The curtains are up at the Royal Albert Hall, marking the electrifying start to this year's Proms 2026. Eight weeks of unbridled musical magic await as the world's largest classical music festival unfolds in all its glory! The BBC Symphony Orchestra sets the tone, kicking off with a stellar performance broadcast on Radio 3 – and what a lineup we have in store for us!
Josephine Stephenson's world premiere 'That the Sunrise Not Leave Us Unmoved' has already stolen the show on the First Night. This poetic masterpiece is set to be matched by Jessie Montgomery's cello concerto, 'These Righteous Paths', which promises a powerful and introspective musical journey when it hits the stage on 20 July – Michelle Assay described its North American premiere as 'a living organism that gradually absorbs orchestra and audience alike into its breathing body'.
But wait, there's more! Two contrasting orchestral pieces take centre stage just days apart. Sakari Oramo will conduct the BBC Symphony in György Kurtág's haunting 'Stele', a three-movement work composed for the Berlin Philharmonic in 1994 – Kurtág described it as a multilayered lament in memory of his friend, composer András Mihály. Then, on 27 July, the London Philharmonic and Edward Gardner present Norwegian composer Kristine Tjøgersen's 'Between Trees', a nature-inspired sonic excursion that will transport you to a forest environment – complete with sounds from squirrels eating nuts, birdsong from cuckoos, owls, and magpies!
The Proms season promises plenty more thrills, including two triple concertos. Édith Canat de Chizy's 'Skyline' for three percussionists and timpani will debut on 18 August, while Gwilym Simcock's concerto – featuring an all-star trio of BBC Young Musician of the Year alumni – will take centre stage on 6 September.