Hall.
The world premiere of Philip Mackenzie’s new adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo will be performed by the Mozart Symphony Orchestra, with each character in the story represented by a different instrument. This concert – on 21 December – will also include a showing of The Snowman with live orchestral accompaniment.
Also on Cadogan Hall’s programme is a New Year’s Eve concert with Rainer Hersch and his orchestra, who will be joined by I Fagiolini and BBC Radio 4 newsreader Zeb Soanes.
