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AN FT BEST SUMMER BOOK 2026

Wigmore Hall does not boast a grand façade, but behind it lies something extraordinary: one of the world's most beloved concert halls, within whose walls we find exceptional performers, composers, impresarios and, of course, audiences. The story of Wigmore Hall is the story of music in the 20th and 21st centuries – and of London itself.





In this illuminating book, bestselling author Julia Boyd digs deep into the Hall's rich history to uncover the secrets of its success. One of London's prime cultural gems, Wigmore Hall has witnessed fame and failure, love and loss, joy and despair, triumph and tragedy. Reflecting the remarkable changes that have taken place in performance, repertoire and concert-going during its 125 years, it is a tale that encompasses the whole gamut of human experience. Above all, it reminds us of the wonder of music and the artists who create it.

With a stellar cast of performers, among them Ferruccio Busoni, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Benjamin Britten, Myra Hess and Leoš Janáček, not to mention audiences that included Virginia Woolf, Maurice Ravel and Bertrand Russell, this is the sometimes surprising but always intriguing history of 'London's most sumptuous temple of music'.

 

Praise for Julia Boyd:

'Utterly absorbing' The Times

'Fascinating' Daily Mail

'Exceptional' Mail on Sunday

'Gripping' Spectator

'A triumph' iNews