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englishconcert.co.uk

London Season 2019 – 2020

A luscious feast of Baroque musicTHE INDEPENDENT

THE ENGLISH CONCE∏T

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The English Concert –under the inspiring direction of Harry Bicket. THE SPECTATOR

The English Concert – nothing short of brilliant. Sporting perfectly tight ensemble, spacious and ringing tone, a variety of colours, gleaming strings and clean, forceful brass – they are the model of a period chamber orchestra in every sense. NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW

…their forays into the world of Baroque music are never less than an exhilarating experience for audiences and artists alike. Meticulous musicianship and a palpable passion for playing. OPERAWIRE

Individual photography and cover by Dario Acosta

Guest artists 2019 – 2020Alison Balsom Mary Bevan Katie Bray Gwilym Bowen Brandon Cedel Dame Sarah Connolly Anthony Roth Costanzo Lucy Crowe Laurence Cummings Jess Dandy Iestyn Davies

Tabea Debus Dominic Dromgoole Joshua Ellicott Ying Huan Sarah Humphrys Sumi Jo Robin Johannsen Robert Murray Trevor Pinnock Clemens Schuldt Elizabeth Watts

The English Concert delights audiences throughout the world but it is in London, our home, where we explore and present the music we are most passionate about.

Whether in the intimate Wigmore Hall, the iconic Barbican, or the glorious surroundings of Garsington, we look forward to sharing with you stunning opera performances with stellar casts for Handel’s Rodelinda and Mozart’s Mitridate, a renewed focus on choral music with Bach’s St John Passion, thrilling performances of core instrumental repertoire together with gems you may not have heard before at Wigmore Hall and projECt, a new initiative driven by English Concert cellist Jonny Byers, that will explore connections between eighteenth-century music and our world today.

None of this would be possible without the incredible support of our friends, our London and American boards, trusts and foundations, corporate sponsors and, crucially, you our audience.

We look forward to welcoming you to our performances to celebrate this great music together.

Harry Bicket Alfonso Leal del Ojo artistic director chief executive

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Welcome to The English Concert 2019 – 20 London Season

Laurence Cummings conducts Monteverdi Vespers at Garsington (July 2019). Photo: Julian Guidera

Handel Concerto Grosso in G Op 6 No 1 Handel Arias from Agrippina HWV 6 ‘Lusinghiera mia speranza’ ‘Coronato il crin d’alloro’ ‘Otton, qual portentoso fulmine . . . Voi che udite il mio lamento’

Handel Concerto Grosso in G minor Op 6 No 6

Handel Passacaille from Il Pastor Fido HWV 8c

Handel Arias from L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato HWV 55 ‘Sometimes let gorgeous tragedy’ ‘Hide me from day’s garish eye’ ‘May at last my weary age’

Handel Concerto Grosso in D Op 6 No 5 Iestyn Davies Countertenor

Trevor Pinnock Founding Director / Harpsichord DURATION APPROX. 2 HOURS

AN ENGLISH CONCERT PROMOTION

We are privileged to share the Wigmore Hall stage with one of our favourite artists, countertenor Iestyn Davies, to help him celebrate his fortieth birthday. Led from the harpsichord by our founding director Trevor Pinnock, the programme includes a selection of Iestyn’s favourite arias from Handel’s opera Agrippina, as well as the exquisite ‘May at last my weary age’ from L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato.

The party is rounded off with Handel’s sparkling fifth concerto grosso from his much-loved Op 6 collection. Join us for what is sure to be an unforgettable occasion with one of the world’s greatest singers. tickets £18 – £50 (returns only) book tickets 020 7935 2141 / wigmore-hall.org.uk venue Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP tube stations Bond Street & Oxford Circus

Over three evenings across our 2019–2020 season, we leave the concert hall to gather at Islington’s Candid Arts Centre for ProjECt, our new salon-style event. ProjECt will be informal and inspiring, exploring twenty-first-century issues through seventeenth and eighteenth-century music. In this first salon, our theme is the world and our environment. We welcome soprano Mary Bevan, musicians from The English Concert and surprise guests. Join us for an evening of excellent music, stimulating conversation (and bar!) that will be sociable, surprising and moving. Whether you are an English Concert regular or new to classical music, this is an evening for you. doors open 7.30pm, music 8pm tickets £15 book tickets englishconcert.co.uk/project venue Candid Arts Centre, 3-5 Torrens Street, London, EC1V 1NQ tube station Angel

Bar provided in association with Two Tribes Brewery

ProjECt will continue on 22 February and 15 May. Further details will be announced at englishconcert.co.uk

Mary Bevan SopranoJonny Byers Producer / Cello

AN ENGLISH CONCERT PROMOTION

THE ENGLISH CONCERT

ProjECtTHE ENGLISH CONCERT

IESTYN DAVIES 40TH BI∏THDAY CONCE∏T

CANDID ARTS CENTRE , LONDONFRI 13 SEPTEMBER 7.30PM

WIGMORE HALL, LONDON MON 16 SEPTEMBER 7.30PM

Ensemble playing was exemplary . . . virtuosity balanced sensitivity … the dedication and integrity of the players impressed … The English Concert is a shining example of what should be done.SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

At the peak of his interpretative powers . . . a sublime voice . . . and superb artistry. MUSIC OMH

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Alison Balsom TrumpetElizabeth Watts SopranoGwilym Bowen Tenor Samuel Adamson Writer Dominic Dromgoole DirectorHarry Bicket Artistic Director / Harpsichord

DURATION APPROX. 2 HOURS

A BARBICAN PROMOTION

Fontana Sonata XIV for two violins Marini Sinfonia terzo tuono Marini Balletto quarto allemano Op 22 Castello Sonate concertate in stil moderno, libro secondo: Sonata No 10Steffani Suite from Niobe, regina di TebeLocatelli Concerto for four violins Op 4 No 12Vivaldi The Four Seasons Op 8 Nadja Zwiener Violin Harry Bicket Artistic Director / Harpsichord

DURATION APPROX. 2 HOURS

AN ENGLISH CONCERT PROMOTION

THE ENGLISH CONCERT

GAB∏IEL–AN ENTE∏TAINMENT WITH T∏UMPET

THE ENGLISH CONCERT

BETWEEN HA∏MONY AND INVENTION:

THE BI∏TH OF THE VIOLIN CONCE∏TO

BARBICAN, LONDON MON 21 OCTOBER 7.30PM

WIGMORE HALL, LONDON THU 28 NOVEMBER 7.30PM

Alison Balsom’s resplendent performances of music by Purcell and Handel give heart and soul to a bustling, exuberant entertainment. Experience a breathtaking evocation of London of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, through the eyes and ears of a court trumpeter. Monarchs and watermen cross paths amidst the clamour, diversity and glorious chaos that characterised the city, as we bring to life some of its finest music in a thrilling production by Dominic Dromgoole.

tickets £15 – £56book tickets 020 7638 8891 / barbican.org.ukvenue Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DStube stations Barbican & Moorgate

on tour Gabriel will tour to Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden, Essex on Sat 19 October (see page 15)

To most people, Vivaldi is best known for his Four Seasons. Of the 500 or so concertos Vivaldi wrote, these four have become ubiquitous for a reason: quite simply, they are just brilliant music.

Scored for solo violin and string orchestra, their darting rhythms and sharp harmonic shifts lucidly depict the natural world. At the same time, they present a thorough exploration of the expressive possibilities the violin offered to the early eighteenth-century composer.

Living and working in Venice, Vivaldi was steeped in a rich tradition of violinist-composers. In this programme, we celebrate Vivaldi’s iconic collection in an evening that includes some truly effervescent music by other musicians who spent time in the city, tracing the emergence of the violin concerto from its seventeenth-century origins.

tickets £18 – £40 book tickets 020 7935 2141 / wigmore-hall.org.uk venue Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BPtube stations Bond Street & Oxford Circus

HHHHH The mood rises to so transcendent a strain of melancholy sweetness that I swear you melt, absolutely melt.THE TELEGRAPH

Superb solo violinist Nadja Zwiener.THE TELEGRAPH

Kindly supported by

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THE ENGLISH CONCERT

JS BACH– IN SEA∏CH OF PE∏FECTION

THE ENGLISH CONCERT

ST JOHN

PASSION

WIGMORE HALL, LONDON TUE 25 FEBRUARY 7.30PM

WIGMORE HALL, LONDON SUN 5 APRIL 7.30PM

In the trial scene at the centre of the John Passion, Pilate asks Jesus, ‘What is truth?’

Left unanswered, this question lingers for the remainder of the piece as Christ is successively sentenced to death, scourged by the mob and eventually crucified. Its themes, and the questions it asks, resonate acutely in the twenty-first century, whether you are a believer or not.

With its compelling recitatives, electrifying choruses and heart-wrenching arias, Bach’s John Passion is almost operatic in its drama. With a stellar cast of just eight voices directed from the keyboard by Harry Bicket, The English Concert will bring the score alive and deliver one of the greatest works of all time.

tickets £18 – £50 (available from 4 February 2020) book tickets 020 7935 2141 / wigmore-hall.org.uk venue Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP tube stations Bond Street & Oxford Circus

on tour St John Passion will tour to Thüringer Bachwochen in Arnstadt, Germany on Sat 4 April and St George’s Hall, Bristol on Mon 6 April. Visit englishconcert.co.uk for details

Bach St John Passion BWV 245 (1739) Robin Johannsen SopranoKatie Bray AltoGwilym Bowen Tenor / EvangelistHarry Bicket Artistic Director / Organ

DURATION APPROX. 2 HOURS

AN ENGLISH CONCERT PROMOTION

While Bach is often celebrated for his daring originality, he was also a compulsive recycler. He frequently returned to pieces he had written previously, unable to stop himself from repurposing, revising and improving them.

In this programme directed by Laurence Cummings, we delve into a series of superlative instrumental works by Bach, each of which has a fascinating back-story. Join us on a journey of discovery that takes in the ebullient dances of the Orchestral Suite in D, the scintillating virtuosity of the Concerto for three violins, and the fireworks of the fifth Brandenburg Concerto.

tickets £18 – £40 (available from 5 November 2019) book tickets 020 7935 2141 / wigmore-hall.org.uk venue Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP tube stations Bond Street & Oxford Circus

… the energetic and engaged playing of the small ensemble bringing out all the life and playfulness in Bach’s scores.THE ARTS DESK

Bach Orchestral Suite No 4 in D BWV 1069Bach Sinfonia to Cantata 35: Geist und Seele wird verwirret Bach Brandenburg Concerto No 5 in D BWV 1050Bach Sinfonia to Cantata 169: Gott soll allein mein Herze habenBach Concerto in D for three violins BWV 1064R Bach Brandenburg Concerto No 4 in G BWV 1049 Nadja Zwiener ViolinLisa Beznosiuk FluteTabea Debus RecorderSarah Humphrys RecorderLaurence Cummings Guest Director / Harpsichord DURATION APPROX. 2 HOURS

AN ENGLISH CONCERT PROMOTION

Under Harry Bicket’s lively direction, each instrumentalist played as though personally responsible for the entire show, wringing out every ounce of drama. FINANCIAL TIMES

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THE ENGLISH CONCERT

HANDEL’S ∏ODELINDA

THE ENGLISH CONCERT

MOZA∏T’S 40TH

BARBICAN, LONDON SAT 25 APRIL 6.30PM

WIGMORE HALL, LONDON WED 3 JUNE 7.30PM

Though Mozart’s short life spanned only 35 years, he lived it to the full. His music expresses the whole spectrum of human emotion from unbridled joy to profound despair, frequently revealing an irreverent wit. In this programme, we perform two of Mozart’s best-known works alongside two rarely heard gems. Instantly recognisable from its opening, the elegant Eine kleine Nachtmusik K525 is contrasted with the bitingly satirical A Musical Joke, while the Adagio and Fugue in C minor reveals Mozart’s fascination with Baroque and Renaissance techniques. The programme culminates in the justly celebrated 40th symphony, in which Mozart masterfully drew together the different strands of his personality to produce a work of almost unparalleled cohesion and clarity. tickets £18 – £40 (available from 4 February 2020) book tickets 020 7935 2141 / wigmore-hall.org.uk venue Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2BP tube stations Bond Street & Oxford Circus

Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik K525Mozart A Musical Joke K522Mozart Adagio & Fugue in C minor K546Mozart Symphony No 40 in G minor K550 Harry Bicket Artistic Director DURATION APPROX. 2 HOURS

AN ENGLISH CONCERT PROMOTION

Lucy Crowe and Iestyn Davies are the devoted partners Rodelinda and Bertarido, heading a cast packed with exactly the sort of vocal star-power Handel would have expected.

Separated by war from her defeated husband, Queen Rodelinda languishes in captivity – plotting a fearful revenge. Handel’s 1725 hit opera was written for the greatest voices of its day and is performed here by some of today’s finest, as Harry Bicket and The English Concert’s acclaimed cycle of Handel operas continues.

tickets £10 – £56 book tickets 020 7638 8891 / barbican.org.uk venue Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS tube stations Barbican & Moorgate

on tour Handel’s Rodelinda will tour to Pamplona, Vienna, Hamburg, New York, Princeton and Los Angeles from 18 April to 8 May 2020. See page 17 and visit englishconcert.co.uk for details

HHHHH A superb performance that left the audience glowing with pleasure … I thought I had gone to heaven.THE TELEGRAPH (ORLANDO)

Handel Rodelinda HWV 19 Lucy Crowe RodelindaIestyn Davies BertaridoJoshua Ellicott GrimoaldoJess Dandy EduigeAnthony Roth Costanzo UnulfoBrandon Cedel GaribaldoHarry Bicket Artistic Director / Harpsichord

DURATION APPROX. 3 HOURS 30 MINUTES

A BARBICAN PROMOTION

… finely focused playing, with bags of energy and an admirable sensuousness of tone from string and woodwind players.THE GUARDIAN

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SAFFRON HALL, SAFFRON WALDEN SAT 19 OCTOBER 7.30PM

GAB∏IEL – AN ENTE∏TAINMENT WITH T∏UMPET WITH ALISON BALSOM

HHHHH An exceptional evening. THE GUARDIAN

SEE PAGE 8 FOR DETAILS

book tickets 0845 548 7650 / saffronhall.com venue Saffron Hall, Audley End Rd, Saffron Walden, CB11 4UH

ST GEORGE’S HALL, BRISTOL MON 6 APRIL 7.30PM

JS BACH – ST JOHN PASSION…every single note was a jewel carved out with impressive craftsmanship and adoring art. OPERAWIRE

SEE PAGE 11 FOR DETAILS

book tickets 0845 402 4001 / stgeorgesbristol.co.uk venue St George’s Hall, Great George St, Bristol, BS1 5RR

We are thrilled to perform with internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly at the Two Moors Festival in Exeter. Our specially curated programme compares the parallel musical developments that took place in London and Paris during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. A sequence of highly charged arias from Handel’s London operas are paired with airs from Charpentier’s searing Medée and the ‘beautiful simplicity’ of Gluck’s Orfée. These are accompanied with instrumental selections from Handel’s stately Water Music and the graceful dances from Rameau’s Dardanus.

tickets £14 – £42 book tickets 01392 665885 / twomoorsfestival.co.uk venue The Cathedral Church of St Peter, Exeter, EX1 1HS

Rameau Suite from DardanusCharpentier Arias from MédéeGluck Arias from Orphée et EurydiceHandel Excerpts from Water Music Handel Arias from Alcina, Theodora, Solomon, Giulio Cesare Dame Sarah Connolly Mezzo-sopranoHarry Bicket Artistic Director / Harpsichord

DURATION APPROX. 2 HOURS

TWO MOORS FESTIVAL, EXETER TUE 15 OCTOBER 7PM

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

THE ENGLISH CONCERT UK 2019 – 2020

THE ENGLISH CONCERT UK 2019 – 2020

Connolly, at the peak of her powers, has done nothing finer: she takes us with her every step of the way on a terrifying emotional journey.THE GUARDIAN (Médée)

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SOUTH KOREA AND CHINA 5 – 8 NOVEMBER 2019

THE G∏AND TOUR WITH SUMI JO (IN SOUTH KOREA)

& YING HUAN (IN CHINA)The English Concert and star sopranos Sumi Jo and Ying Huan present a programme that follows the musical journey that eighteenth-century gentlemen would have heard on The Grand Tour, an educational rite of passage many British aristocrats undertook when they came of age.

Music by Bach, Geminiani / Corelli, Handel, Muffat, Purcell & Vivaldi

VISIT ENGLISHCONCERT.CO.UK FOR MORE DETAILS

THÜRINGER BACHWOCHEN ARNSTADT, GERMANY 4 APRIL 2020

JS BACH – ST JOHN PASSIONSEE PAGE 11 FOR MORE DETAILS

THE ENGLISH CONCERT INTERNATIONAL 2019 – 2020

THE ENGLISH CONCERT INTERNATIONAL 2019 – 2020

SPAIN, AUSTRIA, GERMANY, USA 18 APRIL – 8 MAY 2020

HANDEL’S RODELINDASAT 18 APRIL – PAMPLONA MON 20 APRIL – VIENNA THU 23 APRIL – HAMBURG SUN 3 MAY – NEW YORK TUE 5 MAY – PRINCETON FRI 8 MAY – LOS ANGELES

SEE PAGE 12 FOR MORE DETAILS

PHAME! PERFORMING ARTS CENTER SAN DIEGO, USA 9 MAY 2020

A G∏AND CONCE∏T OF MUSICKMusic by dall’Abbaco, Geminiani / Corelli, Handel, Hellendaal & Vivaldi

VISIT ENGLISHCONCERT.CO.UK FOR MORE DETAILS

The English Concert … Like a globe-travelling relative who returns bearing marvellous gifts.NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW

HHHHH Performing with sparkle and sway The English Concert … along with stellar soloists gave a splendid performance. THE HERALD (ORFEO ED EURIDICE, EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2019)

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THE ENGLISH CONCERT 2020 SUMMER SEASON

GARSINGTON OPERA, UK 29 MAY – 2 JULY

MOZA∏T’S MIT∏IDATE

Mozart Mitridate, re di Ponto K87 Robert Murray Mitridate Tim Albery DirectorClemens Schuldt Conductor Garsington Opera Chorus

The young Mozart combines glorious melody, dazzling vocal fireworks and exquisitely tender melancholy in his first opera seria, premiered to immediate acclaim in the year of Beethoven’s birth. The king, Mitridate, and his two sons are all in love with Princess Aspasia; a complex web of rivalry, jealousy and pent-up passion ensues. performances 29 & 31 May5, 11, 13, 20, 29 June 2 July tickets on sale from March 2020 book tickets 01865 361636 / garsingtonopera.org venue Garsington Opera, Wormsley Estate, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3YG

Artistic Director Harry BicketPrincipal Guest Director Kristian BezuidenhoutFounder Trevor Pinnock CBEChief Executive Alfonso Leal del OjoOrchestra Manager Sarah FennProduction Coordinator Nick HardistyMarketing Manager Abigail CarneyFinancial Controller Gill Rees Board of trusteesMr G Burnett (Chair)Mr R BinksMr A GemesDr R J A GoldingMr S JenningsDr V MonkMrs N OppenheimerMr J ReeveMs K ShimodaMr H J TilneyMr S Weil Sponsors & Charitable TrustsArimathea Charitable TrustBircham Dyson Bell

Charitable TrustSir John Fisher FoundationThe Foyle FoundationGarfield Weston FoundationKathleen Hannay Memorial

CharityMichael Tippett FoundationReed FoundationSmith & Williamson Core 40George & Daphne BurnettAlan GemesDr Richard GoldingHis Hon Judge

Michael Oppenheimer & Mrs Nicky Oppenheimer

John & Sally ReeveJoe & Lucy SmouhaChristopher StewartHugh & Helene TilneySimon & Glenda Weil

Platinum PatronsNigel & Elizabeth CarringtonCaroline ErskineHamish ParkerPatricia Parnell Gold PatronsRichard BakerRobin BinksGraeme & Letitia Lythe Dr Vivienne Monk &

Prof Ross AndersonMartin Lueck Silver PatronsDavid Dell CBMandy & Ian FarnsworthPeter & Glen FirthPeter GoodwinAlan & Seema HarleyJavan Herberg QCMr & Mrs Timothy LlewellynKlaus ReichertKimiko ShimodaRichard Teed Bronze PatronsNicola ArmitageGeoffrey BarnettDiana DarlingtonIan FlemingMichael GodbeePeter & Carol HoneyAnita de LotbiniereBrian MaceAlan SainerDaniel & Laura SandelsonTim ShortMichael & Rosemary Steen FriendsJohn AbbottBarbara AbensurDi AllisonElizabeth AllittRosemary AndrewChristopher &

Primrose ArnanderHeather BorgSir Alan & Lady BownessCynthia ButterworthRichard CalverPeter CollettMichael & Cathy CooperJane CraxtonDavid Dell CBMr Anthony DiamondHugh & Christina DumasMartin EatonDr Julia EllisDavid Elyan

Angela FaneFelicity GoodBrian & Sue HargreavesJonathan HaywardPeter HildebrandRichard & Jay HitchmanCamilla HobbsArthur HolroydClaire HuntEleanor JackHelen JanecekJohn LackingtonAlan LeibowtizUri LiebrechtProf Alan LordJean MathersAndrew MaughamH Alastair McKerlieNick MorrisonAudrey de NazelleJeanne de NazelleLinda de NazelleJonathan Neil-SmithNici Nelson-MattinglyElizabeth NewlandsElizabeth NicholsonThe Reverend Graham PalmerHenry & Julia PearsonMartin PerkinsSue Prickett & Bill BryerAdrian OsbornScott RedfordMr & Mrs RickettJane RidleyEve RobertsBrian SelfLawrence ShawMarilyn StockRobert & Virginia StoppenbachFrances TaitPeter TrowellAlan Ward Mary Van de WaterGerald & Janet WatsonRodney & Caroline WaldesTimothy WestonLord & Lady WeirJohn Weiss CBRichard J WildashDr Christina WilliamsMr & Mrs G C WilliamsMarie Winckler Please contact alfonso@englishconcert.co.uk if you would like to find out more about supporting The English Concert. To become a regular supporter through our Friends scheme, please visit englishconcert.co.uk.

…a Vespers which wrung every grain of dramatic force… rounded off with a Magnificat of jaw-dropping virtuosity. This is unashamedly show-off music, as skin-prickingly exciting now as four centuries ago … The English Concert enjoyed a stellar evening.THE ARTS DESK (ON THE ENGLISH CONCERT PERFORMANCE OF MONTEVERDI’S VESPERS AT GARSINGTON OPERA, 2019)

THE ENGLISH CONCERT18 19

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Exceptional music-makingWALL STREET JOURNAL

The English ConcertSomerset House (West Wing) Strand, London, WC2R 1LA TELEPHONE: 020 3962 2322 EMAIL: ec@englishconcert.co.uk WEB: englishconcert.co.uk

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REGISTERED CHARITY: 271765 DESIGN: GARETH JONES

THE ENGLISH CONCERT2019 – 2020 LONDON SEASON

13 SEPTEMBER

ProjECtCandid Arts Centre

16 SEPTEMBER

Iestyn Davies 40th Birthday ConcertWigmore Hall

21 OCTOBER

Gabriel – An Entertainment with TrumpetBarbican

28 NOVEMBER

Between Harmony and InventionWigmore Hall

25 FEBRUARY

JS Bach - In Search of PerfectionWigmore Hall

5 APRIL

JS Bach – St John PassionWigmore Hall

25 APRIL

Handel’s RodelindaBarbican

3 JUNE

Mozart’s 40thWigmore Hall

Visit englishconcert.co.uk to join the mailing list and for more details on concerts and tours programmed after this brochure has been published