BBC Proms is back in Bristol for a third residency this August. Taking place the same weekend as the iconic Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, there will be six concerts in total—five performances at Bristol Beacon, and one at St George’s. Tickets for all concerts start at just £8 too!
“Welcoming the BBC Proms to Bristol Beacon is a highlight of our year, and we are very excited for this year’s programme,” said Simon Wales, Chief Executive of Bristol Beacon. “Bristol is increasingly recognised for its bold, ambitious and experimental music scene, and these Proms really encapsulate the city’s creative spirit and vibrant community of musicians and audiences.”
Who is performing at BBC Proms in Bristol?
The RPS-Award-winning Paraorchestra returns to Bristol Beacon to perform Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians—celebrating Reich’s 90th birthday year and 50 years since the piece was premiered—in a unique immersive performance directed by Charles Hazlewood and Faye Stoeser.
Meanwhile, Bristol Beacon’s Orchestra in Residence, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, return for a programme including Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major with lauded cellist Max Hornung. With conductor Adam Hickox making his BBC Proms debut, the concert also features Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Gubaidulina’s Fairy-Tale Poem and Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances.
A special live edition of BBC Radio 3’s jazz show ‘Round Midnight’ returns to Bristol Beacon, this year celebrating legendary saxophonist John Coltrane in his centenary year; Tenebrae, one of the world’s leading choirs, performs the Proms premiere of Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles at St George’s Bristol.
The National Open Youth Orchestra, the world’s first disabled-led national youth ensemble, also makes its BBC Proms debut. The night also includes Michael Betteridge’s Soaring Through Sparks—the world’s first Clarion concerto—and Charlotte Harding’s The Orchestra: A Young Person’s Guide, co-commissioned by the BBC.
Finally, Soprano Anu Komsi and Sakari Oramo—better known as the Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, but a violinist here—celebrate György Kurtág’s 100th birthday year with a recital in Bristol Beacon’s Lantern Hall. They perform Kurtág’s Kafka Fragments, a collection of musical aphorisms that defy interpretation.
What else do I need to know?
Performances by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Tenebrae will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, with the remaining concerts pre-recorded for future broadcasts. Plus, recordings from the BBC Proms Bristol will accompany the Balloon Fiesta’s opening ceremony and morning ascents.
How do I get tickets?
Tickets for the BBC Proms concerts at Bristol Beacon and St George’s Bristol will be available from April 21. But to grab an £8 ticket (+ booking fee) for every concert, these will be available from 10am two days before each Prom, both online and in person at Bristol Beacon’s box office. For more information and to book tickets, head here.
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