New London agency opens

Robert King says:

Indeed, as you would expect with such a professional outfit as was run by David Sigall and Jonathan Groves, the dispersal of Ingpen has been seamless. Unless I am wrong, Nicki Wenham (who was David’s excellent assistant) has gone with his/her conductors and three fine singers (Carolyn Sampson, Hilary Summers and Ruby Hughes) to Maxine Robertson Management: Helen Hogh remains alongside Jonathan Groves at the newly named Groves Management (same premises too) with just short of a dozen conductors (some big names here) and a couple of dozen pretty illustrious singers. A shame for historical reasons that the name “Ingpen and Williams” has joined that of Ibbs and Tillett, Harold Holt et al in the history books, but good to see one of the nicest managements in the business remains in all but name.

The one remaining question is this: will the renowned Christmas Party still happen? Rarely could you meet (and Ingpen were brilliant at pitching the date so as to catch the one day that everyone seemed to be able to fly in from wall-to-wall Christmas Messiahs) so many of the great and the good of the classical world under one roof, including managers from other “rival” agencies – what a typically generous touch that was.