Arts Council chief says classical music 'essential' after criticism of priorities

Classical music and opera is "absolutely essential to the lifeblood of the arts" and has the enthusiastic support of Arts Council England (ACE), its chief executive said after criticism from a leading arts figure.

- Harriet Sherwood

Darren Henley, the chief executive of the body that distributes public and lottery funds to arts organisations in England, said investment in classical music was central to the council's programme. Henley sought to reassure the sector after John Gilhooly, the artistic and executive director of Wigmore Hall, a concert venue in central London, said ACE had lost the confidence of people in the classical music world.

Gilhooly said this week that from 2026 Wigmore Hall would not take public subsidies from ACE. Instead it has secured £10m in pledged donations, allowing it to be independent and artistically ambitious, he said.

"I'm a huge defender of ACE and I'm grateful for their support in helping us get to where we are," Gilhooly said. "But in some ways it has lost its way."

In particular, he said the council's Let's Create strategy, which aims to ensure access to the arts for all, was "desperately important" but had led to the council "judging community events and the great artists of the world by the same criteria".