BECOMING A HIT WITH YOUNGER AUDIENCES

Listening to great music performed well can be a transformative, inspiring experience.

That is what the team behind Wigmore Hall continually strives for, for music lovers of all ages.

For the last few years, the world-renowned music venue has been working to take its distinctive music-making to as wide an audience as possible, and is drawing in younger audiences thanks to a range of initiatives and a CAF legacy gift.

Following a £500,000 donation from a legacy to CAF, gifted by generous donor Peter Flatter, around 14,000 people have benefitted from a subsidised ticket scheme for under 35s – having the opportunity to watch world-renowned musicians for just £5.  

 


Watch Wigmore Hall's video to learn more about the subsidised ticket scheme for under 35s.

Marie-Hélène Osterweil, Director of Development at Wigmore Hall, said they are really grateful for the gift and credit each concert (up to 16 a year) that the funds have helped cover.

She told CAF: “It’s wonderful to have a gift like that and be able to acknowledge it.”

Speaking about their mission to widen their audience, Marie-Hélène added: “Mr Flatter’s gift has been hugely beneficial to the Hall over the course of the current season – the bequest has enabled us to provide access to concerts to more young people than ever before, and we have been able to promote the legacy in such a way that it is helping us fund a sustainable future for the Hall.

"An additional benefit is that this helps Wigmore Hall fund younger artists as they earn their credentials and build a loyal following. Giving them a platform to progress is extremely important and the legacy is a way to propel this forward.”

Nicola Benedetti © James Berry
Photo credit: Nicola Benedetti © James Berry

MAKING IT HAPPEN

The funds were gifted to the venue in December 2017.

To make this happen, CAF’s legacy and grant making teams had to identify where to allocate the gift as Mr Flatter had not completed a CAF Letter of Wishes.

Monica Brown, Head of Charity Advisory and Programmes at CAF, described how a little detective work helped the process along: “We were met with a conundrum so I started doing research on Mr Flatter.

“I found a story about him in the local newspaper, and was eventually able to track down people who might know him.”

After pulling together pieces of information on Mr Flatter from a variety of sources, Monica found out that he was passionate about classical music and had supported classical music causes in his local area.

With the approval of CAF’s Discretionary Funds Committee, she reached out to Wigmore Hall, identifying the venue as the best fit following a proposal from the charity, as well as due to its location near to where Peter lived.

Two years on, the venue continues to attract a large audience of under 35s and has also benefitted from a partnership with Classic FM to extend the scheme’s reach. 

ABOUT WIGMORE HALL

Wigmore Hall, one of the world’s great concert halls, specialises in chamber and instrumental music, early music and song. 

The repertoire of performances extends 250 years – from the Renaissance to contemporary jazz to today’s up and coming composers. Wigmore Hall also offers a range of activities in the broader community.  

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