The 12 best BBC Proms 2023: passion and innovation
Booking opens 13 May for the world's biggest music festival. Gorge on romantic Rachmaninov and get ahead with new works. Proms are live on BBC Radio 3; some are televised
Prom 6: Sir Stephen Hough plays Rachmaninov
This year's BBC Proms are rightly dominated by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov, born 150 years ago. With his broad, romantic melodies, virtuosic solo work and huge orchestration, his compositions are thrilling heard live. Stephen Hough (pictured) plays the Piano Concerto No 1 with the BBC Philharmonic in a programme that also includes a new piece by Grace-Evangeline Mason and Mahler's tender Symphony No 1.
Read more ...Proms 10 & 11: 'Orrible Opera
What a fantastic idea! From the brilliant Horrible Histories people, a rollercoaster ride through the highs and lows of opera, especially for children. English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra dive into Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Puccini’s Turandot, Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.
Read more ...Prom 14: Elgar's Enigma Variations
This much-loved piece has a special place in the hearts of Proms audiences, and this performance by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Elim Chan (pictured) promises to be both charming and moving. Also played, Beethoven's powerful Piano Concerto No 3 and a new piece by Noriko Koide, poetically titled Swaddling Silk and Gossamer Rain.
Read more ...Prom 22: Isata Kanneh-Mason plays Prokofiev
A marvellous programme for younger music-lovers, with just two exciting pieces. Isata-Kanneh Mason (pictured) is the soloist in Prokofiev's entertaining Piano Concerto No 3. Then Ryan Bancroft conducts the fantastic BBC National Orchestra of Wales, whose annual Proms visits are always an event, in Tchaikovsky's action-packed Symphony No 5. Perfect for a school holiday night out.
Read more ...Prom 27: Yuja Wang plays Rachmaninov
Sure to be one of the hottest tickets at this year's Proms, a concert featuring two huge stars of their generation. Yuja Wang is the soloist in Rachmaninov's virtuosic Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Klaus Mäkelä conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Walton's huge choral symphony, Belshazzar's Feast. Loud, spectacular... this is classical music at rock concert pitch.
Read more ...Prom 30: Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto
John Wilson's annual appearance at the Proms with his Sinfonia of London is always a special occasion, as they breathe new life into well-known works. Benjamin Grosvenor (pictured) is the soloist in Rachmaninov's romantic Piano Concerto No 2 (the Brief Encounter one). The evening opens with Lili Boulanger's picturesque D'un Matin de Printemps and closes with the Symphony No 1 by English composer William Walton.
Read more ...Prom 37: Budapest Festival Orchestra
This distinguished Hungarian orchestra under Iván Fischer is joined by the outstanding pianist Sir András Schiff (pictured) for the very beautiful Schumann Piano Concerto, before the Symphony No 3 inspired by Felix Mendelssohn's travels, the Scottish. You can be sure of a stirring encore...
Read more ...Prom 44: Stravinsky's The Firebird
In a season bookended for the first time by women conductors, the Proms debut tonight by New Zealander Gemma New (pictured) is another step forward. Canadian-born, Berlin-based composer Samy Moussa's Symphony No 2 gets its European premiere before Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No 2 with the brilliant young Pavel Kolesnikov and Stravinsky's colourful ballet music The Firebird.
Read more ...Prom 56: Rattle conducts Mahler's Ninth
Say a London farewell to Sir Simon Rattle (pictured) as he leaves the London Symphony Orchestra as music director and heads for Germany. In a poignant last concert in his current role, and after a game-changing tenure, Rattle conducts Mahler's valedictory Symphony No 9, with the BBC Singers joining the LSO. In the first half, Poulenc's post-war cantata, Figure Humaine.
Read more ...Prom 60: Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Making its Proms debut, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra is one of Europe's great orchestras, and here it play Rachmaninov's dramatic Symphony No 3 under Vladimir Jurowski (pictured). Kirill Gerstein is the soloist in Thomas Adès's Piano Concerto, with music by Kurt Weill to start. This promises to be a spectacular evening
Read more ...Prom 61: Chineke! performs Beethoven's Fourth Symphony
Europe's first majority Black and ethnically diverse ensemble plays Beethoven's exuberant Symphony No 4, but the programme is packed with other short, interesting pieces, including works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a composer championed by the orchestra, plus Valerie Coleman's appealing Seven O'Clock Shout. Aaron Azunda Akugbo is the soloist in Haydn's Trumpet Concerto. A good one for youngsters, this.
Read more ...Proms 62 & 63: The Rite by Heart
If you only go to one Prom this year, make it one of the two performances by Aurora Orchestra of Stravinsky's mould-breaking The Rite of Spring, played from memory. At any time, this is a thrilling piece to see and hear live, but daringly played without sheet music this performance will be quite breathtaking. In the first half, get to know to the piece with conductor Nicholas Collin, before the bareback ride in the second half. Oh, and take the kids...
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