John Gilhooly receives CBE from HM The King

He's received numerous awards during his successful career – including ABO/Classical Music's Concert Hall Manager of the Year in 2021 – but this week's investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle will no doubt be a highlight for John Gilhooly. The Wigmore Hall director was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in Queen Elizabeth's 2022 New Year's honours list for his services to music, and recently received the accolade from HM The King.

'The first person I bumped into at Windsor was David Jackson [artistic director from BBC Cardiff Singer of the World]. We didn't realise we were being “done” on the same day,' says Gilhooly. 'It was important to see two people in classical music being recognised in the same way as actors and scientists. All parts of society are covered by these investitures so it's great that classical music was represented.'

The Limerick-born arts administrator has been at the helm of Wigmore Hall since 2000, and in 2013 was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Gilhooly has also been chairman of the Royal Philharmonic Society since 2010 and often sits on high-profile industry panels (including, coincidentally, the jury of the BBC Cardiff Singer of The World Song Competition). Wigmore Hall came to global attention in June 2020, when Gilhooly organised some of the UK's first live concerts to be streamed from a concert hall. The BBC Radio 3 June 2020 Special Broadcast series was opened by Stephen Hough, who played Busoni’s arrangement of Bach’s D minor Chaconne to an almost-empty hall, a nod to Busoni’s own gala performance at the opening of the Hall almost 119 years ago to the day.

Happily, Gilhooly reports that 'audiences are getting closer to pre-pandemic levels,' although he notes 'the income isn't necessarily the same, because there are a lot of discounted tickets, such as those for under 35s tickets, which are subsidised.'