What does the biggest classical music festival in the world offer in terms of string concertos and other highlights for Strad readers?

proms collage strad (1)

The 2019 season of the BBC Proms has been revealed today, with a total of over 90 concerts from Friday 19 July to Saturday 14 September.

The BBC notes that more than 100,000 tickets will be available for £15 or less, including 1,400 standing tickets per concert at £6. All concerts will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

The string highlights of the season are:

(All concerts in the Royal Albert Hall unless otherwise indicated)

  • Prom 2, Saturday 20 July

Joshua Bell performs Dvořák’s Violin Concerto with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jakub Hrůša. The programme also features Smetana’s Má vlast.

  • Prom 4, Sunday 21 July

Nemanja Radulović performs Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kirill Karabits. The programme also features Holst’s The Planets  and John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine.

  • Prom 6, Monday 22 July

James Ehnes performsBenjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto with the combined orchestras of the Royal Academy of Music and the Julliard School conducted by Edward Gardner. The programme also features Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring  and Metacosmos  by Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

  • Prom 12, Saturday 27 July

Nicola Benedetti performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain conducted by Mark Wigglesworth. The programme includes Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet  suite and Icarus  by Lera Auerbach

  • Prom 17, Wednesday 31 July

Lisa Batiashvili performs Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto no.2 with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mariss Jansons. The programme also includes Sibelius’s Symphony no.1 and Richard Strauss’s Rosenkavalier  suite.

The concert is preceded by a free Proms Plus talk by former Strad editor Ariane Todes on Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto no.2 and the Russian school of violin playing.

  • Prom 20, Saturday 3 August

Pekka Kuusisto performs Sibelius’s Violin Concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Thomas Dausgaard. The programme also includes Sibelius’s Symphony no.5

  • Prom 61, Wednesday 4 September

Leonidas Kavakos performs the Korngold Violin Concerto with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Andrés Orozco‐Estrada. The programme also features Dvořák’s The Noonday Witch and ‘New World’ Symphony.

  • Prom 70, Tuesday 10 September

Daniel Pioro performs Horror vacui, a new work for solo violin and 68 strings by Jonny Greenwood. The programme also features works by Biber, Penderecki and Reich.

More information at www.bbc.co.uk/proms