Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven was the first composer to be heard in the newly-built Hall when it opened in May 1901, with Ferrucio Busoni playing the Piano Sonata in E Op. 109. Never out of the repertoire, he is a strong contender for the most-performed composer at Wigmore Hall. His string quartets have been the subject of series by leading ensembles, from Joseph Joachim’s quartet in 1905 to the Lindsay String Quartet in the 1980s, while among others, complete performances of his piano sonatas have been given by Bernard Roberts and Alfred Brendel. The 250th anniversary of his birth was celebrated in 2019/20 across a variety of events including talks, concerts and a live streamed festival weekend with Steven Isserlis, O/Modernt, Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien.