Wigmore Hall has announced its 2026–27 season, marked by a new partnership with Berlin’s Pierre Boulez Saal and the Daniel Barenboim Stiftung, alongside a programme of more than 600 concerts and events.
The collaboration forms part of a wider network of international partnerships and aims to create new opportunities for artistic exchange. “Musical collaboration is at its most pure in chamber music,” said Daniel Barenboim, adding that the initiative will allow young artists to “work intensely together, grow, question, and inspire.”
A global chamber music hub
Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading venues for chamber music and song, Wigmore Hall will open the season on 8 September 2026 with a gala recital by soprano Nadine Sierra. The following days include performances by The Gesualdo Six and pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, who presents programmes of Bach, Beethoven and Schubert.
Access and new initiatives
A central focus of the season is accessibility. More than 5,000 free tickets will be made available to audiences under 25 across over 200 concerts, expanding on existing initiatives aimed at younger listeners.
In addition, Wigmore Hall will introduce surtitles for vocal performances for the first time, with English translations projected during concerts to enhance accessibility.
Anniversaries and major projects
The season is shaped by several key anniversaries, including celebrations of Benjamin Britten, Morton Feldman, and the 100th birthday of György Kurtág, as well as the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death.
Among the highlighted projects, pianist Igor Levit will perform the complete cycle of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, while Feldman’s String Quartet No. 2—lasting more than five hours—will be presented.
Pianist Yunchan Lim undertakes a season-long exploration of Mozart’s solo piano music, and Schubert’s Winterreise is reimagined with elements of Kabuki by Fleur Barron and Julius Drake.
Associate artists
Wigmore Hall introduces a new cohort of 16 Associate Artists, appointed for five-year tenures that will involve collaborations, commissions and cross-disciplinary projects. The artists are:
Thomas Adès, Ambrose Akinmusire, Louise Alder, The Gesualdo Six, Rhiannon Giddens, Boris Giltburg, Anastasia Kobekina, Leonkoro Quartet, Will Liverman, Harold López-Nussa, Anja Mittermüller, Daniel Pioro, Timothy Ridout, Abel Selaocoe, Jack Sheen and Peter Whelan.
Residencies and projects
The season also includes a number of artist residencies, with projects led by figures such as Thomas Adès, mandolinist Avi Avital, lutenist Thomas Dunford and pianist Emmet Cohen, each contributing programmes across the season.
Further programming spans chamber music, song, early music and contemporary repertoire, with regular livestreams and broadcasts, including Monday lunchtime concerts transmitted live on BBC Radio 3.
The 2026–27 season runs from September 2026 to July 2027, as Wigmore Hall continues its preparations for its 125th anniversary.
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