Guest Blog: James Pearson and Lizzie Ball on Creating RONNIE SCOTT'S CLASSICAL SERIES at The New 'Upstairs at Ronnie’s'
'We are trying to create a truly fresh and very ‘Ronnie’s-esque’ approach to classical performance'
By: Guest Author Jan. 26, 2026
It’s been an interesting process creating the very first weekly classical concert series at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club together with James Pearson. We’ve developed several entirely new programmes, particularly for one of our programming strands, Close Up Classical. A great deal of time is currently being spent working out exactly which musical choices work best for each concert programme, as we’re dealing with a small stage (a maximum of seven musicians) and, at times, large-scale orchestral works that need to be cleverly reduced for a small chamber ensemble.
This challenge is all part of the fun of trying to create a truly fresh and very ‘Ronnie’s-esque’ approach to classical performance. We want even the musical arrangements to reflect the wider ethos of the series: personable, engaging, unique, niche, and above all, totally engaging and entertaining!
Photo Credit: Mark Allan
The Close Up Classical strand will feature personalities who have a strong connection with classical music and feel it has influenced their work either directly or indirectly. So far, our guest artists include Juliet Stevenson (23 February), David Arnold (9 March), and Harriet Constable, who will bring the story of her incredible book The Instrumentalist, about Vivaldi’s unsung heroines, to the stage (23 March).
These shows are particularly bespoke and need to be carefully curated, as in many ways we are producing both the idea and the concept of each one. They are not straightforward repertoire performances; instead, they combine music with interview-style chat from the featured artist, alongside string quartet and piano arrangements of their favourite music - from classical, but of course peppered with other musical styles too
We know audiences will be interested in understanding why this music has had such a lasting influence on our guests, and we’ve been excited to make these performances feel personal and revealing in that respect. David and Juliet have wonderfully wide-ranging tastes, and it’s been a joy to create arrangements for programmes featuring everything from Beethoven to Jonny Greenwood.
Our event with author Harriet Constable on 23 March, centred on The Instrumentalist, is particularly unique. Her novel tells the story of the female orphans from the Ospedale della Pietà in 17th-century Venice, for whom Vivaldi wrote many of his famous concertos and chamber works. Bringing this story to life musically has been exciting to dive into.
The music will be brought to life by a specially assembled Ronnie Scott’s Classical All Stars, featuring Greta Mutlu (violin), Clifton Harrison (viola), and Katie Tertell (cello). During her research, Harriet discovered that the name Anna Maria della Pietà appears repeatedly in historical records. She seemed to be Vivaldi’s protégé and yet not a single score of her music survived. This raises an intriguing question: could she have been an unsung creative force, or even a ghost-writing heroine, of Vivaldi’s music?
Bringing this particular part of the story to life on the musical stage is thrilling, and it felt essential for us to find an amazing contemporary female composer to fill the tragic gap left by the absence of Anna Maria’s actual scores. We are delighted to be featuring acclaimed composer Deborah Pritchard, who has written music that engages directly with this very subject and is an important current female voice in the world of classical composition. By performing her works alongside music by Vivaldi and his, albeit male, contemporaries, the programme reflects both the historical narrative and the enduring idea of the strong female composer, reinforcing the narrative while also reframing it.
This is a completely new production idea, and it has reminded me of the sense of newness in all directions: from the evolving narrative of the classical series itself to the newly refurbished venue, and to the experience for audiences and performers alike. It truly feels like a unique opportunity and while we’re naturally a little apprehensive, we’re also incredibly excited to see how it will be received.
Lizzie Ball is a violinist, vocalist and producer and James Pearson is Ronnie Scott’s Artistic Director and pianist
Ronnie Scott’s Classical series runs weekly on Monday nights from 9 February at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, with an early and late showing.
Upstairs at Ronnie’s reopens in February 2026.
Main Photo Credit: Mark Allen
About Ronnie Scott’s Classical
Set on the first floor of the world-famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Upstairs at Ronnie’s is the 140-capacity Soho home for the finest jazz and jazz adjacent acts, featuring a daily roster of contemporary soul, acoustic R&B, gospel, hip-hop, global music and classical. The programming will feature a dedicated weekly classical night curated by Lizzie Ball and James Pearson and includes the formation of Ronnie Scott’s Classical All Stars, a seven-piece ensemble designed to reimagine orchestral favourites for a chamber group.
Each evening invites audiences to embrace a new side of classical music, in a unique setting allowing listeners to eat, drink and watch an intimate classical show in a relaxed atmosphere. Ball and Pearson have created a series designed for every listener, these include Classical Kicks, a relaxed, genre-bending evening featuring leading musicians as they explore the realms between classical and jazz; Close-up Classical, an opportunity for cultural icons to explore their favourite pieces of music, in addition to one-off events led by exemplary performers from across the arts to explore topics and themes close to their hearts.
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