Ivan Sutton MBE
1914–1996
City Music Society has been the leading promoter of chamber music concerts in the City of London since 1943 when it was founded by Ivan Sutton MBE (1914-1996). The Society has over 2,400 concerts to its credit, more than 1,800 of those having been presented in the Great Hall of Bishopsgate Institute and 445 having been evening concerts, over 400 of which were given in Goldsmiths’ Hall between 1946 and 2012. Since January 2016 concerts have been presented in the medieval church of St Bartholomew the Great in West Smithfield.
In its 20 lunchtime concerts per year, the Society presents 50-minute programmes of music, ranging from medieval to jazz, with special emphasis on the great composers of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern eras. Some of the world’s greatest musicians have performed in the Society’s concerts, many of them, like Jacqueline Du Pré and Miloš Karadaglić, at the start of their careers.
Commissions
Members of the Society are more than just passive listeners. Over the years the Society has commissioned many new works — on average one every three years — from a wide and diverse range of British composers, including Roger Smalley, Nicholas Maw, Diana Burrell, Richard Rodney Bennett, Elizabeth Maconchy, Phyllis Tate, Robin Holloway, John McCabe, Geoffrey Burgon, Peter-Paul Nash, Kevin Volans and Michael Berkeley.
For its 2,000th lunchtime concert on 10 February 2022 the Society commissioned a new string quartet from Adam Kornas.
Today
The Society now concentrates on offering young musicians concert opportunities while occasionally organising evening events involving more established artists. The lunchtime concert series continues in the beautiful surroundings of St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield, thanks to the Rector and Churchwardens.
Find out more about our free lunchtime concerts in London →
The Society's concerts frequently mark significant anniversaries with, in recent years, performances of major works by John McCabe, Michael Berkeley and Robert Saxton.
City Music Society is a registered charity (No. 285985).
Who we are
City Music Society is run by a committee of volunteers. It is proud to have the support of the following:
President David Cairns CBE
Vice-Presidents Michael Berkeley CBE (Baron Berkeley of Knighton); Alan Paul
Committee:
- Leslie East OBE — Chairman and Hon. Secretary
- Alan Paul — Vice-chairman
- Nicholas Riddle — Hon. Treasurer
- Ben Costello, William Tilden — Committee members
- Maureen Porter — Assistant Treasurer
Sponsors and Supporters
City Music Society is grateful to the following for their support:
The Musicians' Company
The Society depends on sponsorship and donations. To discuss how you or your company can support the Society's work, contact us on 020 8 363 4203.
The Society's Steinway Model D grand piano was acquired with support from the City of London, The Arts Council of England's Lottery Fund and the Society's members.