Heidelberg honours Wigmore Hall
mainThe 2019 Heidelburger Frühling Music Award goes to John Gilhooly, CEO and Artist Director of Wigmore Hall and Chairman of the Royal Philharmonic Society. Gilhooly will share the €10,000 between Wigmore Hall and RPS.
The Festival said:
John Gilhooly became the youngest director of an internationally acclaimed concert hall at age 35 with his appointment at Wigmore Hall. Since then he has developed the Hall into one of the world’s premiere venues for chamber music, vocal music and music education. Today, a performance in the ‘Temple of Chamber Music’ has become an indispensable addition to the biographies of young musicians. Thanks to John’s intelligent and ambitious programming, alongside his innovative musical education initiatives, Wigmore Hall has opened its doors to wider and more diverse audiences. He has created a space in which the core audience meets the tentative first listener – classical newcomers of today are becoming tomorrow’s classical music connoisseurs. John Gilhooly has managed to create coherence through this juxtaposition; an inspirational musical home for artists and audiences alike. This achievement, alongside his tireless dedication (particularly to art song and string quartets), makes John the perfect candidate for the award, aligning him the social mission of connection and commitment that exemplifies the Heidelberger Frühling. For his outstanding achievements, John Gilhooly is awarded the Heidelberger Frühling Music Award.
Excellent news, well done John.
Utterly deserved, and he is often there at concerts.
A genuine question. I think it admirable that he shares the award between Wigmore Hall and the RPS. While both are worthy recipients of the money, I am nevertheless a little puzzled. The citation was for the excellent work that Wigmore Hall does to promote chamber music: should they have got all the money? (Not that I want to criticize what was done, I am just curious.)