Here’s the rundown of the string-focused performances featuring throughout this year’s edition, taking place in London and venues across the UK this summer
String soloists are firmly in the foreground of this year’s BBC Proms, which takes place from 17 July to 12 September 2026.
Among the standout appearances is Augustin Hadelich, who returns to the Royal Albert Hall with the Berlin Philharmonic to perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto (3 September).
Leonidas Kavakos performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra (2 August), Isabelle Faust joins Simon Rattle and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra for an all‑Schumann programme (7 September), while Patricia Kopatchinskaja partners with Mirga Gražinytė‑Tyla and the Oslo Philharmonic in Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto (29 August).
British and international cellists also play a prominent role. Jessie Montgomery’s new Cello Concerto, co‑commissioned by the BBC and Lincoln Center, receives its UK premiere with Abel Selaocoe as the soloist (20 July), forming part of the Proms’ season‑long focus on American music.
Guy Johnston performs Britten’s Cello Symphony with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo (28 July) in a concert marking 50 years since the composer’s death, while Sheku Kanneh‑Mason returns to the Proms to give the world premiere of Gwilym Simcock’s Triple Concerto (6 September), written for Kanneh‑Mason alongside saxophonist Jess Gillam and horn player Ben Goldscheider.
Further string highlights include:
Sueye Park will perform Sibelius Violin Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and John Storgårds (21 July). Polish violinist Maria Włoszczowska will direct and perform in Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings during the Proms’ North‑East residency with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and pianist Christian Ihle Hadland in Sunderland (25 July).
Alena Baeva will perform Korngold’s cinematic Violin Concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony and Delyana Lazarova (30 July), while Daniel Lozakovich performs Bruch Violin Concerto no.1 with Omer Meir Wellber and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen (31 July). Proms regular Alina Ibragimova will perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with Elena Schwarz and the BBC National Orchestral of Wales (4 August).
Celebrating György Kurtág’s 100th birthday, Sakari Oramo will perform on violin with soprano Anu Komsi Kurtág’s Kafka Fragments in Bristol (9 August).
Vilde Frang will appear with the combined orchestras of London’s Royal Academy of Music and New York’s Juilliard School with a performance of Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto, conducted by Esa‐Pekka Salonen (10 August).
Cello concerto favourites will be featured throughout the season. Cellist Jonathan Aasgaard will perform Walton’s Cello Concerto with John Wilson and Sinfonia of London (24 July). Maximilian Hornung will perform Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto no.1 with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Adam Hickox (8 August).
Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrández will make his Proms debut with the Elgar Cello Concerto, performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Vasily Petrenko (16 August), while Dvořák’s Cello Concerto will be performed by Gautier Capuçon, joined by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Alain Altinoglu (23 August).
Simone Lamsma will perform Britten’s Violin Concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Andrew Manze (4 September) and on 6 September, John Wilson will conduct the Sinfonia of London Strings in a programme of English music by Britten, Berkeley, Bridge and Imogen Holst.
View the full programme here: bbc.co.uk/proms
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