Your comprehensive guide to this year’s Proms season
And how wonderful it is to be able to return and share the world’s greatest classical music festival! Here is our complete guide to this year’s concerts…
RAH = Royal Albert Hall CH = Cadogan Hall
FRIDAY 30 JULY
FIRST NIGHT OF THE PROMS 2021
7.30pm RAH
Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music; Poulenc Organ Concerto; James Macmillan When Soft Voices Die (BBC co-commission with Help Musicians, world premiere). Elizabeth Llewellyn (soprano), Jess Dandy (contralto), Allan Clayton (tenor), Michael Mofidian (bassbaritone), Daniel Hyde (organ); BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra/dalia Stasevska
SATURDAY 31 JULY
THE GOLDEN AGE OF BROADWAY
7.30pm RAH
Programme to include overtures by Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin and Richard Rodgers. BBC Concert Orchestra/richard Balcombe
SUNDAY 1 AUGUST
ORGAN RECITAL
11.45am RAH
JS Bach Prelude and Fugue in E flat ‘St Anne’; Latry Improvisation on Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E flat; JS Bach Fantasia and Fugue in G (Pièce d’orgue); Latry Improvisation on Bach’s Fantasia in G; JS Bach Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor; Latry Improvisation on English Melodies.
Olivier Latry (organ)
8pm RAH
Mozart Symphonies Nos 39-41. Scottish Chamber Orchestra/ Maxim Emelyanychev
MONDAY 2 AUGUST
1pm CH
Zemlinsky Clarinet Trio; Brahms Clarinet Trio. Michael Collins (clarinet), Adrian Brendel (cello), Michael Mchale (piano) 6pm CH
Programme and performers as at 1pm.
7.30pm RAH
Purcell arr. Stokowski Dido and Aeneas: When I am laid in earth; Elizabeth Ogonek Cloudline (BBC co-commission, world premiere); Saint-saëns Cello Concerto No. 1, Brahms Symphony No. 4. Sol Gabetta (cello), BBC National Orchestra of Wales/elim Chan
TUESDAY 3 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Schubert Symphony No. 2;
Ella Milch-sheriff The Eternal Stranger (BBC co-commission, UK premiere); Beethoven Symphony No. 4. Eli Danker (actor), BBC Philharmonic/ Omer Meir Wellber
WEDNESDAY 4 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Respighi Concerto gregoriano; Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5 ‘Reformation’. Sayaka Shoji (violin), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/vasily Petrenko
THURSDAY 5 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Gipps Symphony No. 2; Thomas Adès The Exterminating Angel Symphony (London premiere); Brahms Symphony No. 3. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/mirga Gra inyte˙-tyla
FRIDAY 6 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Pergolesi Stabat mater; Stravinsky Pulcinella. Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Tim Mead (countertenor), Benjamin Hulett (tenor), Simon Shibambu (bass-baritone); BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/
Joana Carneiro
SATURDAY 7 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Jessie Montgomery Banner (UK premiere); Laura Jurd new work (London premiere); Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2; Beethoven Symphony No. 3 ‘Eroica’. Nicola Benedetti (violin), National
Youth Orchestra of Great Britain/ Jonathon Heyward
SUNDAY 8 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Augusta Read Thomas Dance Foldings (BBC commission, world premiere); Ives Three Places in New England (Orchestral Set No. 1); Dvoˇrák Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’. BBC National Orchestra of Wales/ryan Bancroft
MONDAY 9 AUGUST
MARIAN CONSORT PERFORMS JOSQUIN
1pm CH
Josquin des Prez Praeter rerum seriem; Calvisius Praeter
rerum seriem; Josquin des
Prez Benedicta es, caelorum regina; Willaert Benedicta es, caelorum regina; Josquin des Prez Inviolata, integra et casta es; Lusitano Inviolata, integra et casta es. Marian Consort/
Rory Mccleery
6pm CH
Programme and performers as at 1pm.
7.30pm RAH
Mason Bates Auditorium (UK premiere); Elgar Cello Concerto; Janáˇcek Taras Bulba.
Johannes Moser (cello); Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/kirill Karabits
TUESDAY 10 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Britta Byström Parallel Universes (BBC commission: world premiere);
Sibelius Violin Concerto. Jennifer Pike (violin); BBC Philharmonic/john Storgårds
WEDNESDAY 11 AUGUST
STRAVINSKY FROM MEMORY
7.30pm RAH
Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini; Tom Service and Nicholas Collon introduce Stravinsky’s The Firebird; Stravinsky The Firebird Suite (1945 version).
Tom Service (presenter);
Pavel Kolesnikov (piano); Aurora Orchestra/
Nicholas Collon
THURSDAY 12 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Stravinsky Jeu de cartes; Walton Cello Concerto;
JS Bach, orch. F Goldmann: 14 Canons, BWV 1087 (Goldberg Variations); Hindemith Symphony ‘Mathis der Maler’. Steven Isserlis (cello); London Philharmonic Orchestra/vladimir Jurowski
FRIDAY 13 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Programme to be announced. BBC Symphony Orchestra/ Andrew Davis
SATURDAY 14 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Prokofiev Symphony No. 1, ‘Classical’; JS Bach Keyboard Concerto in F minor, BWV 1056; Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K491;
Shostakovich Symphony No. 9. Víkingur Ólafsson (piano); Philharmonia Orchestra/ Santtu-matias Rouvali
SUNDAY 15 AUGUST
AFRICA MEETS EUROPE
7.30pm RAH
Programme to be announced. Abel Selaocoe (cello/voice), Simo Lagnawi (guembri); Chesaba; BBC National Orchestra of Wales/
Clark Rundell
MONDAY 16 AUGUST
1pm CH
Haydn String Quartet, Op. 64 No. 5 ‘Lark’; Simpson String Quartet No. 1. Marmen Quartet 6pm CH
Programme and performers as at 1pm.
MONDAY 16 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
To Soothe the Aching Heart: An evening of opera excerpts on the themes of separation and reconciliation. Cannini
La liberazione di Ruggiero
Suite; Beethoven Fidelio: Abscheulicher!... Komm, Hoffnung, lass den letzten Stern, Gott! Welch Dunkel hier!... In des Lebens Frühlingstagen, O namenlose Freude!; Gluck Orfeo ed Euridice: Che faro senza Euridice?; Puccini La bohème: Che gelida manina… Mi chiamano Mimì; Bizet Carmen: La fleur que tu m’avais jetée; Handel Rodelinda: Io t’abbraccio; Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel: Der kleine Sandmann bin ich… Abends, will ich schlafen gehn; Dream Pantomime. Sally Matthews, Natalya Romaniw, Nardus Williams (soprano), Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano), Nicky Spence, Freddie De Tommaso (tenor); BBC Philharmonic/ben Glassberg
TUESDAY 17 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Górecki Harpsichord Concerto; Edmund Finnis The Centre is Everywhere; Eastman The Holy Presence of Joan d’arc; Dobrinka Tabakova Suite in Old Style, ‘The Court Jester Amareu’; Joseph Horovitz Jazz Harpsichord Concerto. Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord); Manchester Collective/rakhi Singh (violin)
WEDNESDAY 18 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Nubya Garcia (saxophone)
THURSDAY 19 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Josquin des Prez Qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi (a24);
Janequin Le chant des oiseaux; Hildegard von Bingen
O virdissima Virga; Sweelinck
Je sens en moy une flamme nouvelle; Nico Muhly A New Flame (after Sweelinck) (BBC commission, world premiere); Byrd Ave verum corpus; Roderick Williams Ave verum corpus Re-imagined; Stravinsky Otche nash (Our Father); Shiva Feshareki Aetherworld (BBC commission, world premiere). Shiva Feshareki (turntables/ immersive electronics), Liam Byrne (viola da gamba); BBC Singers/sofi Jeannin
FRIDAY 20 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Programme to be announced.
SATURDAY 21 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Moses Sumney (singersongwriter); BBC Symphony Orchestra/jules Buckley
SUNDAY 22 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Stravinsky Symphonies of Wind Instruments; Symphony in C; Symphony in Three Movements. London Symphony Orchestra/ Simon Rattle
MONDAY 23 AUGUST
THE SOUNDS OF ARGENTINA
1pm CH
Piazzolla Histoire du tango; Ramírez Songs.
Wallis Giunta (mezzo-soprano), Adam Walker (flute),
Sean Shibe (guitars)
6pm CH
Programme and performers as at 1pm.
7.30pm RAH
Programme to be announced.
TUESDAY 24 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Coleridge-taylor Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast – Overture; Sowande African Suite;
Price Piano Concerto in One Movement; Coleridge-taylor Symphony in A minor.
Jeneba Kanneh-mason (piano); Chineke! Orchestra/
Kalena Bovell
WEDNESDAY 25 AUGUST
EIGHT SEASONS
7.30pm RAH
Vivaldi The Four Seasons; Piazzolla arr. Desyatnikov The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Academy of St Martin in the Fields/joshua Bell (violin)
THURSDAY 26 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
George Lewis Minds in Flux (BBC commission, world premiere); Beethoven Concert aria ‘Ah! Perfido’; Symphony No. 2. Lucy Crowe (soprano), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/ilan Volkov
FRIDAY 27 AUGUST
7.30pm RAH
Charlotte Bray Where Icebergs Dance Away (UK premiere); Walton Viola Concerto; Arnold Symphony No. 5. Timothy Ridout (viola); BBC Symphony Orchestra/sakari Oramo
SATURDAY 28 AUGUST
BARTÓK ROOTS
7.30pm RAH
Programme to include:
Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2; plus traditional Hungarian songs and dances. Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin); BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/ Thomas Dausgaard
SUNDAY 29 AUGUST
FAMILY PROM
2.30pm RAH
Daniel Kidane new work (BBC commission, world premiere); Saint-saëns The Carnival of the Animals with new narration by Michael Morpurgo.
British Sign Languageinterpreted performance. Adam Walker (flute), Mark Simpson (clarinet), Aminata Kannehmason, Braimah Kanneh-mason, Ayla Sahin (violin), Timothy Ridout (viola), Mariatu Kannehmason, Sheku Kanneh-mason (cello), Toby Hughes (double bass), Isata Kanneh-mason, Jeneba Kanneh-mason, Konya Kanneh-mason (piano), Alasdair Malloy (glass harmonica), Adrian Spillett (percussion), Michael Morpurgo (narrator)
FAMILY PROM
7.00pm RAH
Daniel Kidane new work (BBC commission, world premiere); Saint-saëns The Carnival of the Animals with new narration by Michael Morpurgo. Adam Walker (flute), Mark Simpson (clarinet), Aminata Kanneh-mason, Braimah Kanneh-mason, Ayla
Sahin (violin), Timothy Ridout (viola), Mariatu Kanneh-mason, Sheku Kanneh-mason (cello), Toby Hughes (double bass), Isata Kanneh-mason, Jeneba Kanneh-mason, Konya Kannehmason (piano), Alasdair Malloy (glass harmonica), Adrian Spillett (percussion), Michael Morpurgo (narrator)
MONDAY 30 AUGUST
1pm CH
Saint-saëns Oboe Sonata; Gipps Sea-shore Suite; Dutilleux Oboe Sonata;
Poulenc Oboe Sonata; Bozza Fantaisie pastorale.
François Leleux (oboe),
Eric Le Sage (piano)
6pm CH
Saint-saëns Oboe Sonata; Gipps Sea-shore Suite; Dutilleux Oboe Sonata; Poulenc Oboe Sonata; Bozza Fantaisie pastorale. François Leleux (oboe), Eric Le Sage (piano) 7.30pm RAH
Knussen The Way to Castle Yonder; Purcell transcr. G Benjamin Three Consorts (world premiere); Ravel Piano Concerto; George Benjamin
Concerto for Orchestra
(BBC co-commission with Mahler Chamber Orchestra, world premiere). Pierre-laurent Aimard (piano); Mahler Chamber Orchestra/ George Benjamin
TUESDAY 31 AUGUST
4pm RAH
Wagner Tristan und Isolde (concert performance; sung in German). Simon O’neill (Tristan), Miina-liisa Värelä (Isolde), Karen Cargill (Brangäne), Shenyang (Kurwenal), John Relyea (King Mark), Neal Cooper (Melot), Stuart Jackson (Shepherd/ Young Sailor); Glyndebourne Festival Opera, London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Robin Ticciati
WEDNESDAY 1 SEPTEMBER
7.30pm RAH
Handel Donna, che in ciel;
JS Bach Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4; Handel Dixit Dominus. Ann Hallenberg (mezzo-soprano), Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists /John Eliot Gardiner
THURSDAY 2 SEPTEMBER
20TH CENTURY BRITISH FILM MUSIC
7.30pm RAH
Carwithen The Men of Sherwood Forest – Overture; Vaughan Williams Three Portraits from ‘The England of Elizabeth’; Arnold Hobson’s Choice – Concert Suite; Scherzetto for clarinet and orchestra (from
‘You Know What Sailors Are’;
The Belles of St Trinian’s – Comedy Suite (Exploits for Orchestra). BBC Concert Orchestra/bramwell Tovey
FRIDAY 3 SEPTEMBER
7.30pm RAH
Programme to be announced. Kirill Gerstein (piano);
BBC Symphony Orchestra/ Semyon Bychkov
SATURDAY 4 SEPTEMBER
ORGAN RECITAL
11.45am RAH
JS Bach Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542; Widor Symphony No. 5: I. Allegro vivace; Saint-saëns Suite algérienne – Rêverie du soir
(arr. A Guilmant); Saint-saëns Fantaisie No. 1 in E flat;
Liszt Fantasy and Fugue on
‘Ad nos, ad salutarem undam’. Thomas Trotter (organ)
7.30pm RAH
J Strauss II Die Fledermaus – Overture; Berg Seven
Early Songs; Ravel La valse; Korngold Symphony in F sharp major. Miah Persson (soprano), Sinfonia of London/john Wilson
SUNDAY 5 SEPTEMBER
7.30pm RAH
Dvoˇrák Cello Concerto; Graceevangeline Mason The Imagined Forest (BBC co-commission with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, world premiere); R Strauss Don
Juan; Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber.
Sheku Kanneh-mason (cello); Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/domingo Hindoyan
MONDAY 6 SEPTEMBER
PAULINE VIARDOT AND HER CIRCLE
1pm CH
Including works by Viardot, Brahms, Chopin, Gounod and Tchaikovsky.
Ema Nikolovska (mezzosoprano), Malcolm Martineau (piano)
6pm CH
Programme and performers as at 1pm.
7.30pm RAH
Philip Glass Mad Rush; Samy Moussa A Globe Itself Infolding (UK premiere).
James Mcvinnie (organ),
BBC Concert Orchestra/ Anna-maria Helsing
TUESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER
7.30pm RAH
Unsuk Chin Subito con forza (BBC co-commission, UK premiere); Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 (cadenzas by Saint-saëns); Saint-saëns Symphony No. 3 ‘Organ’. Benjamin Grosvenor (piano), Anna Lapwood (organ);
Hallé Orchestra/mark Elder
WEDNESDAY 8 SEPTEMBER
7.30pm RAH
Programme to be announced
THURSDAY 9 SEPTEMBER
7pm RAH
JS Bach St Matthew Passion (sung in German). Soloists to include: Stuart Jackson (Evangelist), Hugo Hymas (tenor), Roderick Williams (baritone), Gerald Finley (Jesus); Arcangelo Chorus; Arcangelo/jonathan Cohen (harpsichord)
FRIDAY 10 SEPTEMBER
7.30pm RAH
Programme to be announced.
SATURDAY 11 SEPTEMBER
LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS 2021
7.30pm RAH
Gity Razaz Mother
(BBC commission, world premiere); Trad arr. Wood Fantasia on British Sea-songs; Arne, arr. Sargent Rule, Britannia!; Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (‘Land of Hope and Glory’); Parry, orch. Elgar Jerusalem; The National Anthem ‘God Save the Queen’ (arr. Britten);
Trad Auld Lang Syne.
Stuart Skelton (tenor), Ksenija Sidorova (accordion),
BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra/sakari Oramo