Hattie Butterworth attends the tribute to the respected violinist at London’s Wigmore Hall on 4 January 2026, featuring works by Haydn, Brahms, Mendelssohn and David Raksin
‘A true artist is a giver,’ cellist Alasdair Tait said of his former colleague, violinist Laura Samuel, ‘and Laura was one of the best.’ A memorial concert at Wigmore Hall was beautifully planned to coincide with what would have been her 50th birthday, two years after her death from cancer.
This was a true celebration of her life as chamber musician (she was a founding member and second violin of the Belcea Quartet until 2010) and orchestral player (as leader of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 2012–24). It opened with the Larghetto from Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, with string players including cellist Alice Neary, violist Lawrence Power and violinist Benjamin Nabarro.
The group reduced for the slow movement from Haydn’s String Quartet op.76 no.1, alongside Belcea Quartet violist Krzysztof Chorzelski. Violinist Corina Belcea had intended to play, but was indisposed and replaced by Benjamin Nabarro in the sensitive Haydn and Stephanie Gonley in the second movement of Brahms’s Piano Quintet in F minor, alongside pianist Imogen Cooper.
Another highlight was the Presto from Mendelssohn’s Octet, with Amy Norrington and Adrian Brendel showing vibrant cellistic synergy and Stephanie Gonley leading with expert verve.
A further moving speech came from conductor Martyn Brabbins, who worked extensively with Samuel. The concert ended with John Wilson’s arrangement for 15 musicians of the song ‘Laura’ by David Raksin. Wilson, a friend of Samuel, had studied with her at the RCM and used to play it whenever she entered the room. His arrangement of the slow, jazzy song for a bursting stage of Samuel’s loved ones and friends was surely the perfect way to end a celebration of her life.
Hattie Butterworth
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