Wigmore French Song Exchange 2026

Dame Felicity Lott
We are saddened by the recent death of Dame Felicity Lott, one of the most successful British sopranos in living memory, who had a particularly close association with Wigmore Hall. As a much-loved artist, she appeared here for over 50 years, receiving the Wigmore Hall Medal in February 2010 for her exceptional contribution and more recently serving as a Trustee. We extend our sympathy to her family.

Dame Felicity Lott was a vital part of the Wigmore French Song Exchange programme, working on it for six editions from 2019-2026, mentoring 48 singers and 10 pianists. As part of the scheme, Dame Felicity helped produce 18 concerts at Wigmore Hall and at the Salle Cortot in Paris, and through one-on-one coaching, group masterclasses and mentoring, she shared her expert knowledge and love of French song, nurturing young artists with her warm and personal teaching style at an early stage of their careers.

After a year of teaching from Dame Felicity Lott, François Le Roux and Sebastian Wybrew, experts in French mélodie, the singers take on keystone works of the genre. This year we also explore English songs inspired by French poetry and French songs inspired by English texts, featuring English composers such as Maud Valerie White, Britten and John Casken setting words by Hugo, Verlaine and Cocteau, alongside French composers like Gounod, Hahn and Poulenc responding to Shakespeare, Byron and Kipling – a true cross-Channel dialogue in song.