A WARM WELCOME TO OUR 15th ANNIVERSARY

At the end of the last festival we conducted an on-line survey to guide us looking forward. I was prepared to consider significant changes - but instead the great majority of responses were gratifying, these being typical: “The festival is an absolute gem” - “ This must be one of the top festivals in the country “ -“I feel very privileged to have such top flight performers and inspired and varied programming on my doorstep.”

One change I have most reluctantly had to make is to raise some ticket prices - our only significant source of income - in line with rising costs, and the sad fact that grants are becoming increasingly difficult to get in the capital with the cultural politicisation of levelling up. Nevertheless, I hope that with the quality WIMF offers we will still be seen as “Great Value for Money”.

Questioned on most favoured events almost all categories registered predominantly 5 [highest] and 4, with few in the lower categories: The viola recitals registered in the two highest categories, and indeed came in for praise: “Please keep the viola recitals - a unique and appreciated treat.” I thank the Tertis Foundation for its considerable help not just with the viola events but its generous support for the festival as a whole.

As we have featured many of the world’s greatest violists in recitals, this year we are showcasing the viola in two events, as a soloist in Mozart’s sublime Sinfonia Concertante, and as an inspiration for the rich sonorities of Brahms’ String Quintet, with a guest viola joining the Tippett Quartet, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary year.

Over the years WIMF has featured many of the world’s finest string quartets - to my mind the heart of the chamber music repertoire - and this year I grabbed the opportunity of two spare days in their European tour of the great Juilliard Quartet, celebrating its 75th anniversary, hailed as “the most important American quartet in history.”

If there seemed an overwhelming preference in the survey, it was for early music, and WIMF ‘23 is sure to delight in this regard with Armonico Consort bringing an important Scarlatti discovery, and Vivaldi’s Gloria; a new orchestral transcription of Bach’s Goldberg Variations; Rachel Podger and Brecon Baroque offering our two-part event featuring all the Bach concertos with violin; The Wigmore Soloists with Mozart’s exhilarating masterpiece, the Gran Partita for 13 winds, and Regents Opera returning with their touring version of Cosí fan Tutte to close the festival.

But of course there’s much, much more… Romantic music… some new commissions… French, English and Russian masterpieces… Please take your seats at the feast in November.