Gerard Hoffnung: The man who made music fun

Nick Smurthwaite
Monday, April 28, 2025

Musician and humourist Gerard Hoffnung was the musical maverick behind many radio broadcasts, two eccentric festivals and hundreds of cartoons inspired by music and musicians. In Hoffnung’s centenary year Nick Smurthwaite explores his short but extraordinary life

Hoffnung’s irreverent approach was ‘a breath of fresh air’ for a classical music industry more familiar with formal concert performance and attendance (Turtle Timpani, 1958, from Hoffnung’s Musical Chairs ©The Gerard Hoffnung Partnership)
Hoffnung’s irreverent approach was ‘a breath of fresh air’ for a classical music industry more familiar with formal concert performance and attendance (Turtle Timpani, 1958, from Hoffnung’s Musical Chairs ©The Gerard Hoffnung Partnership)

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