Going it alone: pianist Warren Mailley-Smith presents live-streamed Chopin

Warren Mailley-Smith

The restrictions of social distancing, and the uncertainty facing live theatre and concert performance mean that performers are looking at alternative models for presenting music. Oxford Lieder Festival recently announced that is 2020 season in October will be entirely live-streamed [see my article], Grange Park Opera has been presenting its Found Festival in an empty theatre [see my article], and the Wigmore Hall and tBBC Radio 3 have been collaborating on the lunchtime series at Wigmore Hall.

Tonight the pianist Warren Mailley-Smith will be presenting his own live, lockdown concert at the 1901 Arts Club (11 June 2020, 7.30pm). Not only is Mailley Smith performing without an audience and live-streaming the event, but every aspect of the performance, technical set up, marketing and programming is achieved by the performer alone.

Mailley-Smith will be performing an all-Chopin programme including Ballade no.1 in G minor, Op. 23 (1835), Mazurka No. 19 in B minor, Op. 30 No. 2, Introduction and Rondo in E-flat major, Op.16 (1832), Nocturne No. 9 in B major, Op. 32 No. 1, Waltz No. 10 in B minor, Op. 69 No. 2, Waltz No. 3 in A minor, Op. 34 No. 2, Souvenir de Paganini, Waltz in A minor (1843), Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38 (1839), Polonaise No. 6 in A-Flat major, Op. 53 -"Heroic"

Mailley-Smith is giving a similar weekly series of monetised solo concerts on multiple platforms and multiple venues, including Sunday evenings at Finchcocks in Kent. Over 200,000 people have watched his concerts since lockdown, and he has been able to support himself financially through online streaming during a period when monetised classical performance has otherwise ‘shut down’.

The concert will be live-streamed on Mailley-Smith's Facebook page, and on his website. He is inviting voluntary donations via TicketSource.