New Years Vivaldi by Candlelight at St Mary le Strand
London, St Mary Le Strand Church
About the Event
Begin the year on a high note with an enchanting candlelit concert in one of London’s most beautiful hidden gems. Nestled in the heart of the city, the exquisite St Mary le Strand—a jewel of baroque architecture offering a magical setting to welcome the New Year in style.
Marking the start of 2026 with timeless elegance, this special New Year concert features Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons—a dazzling masterpiece that captures the drama and beauty of nature with vivid imagination and breathtaking virtuosity. One of the most enduring works in the classical repertoire, it’s the perfect way to reflect, refresh, and be inspired for the year ahead.
Performed by the acclaimed Piccadilly Sinfonietta, under the artistic direction of Warren Mailley‐Smith, this programme also includes Vivaldi’s La Stravaganza Violin Concerto in E Minor, showcasing the extraordinary talents of violin soloist Julian Fish. Known for their expressive performances and musical flair, the Piccadillly Sinfonietta brings together some of the UK’s leading classical musicians for over 200 concerts each year.
“Stunning” – Classic FM
Make it a night to remember by pairing the concert with dinner or drinks at one of the many excellent nearby restaurants and bars. A perfect cultural celebration to start the year with music, beauty, and inspiration.
Program
- Antonio Vivaldi – 'La Stravaganza' Violin concerto in E Minor RV279
- Antonio Vivaldi – Four Seasons
Artists
| Orchestra: | The Piccadilly Sinfonietta |
|---|---|
| Violin: | Julian Fish |
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Perhaps the most important composer of all time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer of the late 18th century. Born in 1756 in Salzburg, he showed prodigious musical talent from childhood. Beginning at five years of age, he composed more than 600 works, including concertos, symphonies, religious works and operas before his premature death at the age of 35. Hi influence over successive generations cannot be overestated - Ludwig van Beethoven wrote of Mozart "posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years”. Despite the immense success of his compositions, and the acclaim he received across Europe, Mozart achieved little financial security and rwas buried in an unmarked grave in Vienna's St Marx Cemetery.
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi went down in history as a creator of the instrumental concert genre and the father of orchestral music. He was born in Venice on the 4th of March 1678. Vivaldi was a weak and sickly child suffering from asthma, however could not stop him from devoting himself completely to music. His father, Giovanni Batista a professional violinist, taught his elder son Antonio to play the violin. With his father young Antonio met the best musicians of Venice of that time and gave concerts in local churches. He also worked as a violin teacher and later as a music director at the orphanage Ospedalle della Pieta. Meanwhile he composed concertos, sacred works and vocal music and in 1713 he achieved great recognition with his sacred choral music. Vivaldi got captivated by the world of opera and worked both as opera composer and impresario at the Teatro San Angelo. In 1717 he obtained a prestigious position by the prince court in Manua as a director of secular music and worked there until around 1720. During that time he composed his world-renowned masterpiece The Four Seasons. In the 1730's his career dwindled as his music became unfashionable and the great composer died in poverty. It took the world two centuries to rediscover and reevaluate Vivaldi’s music, as it was buried into oblivion after his death. In the early 20th century many previously unknown works were found and immediately captured the hearts of the music lovers.
Address
St Mary Le Strand Church, Strand, London, United Kingdom — Google Maps
