Cellist Steven Isserlis plays in endangered Chelsea studio

Steven Isserlis & Ian Brown perform at 19a Image: Carlos Reyes-Manzo

The centenary of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring was marked by an impromptu performance last Wednesday, in the neglected Chelsea studio where the composer once discussed the work (with Karol Szymanowski and Arthur Rubinstein). The studio is currently under threat from developers unless it is listed by English Heritage. A campaign to save it for further generations has been started by the musician and composer Nicholas Lane.

The internationally-renowned cellist, Steven Isserlis, fresh from playing the Haydn Cello Concerto in D at the Carnegie Hall in New York, brought his priceless 1726 Marquis de Coberon Stradivarius for the occasion. He performed the Bach Gamba Sonata No 2 followed by Rachmaninov's earliest piece for solo 'cello and piano, accompanied by pianist Ian Brown.

During his visit Isserlis said: "what a wonderful place!! I can't help wondering whether this cello has been played here before."

19a Edith Grove, Chelsea, is not far from the site of St Thomas More's estate. Exactly a century ago, the studio was the focus and meeting place of the international artistic community at a time of pivotal historic significance during the years 1912 – 1915, which mark the birth of modernism in music. During this time, many of the greatest musicians of the age: Artur Rubinstein, Cortot, Casals, Moiseiwitsch, Sammons, Szymanowski and many more, played here to an intimate audience which included Chaliapin, Henry James, Nijinsky, John Singer Sargent, and Gertrude Stein.

This historic building, desperately in need of sympathetic restoration, has been the lifelong home of Royal College of Music graduate, Nicholas Lane. A well-known figure in London church circles, he plays the organ each week at Corpus Christi in Covent Garden and Holy Apostles in Pimlico and is a harpsichordist at the Handel House Museum. Lane has been fighting a long legal battle to keep control of the studio since his mother died eight years ago.

He explained: "The council has offered me a continuation of the tenancy but only on condition that I move out. They have stated in writing that they wish to carry out very drastic repairs which would certainly involve the loss of the original fabric of the building - or worse."

Kensington & Chelsea Council intimated at a meeting last November that the building may be condemned. Lane believes this is a very real danger hence a campaign was launched with the backing of  many leading figures in the musical world, The Chelsea Society, the Council's own Conservation Officer, the Handel House Museum and the Museum of Music History to have the building Listed in response to this threat.

Earlier an application to list the building was turned down by English Heritage. This now under urgent review with Department for Culture media and Sport, and is being supported by many leading cultural figures including: Julian Lloyd Webber, Simon Callow, Steven Isserlis, Ian Brown, Lady Bronwen Astor, Lord Alton, Steven Hough, Edwin Fawcett, David Ward, Rose Cholmondeley, Secretary of the Chopin Society of UK, Richard Ormond, Sargent's great nephew, popular Proms conductor John Wilson and many more.

Pam Chowan, Head of Programme Planning at the Royal Festival Hall and Julian Lloyd Webber's accompanist has written: "It is very difficult for those of us in the music world to understand how a building which has so many associations with major figures in musical history and also with events of seminal historic importance, can possibly be considered “too nebulous to be captured within the regime of statutory designation” as English Heritage have concluded. What kind of message does this convey about the value we place on our musical heritage, particularly as very few of our historic musical buildings survive? The studio is not just important to this country but has associations with great artists from Poland, Spain, Russia, France, America and Portugal to name a few. "

Lane said: "I am encouraged by the positive response from so many leading musicians and cultural figures, who recognise the importance of saving 19a. The building is a fragile document of musical history and its original fabric must be carefully conserved, not lost simply because of short term financial considerations. With so much good will from fellow musicians, I believe that it would be possible to relieve the Council of the financial burden of repairing the building and even take up their offer to allow us to purchase it, through a series of fund raising concerts and events."

For more information and if you would like to sign the petition please go to: www.musicat19a.co.uk/