The ever-reliable King’s Place have 2027 all mapped out with an enticingly eclectic mix of programmes that soothes the troubled brow of anyone struggling to find their appetite for discovery met.
Kings Place’s Unwrapped series for 2027 is pitching to take concert goers deeper into musical experiences with concert programmes that explore the stories and relationships that lead to the music we hear.
It’s a reassuring offer. Unwrapped spans multiple musical genres, juxtaposing styles, and introducing artists that are off most people’s beaten tracks. King’s Place knows there’s an appetite for difference and discovery and, it appears they’ve got it all lined up. Again.
Chamber music is an obvious programming choice. It fits both of Kings Place basement concert spaces comfortably, working well in the always surprisingly generous acoustic of Hall One in particularly. Presenting it in an unconventional way is trickier. The drum marked innovation is always being beaten and its getting a little tired now, especially when most experimentation extends to pumping dry ice onto the stage and lighting the performance area with some different coloured gels. And whilst I’m not a big fan of Aurora’s otherwise and rightly hugely successful larger scale explain-what-you’re-about-to-hear then wow-you-playing-it-from-memory, that they’re taking a similar approach with chamber music at King’s Place is a big enough draw to pull me in. Beethoven’s Septet is already a treat for the ears, to have it played from memory and pulled apart a bit is right-up-my-strasse.
In a similar vein and in what looks to be a more visceral experience, director Tom Morris collaborates with Sacconi Quartet to perform Beethoven’s late quartets with players individual embedded in (and free to roam around) the audience. Performed from memory as well, the listening experience is far more three dimensional — something we had an experience of at the season launch last week. It’s already music which is difficult to let simply wash over you. With players dotted around the audience, it somehow adds to the relevance and the humanity of it all simply by virtue of the way melodic lines seem to connect to the body. Sound that demands attention simply because of the way it moves around you. At £35 a ticket it’s remarkably good value too. You’ll be needing stamina if you’re considering the ‘Complete Experience’ – all three quartets in one performance – though this is exactly the marathon listen I’m especially drawn to. Good call (though it might have been done in previous years, I can’t remember) to have repeat performances scheduled for convenient times – not all of us want to head out on a Saturday evening.
Noteworthy based on the season launch event, Jazz FM Vocalist of the Year from 2025 Alice Zawadzki is Artist-in-Residence for the year long season of Origins Unwrapped. Hers is a ravishing voice best heard with nothing more than bass accompaniment. Contemporary ensemble Phaedra are billed for some events, so too Festival Voices whose performance of Missy Mazzoli’s Vespers amply illustrated their reliable professionalism rising to the challenge of singing in the driest of acoustics and still making it sound invigorating.
Good to see Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva continuing their relationship with King’s Place beyond the London Piano Festival (its coming up in October 2026 by the way and is worthy of your close attention if you’ve not been already) with one of two Symphonic Piano concerts. Two pianos and four hands tackling Stravinsky’s Rite on 4 February 2027 (if that’s too far away, then Marc-Andre Hamelin and Leif Ove Andsnes’ sparkling Hyperion recording is the perfect stand-in until then). Richard Egarr and Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya appear with two piano versions of Beethoven 5 and 6 in April 2027.
