Home / Arts and Entertainment / Queer Composers Celebrated in Groundbreaking London Performance
Queer Composers Celebrated in Groundbreaking London Performance
24 Oct
Summary
- Queer identities of famous composers like Schubert, Chopin, Tchaikovsky highlighted
- Mezzo-soprano Neelam Brader and actor Simon Christian bring their stories to life
- Show aims to "dive into their emotional worlds" and honor their resilience
In November 2025, a groundbreaking performance titled "Hidden Voices: Queer Artists in Exchange" is scheduled to make its U.K. premiere in London. The show, which previously debuted in Vienna over the summer, aims to put the spotlight on the "all too often hidden voices of queer composers" from the classical music world.
The creative team behind "Hidden Voices" highlights that the queer identities and love lives of musical icons like Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Ethel Smyth, Francis Poulenc, and Benjamin Britten have largely been overlooked or concealed by society and the classical music scene. The performance seeks to change that by making their personal stories and emotional worlds "audible and tangible."
Mezzo-soprano Neelam Brader will perform songs from the famous composers, accompanied by pianist Judith Valerie Engel. Actor Simon Christian will also take the stage, reciting excerpts from the composers' letters and writings to friends and lovers. Together, they aim to provide rare insight into the hidden (love) lives of these celebrated musical geniuses, unveiling their vulnerability and resilience.
