Wigmore Hall, one of the organisations which has led the way in supporting musical life during the past year of coronavirus, has announced a series of 40 concerts in the lead up to Easter.

Beginning on Monday February 22 – the day the UK Government is planning to announce its roadmap for the months ahead – there will be free live-streamed performances every weekday evening from the London venue. Some matinee concerts will also be live. Each will last 60-90 minutes, with no interval, and performed with no audience present.

John Gilhooly, Director of Wigmore Hall said, ‘As the anniversary of UK’s first national lockdown approaches, the livelihoods of most musicians remain hugely precarious. Compounded by uncertainty over European travel in the next few months, it is more important than ever that Wigmore Hall plays a part in providing refuge for musicians in these impossibly challenging circumstances.’

The artistic line up – featuring 200 UK-based musicians – spans the breadth of music that the Wigmore Hall is renowned for, including song, string quartets and chamber ensemble. The season culminates in a series of concerts in Holy Week featuring ensembles including The Sixteen, Stile Antico, La Serenissima, Fretwork and Tenebrae, and a performance of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater led by British singers Iestyn Davies and Carolyn Sampson. Viol consort Fretwork will mark Good Friday with the first Wigmore Hall performance of the St Matthew Passion by 17th-century German composer Johann Sebastiani.

Prior to that, for St Patrick’s Day on March 17, Limerick-born Gilhooly has programmed a special concert featuring Irish singers Ailish Tynan and Robin Tritschler, with pianist James Baillieu, and including traditional folksongs which reflect the cultural ties between our two nations. It will be introduced by the Ambassador of Ireland to Great Britain.

Meanwhile, donations to Wigmore Hall are currently on course to achieve £1 million by the first anniversary UK’s first nationwide lockdown on 23 March. ‘We are heartened and grateful for the overwhelming support that music lovers around the world have shown since we first started streaming concerts on 1 June last year', added Gilhooly. ‘I cannot emphasise enough how vital every single contribution has been in enabling us to put on concerts to support musicians.’