Stephen Bryant

This year the 116th Prom season gets under way on the 16th July and kicks off with Mahler’s mighty 8th Symphony or ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and its Chief Conductor,Jiri Belohlavek and a raft of soloists and choirs!

Even though I’ve taken part in about 140 Proms (to date!) I still get excited being part of this great annual event. As any Promenader worth his salt knows, the Proms are the world’s biggest music festival and were started back in 1895 by Henry Wood at the Queen’s Hall and then moved to the Royal Albert Hall in 1941 after the Queen’s Hall was damaged in an air raid. Although,acoustically speaking, not always the easiest hall in which to play, the Albert Hall is an aesthetically beautiful building steeped in tradition and atmosphere.

The Proms attract a huge selection of really top notch conductors and soloists but, for me, the best thing about the concerts is the audience. Prom audiences and the famous Promenaders are knowledgeable, informed, open minded and enthusiastic and since I’ve been doing the Proms for a long time now, I recognise many friendly faces each year!

Of course the BBC Symphony Orchestra is proud to play a major role in the Proms, including opening and closing the season with the First and Last Nights. This year I’ve tried to spread my share of the Proms around a much needed holiday! So here are the Proms I’m doing this summer!

Prom 31 August 8th 2010

Sir Andrew Davis (Conductor)  Louis Lortie (Piano)

Messiaen: ‘Un Sourire’-  Mozart: Piano Concerto No.17 in G, K.453-  Parry: ‘Elegy for Brahms’-   Brahms: Symphony No.4 in E Minor. Live Radio 3

I always enjoy working with Andrew-our Conductor Laureate and someone who will always hold a special place in the Orchestra’s affections for the time he was here as our Chief Conductor.He returns for a varied programme including Brahms’ 4th Symphony, a piece the BBC Symphony has performed with him many times. 

Prom 36 August 12th 2010

Lionel Bringuier (Conductor)  Nelson Friere (Piano)

Chopin: Piano Concerto No.2 in F Minor Op.21-  Roussel: Symphony No.3-  Ravel: Daphnis and Chloe Suite No.2.  Live Radio 3/Arte TV,France

Prom 42 August 17th 2010

Edward Gardner (Conductor)  Alina Ibragimova (Violin)

Britten: ‘Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes’-  Watkins: Violin Concerto-  Shostakovich: Symphony No.5 in D Minor. Live Radio 3/BBC 4

Ed and the orchestra have a very good relationship-we have just recorded a disc of Lutoslawski with him and are due to make a disc of Britten with him in the Autumn.I’m looking forward particularly to the Shostakovich 5th Symphony which is a tremendous work!

Prom 50 August 22nd 2010

David Robertson (Conductor)  Richard Goode (Piano)

Bartok: Piano Concerto No 3- Bartok: Cantata Profana- Haydn: Symphony No.102 in Bb. Live Radio 3

This is the first of two Proms with our Principal Guest Conductor,David Robertson.

Prom 54 August 26th 2010

David Robertson (Conductor) Gil Shaham (Violin)

Turnage: ‘Hammered Out’- Barber: Violin Concerto Op.14- Sibelius: Symphony No.2 in D. Live Radio 3/BBC4

This is a programme with a beautiful Violin Concerto played by the brilliant violinist,Gil Shaham and a great Symphony.The New York Times described David Robertson’s 2009 Carnegie Hall performance of Sibelius’s triumphant 5th Symphony as ‘the most transparent and riveting account of Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony in memory’

Prom 76 September 11th Last Night of the Proms

Jiri Belohlavek (Conductor) Maxim Rysanov (Viola) Renee Fleming (Soprano) Live Radio 3/BBC1 and 2

Its finally here! A smorgasbord of various repertoire and a Viola soloist! Jiri,our Chief Conductor will be conducting festivities with the usual list of suspects!Sit back and enjoy…