What's new and extraordinary in the 成人论坛 Proms 2018 season
成人论坛 Proms Season Launch 2018
Celebrate the launch of the 2018 season of the world鈥檚 largest classical music festival.
From Bach to Bernstein via Buckley鈥檚 New York Disco
The 成人论坛 Proms is an annual festival consisting of more than 90 concerts over eight weeks every summer of world-class performances by the planet's greatest classical musicians.
The Proms aims to bring the best of classical music to the widest possible audience:
- for those coming to the concerts in person – more than 100,000 tickets available at under £15, Promming (standing tickets) costing just £6 and half price seats for under 18s for those. Most concerts take place at London's Royal Albert Hall.
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- for millions of others through 成人论坛 TV, online platforms and 成人论坛 Radio 3, where every note is broadcast.
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Director of the 成人论坛 Proms talks about the season
成人论坛 Proms Director David Pickard on the 2018 Proms season
成人论坛 Proms Director David Pickard on what makes the Proms so special and what to expect.
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Special events this season
The 2018 Proms marks a range of musical anniversaries.
Leonard Bernstein, born 1918, was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
His work as conductor, composer, pianist, and educationalist are explored in depth this season.
John Wilson leads performances of West Side Story, arguably the best-loved musical of all time, and also his 1944 production On the Town.
As a tribute to Bernstein's educational work on TV, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Joshua Weilerstein explore ‘The Sound of an Orchestra’ in a unique event with creative direction from Gerard McBurney and projection design by Mike Tutaj. Audiences will be treated to a vivid tapestry of words, projections and music.
The August bank-holiday weekend will feature a Proms debut for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Marin Alsop, a former student of Bernstein.
100 years since the end of the First World War
A contemporary response by one of today’s most imaginative and eclectic young composers, Anna Meredith, in collaboration with , sees a major new work for orchestra, choir and projections premiered on the First Night of the Proms.
Jointly commissioned by the 成人论坛 Proms, and , explores the varied forms of communication from the Front Lines, and draws on the talents of both the and the .
Women composers
Anna Meredith is one of 22 women composers championed by the Proms this summer as the festival reflects on Parliament’s 1918 decision to grant the vote to women aged 30 and over.
Roxanna Panufnik receives the coveted Last Night of the Proms commission, as women composers feature in two of the most significant events in the classical music calendar.
As part of the Proms Chamber Music series, eight women, never previously commissioned by the 成人论坛, receive world premieres, including Laura Mvula and Bushra El-Turk.
The Proms also pays tribute to the French composer, Lili Boulanger, who died at age 24 in 1918, the same year as Debussy's death.
Young musicians
As 成人论坛 Young Musician celebrates its 40th birthday, the Proms present the first ever Young Musician Prom, a gala concert bringing together over 20 of the competition’s alumni, including Nicola Benedetti, Michael Collins and Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
This comes alongside a celebration of the scheme for young composers in its 20th-birthday year, and the fourth consecutive 成人论坛 Ten Pieces Prom.
A ground-breaking initiative that has already reached over 4 million people, this summer it collaborates with , an arts charity that works with young people from asylum-seeker and refugee backgrounds, and , an organisation focused on reaching children and young people in London’s poorest neighbourhoods.
The takes up residency in the North East as it prepares for a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Passionate about providing opportunities for young performers and encouraging the next generation of classical musicians, the 成人论坛 Proms sees over 1,500 young artists take to the stage this summer.
Late nights
Nine Late Night Proms contain an eclectic range of musical styles that reflect the more intimate setting of these ‘after-hours’ events.
Highlights include the Proms debut of Grammy Award-winning Senegalese singer, Youssou Ndour and his band, Le Super Étoile de Dakar, while original members of the Buena Vista Social Club come to the Royal Albert Hall stage for the first time too for ‘Havana Meets Kingston’, a project fusing the sound-worlds of traditional and contemporary Cuba and Jamaica.
In ‘New York: Sound of a City’, Proms favourite Jules Buckley and a line-up of rising stars explore the current sounds on New York’s streets, embracing everything from disco-punk to feminist rap.
Also in the Late Night series, Sir András Schiff concludes a two-year project with a performance of Book 2 of J. S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier.
New music
42 premieres will be heard across the summer.
The Swedish Chamber Orchestra gives two Proms in one day, presenting Bach’s six Brandeburg Concertos alongside six newly commissioned companion works by Uri Caine, Brett Dean, Anders Hillborg, Olga Neuwirth, Steven Mackey and Mark-Anthony Turnage, creating a brand-new musical cycle spanning almost three centuries.
Relaxed Prom
The second Relaxed Prom will offer an informal environment for all to experience a world-class music event. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will be joined by its disabled-led ensemble BSO Resound and director James Rose.
This Prom marks the first major UK performance by this pioneering ensemble, which is forging the way for extraordinary musicians with disability.
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More
The printed guide is available to buy and includes full concert listings, ticket information, and articles offering more insights into the music, artists and themes of the festival.
>> Proms Guide
Press Information
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