While prepping for our "Lure of London" concerts, we have learned about a trendy venue for public concerts in Baroque London known as "Hickford's Room." Not much is known about the venue's founder—John Hickford—except that he was a dancing-master. The hall was initially known as the Great Dancing Room and was located on James Street in Haymarket. As it was one of only two rooms in London's West End large enough for concerts, musicians approached Hickford to use the space, and he soon developed a reputation as a concert organizer. At that point, it became known as Mr.

The opening program of our 31st season “Harmony at Home” celebrated two talented women composers who have been unjustly neglected: Fanny Mendelssohn (the older sister of Felix), and Sophia Corri Dussek (wife of Jan Ladislav Dussek). We performed two little-known instrumental duos from among their oeuvre together with piano trios by Felix Mendelssohn and Jan Ladislav Dussek offering a window on domestic music-making in the early 19th century.