About this season
The World's Greatest Classical Music Festival. The BBC Proms is a classical music festival held every summer at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and in recent years has explored an innovative series of Proms around the UK with concerts in all four nations. Its aim: to bring the best in classical music to the widest possible audience, which remains true to founder-conductor Henry Wood’s original vision in 1895. Whether you are a classical connoisseur or think classical music isn’t for you, there is something for everyone in the eight-week stretch of concerts.
Episodes (29)
1. First Night of the Proms (Part One)
Aired 19 July 2019 • 180 min
The BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Karina Canellakis, perform Dvorak’s The Golden Spinning Wheel and a commission commemorating the 50th anniversary of the moon landings.
2. First Night of the Proms (Part Two)
Aired 19 July 2019 • 180 min
The BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Chorus, conducted by Karina Canellakis, perform Janácek’s Glagolitic Mass in the second half of First Night of the Proms 2019.
3. Joshua Bell plays Dvořák
Aired 21 July 2019 • 180 min
Join Katie Derham and Jess Gillam at the Royal Albert Hall for a Proms Bohemian rhapsody. The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jakob Hrusa, perform Smetana’s legendary Ma Vlast and, with American superstar violinist Joshua Bell, Dvorak’s Violin Concerto.
4. Schumann, Schoenberg and Mozart
Aired 26 July 2019 • 180 min
Suzy Klein introduces the BBC Philharmonic and Omer Meir Wellber in a performance of works by Ben-Haim, Schumann, Schoenberg and, with Yeol Eum Son, Mozart's Piano Concerto No 15 in B flat, K450.
5. Public Service Broadcasting
Aired 26 July 2019 • 180 min
Cult band Public Service Broadcasting join the Multi-Story Orchestra and London Contemporary Voices to perform a specially commissioned new arrangement of their 2015 album The Race for Space.
6. Nicola Benedetti with the NYO
Aired 28 July 2019 • 180 min
Mark Wigglesworth conducts the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain in Auerbach, Prokofiev and, with Nicola Benedetti, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto.
7. Britten and Mahler
Aired 2 August 2019 • 180 min
Katie Derham introduces two pieces originally premiered by Proms founder Sir Henry Wood. Leif Ove Andsnes performs Britten’s Piano Concerto while Claudia Mahnke and Stuart Skelton sing Mahler’s poignant Das Lied von der Erde. Edward Gardner conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
8. Rachmaninov and Shostakovich
Aired 4 August 2019 • 180 min
The BBC Philharmonic, conducted by John Storgårds, performs Rachmaninov's The Isle of the Dead, Shostakovich’s Symphony No 11 and the world premiere of Outi Tarkiainen’s Midnight Sun Variations.
9. Angélique Kidjo
Aired 4 August 2019 • 180 min
Three-time Grammy Award-winner Angélique Kidjo makes her Proms debut together with her nine-piece band in a late-night tribute to salsa legend Celia Cruz.
10. John Wilson Orchestra
Aired 9 August 2019 • 180 min
John Wilson's virtuoso orchestra celebrates the music of one of the world's most famous film studios, Warner Brothers, including works by Max Steiner and Erich Korngold.
11. The Sound of Space
Aired 9 August 2019 • 180 min
Cerys Matthews introduces the London Contemporary Orchestra in a late-night Prom featuring sci-fi film music including excerpts from Alien: Covenant, Interstellar, Under the Skin and Gravity.
12. Mozart's Requiem
Aired 11 August 2019 • 180 min
The BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, conducted by Nathalie Stutzmann, with Fatma Said, Kathryn Rudge, Sunnyboy Dladla and David Shipley in Mozart's Requiem.
13. Pappano and the National Youth Orchestra of the USA
Aired 16 August 2019 • 180 min
Sir Antonio Pappano conducts the National Youth Orchestra of the USA in Benjamin Beckman's Occidentalis, Strauss's Alpine Symphony and, with mezzo Joyce DiDonato, Berlioz's Les nuits d'été.
14. Queen Victoria's Playlist
Aired 18 August 2019 • 180 min
An evening of music to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth including Mendelssohn's 'Scottish' Symphony and First Piano Concerto, performed by Stephen Hough on Victoria's piano.
15. Rattle conducts Belshazzar's Feast
Aired 23 August 2019 • 180 min
The London Symphony Orchestra, LSO Chorus, Orfeó Català and the Orfeó Català Youth Choir, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, perform works by Koechlin, Varèse and Walton's cantata, Belshazzar's Feast.
16. Sheku Plays Elgar
Aired 25 August 2019 • 180 min
BBC 2016 Young Musician winner and superstar Sheku Kanneh-Mason performs Elgar's passionate Cello Concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and their music director Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla. Introduced by Tom Service and Sheku's sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason.
17. Strauss, Sibelius and Prokofiev
Aired 30 August 2019 • 180 min
Katie Derham presents flavours of Finland, Russia and Germany from three 20th-century favourites, featuring Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
18. Homage to Nina Simone
Aired 30 August 2019 • 180 min
First transmitted in 2019. Clara Amfo introduces a celebration of jazz and blues legend Nina Simone with The Metropole Orkest led by Jules Buckley, Ledisi, Lisa Fisher and more.
19. Happy Birthday Henry Wood!
Aired 1 September 2019 • 180 min
A 150th anniversary tribute to Sir Henry Wood, founder-conductor of the Proms, featuring many of the works he both premiered and arranged across nearly 50 years of the festival.
20. Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
Aired 6 September 2019 • 180 min
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Long Yu, makes its Proms debut in a programme including works by Qigang Chen, Rachmaninov and, with Eric Lu, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 23 in A major.
21. Ellington's Sacred Music
Aired 6 September 2019 • 180 min
Cerys Matthews introduces an evening of jazz, gospel and Broadway-style music inspired by Duke Ellington's three sacred concerts. In a Proms premiere, Peter Edwards conducts the Nu Civilisation Orchestra in a new version of these landmark works, written originally between 1965 and 1973.
22. Elgar's Enigma
Aired 8 September 2019 • 180 min
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performs music by Vaughan Williams, Brahms and a new work - a birthday tribute to conductor Martyn Brabbins - inspired by Elgar's 'Enigma' Variations.
23. Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique
Aired 13 September 2019 • 180 min
Mathew Baynton, Nicholas Collon and the Aurora Orchestra present Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique from memory, in a specially devised production incorporating elements of theatre, spectacular lighting and choreography as well as Berlioz’s own words about his music.
24. Jonny Greenwood Curates
Aired 13 September 2019 • 180 min
Radiohead lead guitarist and award-winning film composer Jonny Greenwood curates a late-night Prom culminating in the world premiere of his work Horror vacui, written for solo violin and 68 strings.
25. Last Night of the Proms, Part 1
Aired 14 September 2019 • 180 min
Katie Derham hosts the climax of the world's greatest classical music festival live from London's Royal Albert Hall.
26. Last Night of the Proms, part 2
Aired 14 September 2019 • 180 min
Katie Derham introduces live coverage from the Royal Albert Hall of the climax of the world’s greatest classical music festival, including the traditional Last Night classics.
27. CBeebies Prom: Off to the Moon
Aired 14 September 2019 • 60 min
To celebrate 50 years since the first astronauts walked on the moon, join the CBeebies Prommers for this third CBeebies Prom, which sees them taking a musical journey to the moon. Featuring music performed by the orchestra Chineke! conducted by Kwamé Ryan, with additional performances by the Chineke! Junior Orchestra and the first ever CBeebies Proms Choir, the preschool audience can hear pieces by composers such as Handel, Puccini, John Adams, Benjamin Britten and Jessie Montgomery as well as the world premiere of Hans Zimmer's new work, Earth. With specially made pieces of animation from some of CBeebies' most popular shows such as Clangers, Go Jetters and Moon and Me, an interactive song inspired by Neil Armstrong and special Nasa archive footage from the moon landing itself, join some of CBeebies's favourite presenters as they take you on a musical voyage to the stars.
28. Episode 28
