BBC Proms from American Public Media

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The BBC Proms is the world's largest and best-known classical music festival, and invitations to perform at it are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The 2009 BBC Proms began on July 17, and will conclude on September 12. American Public Media is the exclusive U.S. distributor for BBC Proms content from all 76 concerts. Performances from the BBC Proms festival will be featured in Performance Today, SymphonyCast, and Pipedreams. (See the Performance Today, SymphonyCast and Pipedreams program listings for more information about BBC Proms performances included in those programs.) However, a live broadcast from the last night of the Proms festival is offered as a special to American Public Media Stations. The Last Night of the Proms will be broadcast over many public radio stations in America, live, on September 12, 2pm — 6pm EDT. Check your local station listings.

August 31:
From the 2009 BBC Proms, London
London Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Haitink, conductor
MAHLER: Symphony No. 9
On SymphonyCast

September 7:
From the 2009 BBC Proms, London
Budapest Festival Orchestra
Ivan Fischer, conductor; Leonidas Kavakos, violin
PROKOFIEV: Overture on Hebrew Themes
BARTOK: Violin Concerto No. 2
DVORAK: Symphony No. 7
On SymphonyCast

September 12:
Special APM offering on many local public radio stations
LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS 2009
David Robertson, conductor; Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano; Alison Balsom trumpet; BBC Singers; BBC Symphony Chorus; BBC Symphony Orchestra
OLIVER KNUSSEN: Flourish with Fireworks
PURCELL, arr. Henry Wood: New Suite
PURCELL: Dido and Aeneas 'Thy hand, Belinda ... When I am laid in earth' (Dido's Lament) 'With drooping wings ye cupids come'
HAYDN: Trumpet Concerto in E flat major
MAHLER: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
VILLA-LOBOS: Chôros No.10, 'Rasga o Coração'
ARNOLD: A Grand, Grand Overture
KETÈLBEY: In a Monastery Garden
PIAZZOLLA: Libertango
GERSHWIN, arr. Barry Forgie: Shall We Dance – 'They can't take that away from me' BBC commission: world premiere
BBC PROMS INSPIRE COMPOSERS: Fireworks Fanfares world premiere
HANDEL: Music for the Royal Fireworks – excerpts
ARNE, arr. Sargent: Rule, Britannia!
PARRY: Jerusalem
ELGAR: Pomp and Circumstance March No.1
WOOD: The National Anthem

September 14:
From the 2009 BBC Proms, London
Staatskapelle Dresden
Fabio Luisi, conductor; Lang Lang, piano
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 2
STRAUSS: An Alpine Symphony
On SymphonyCast

September 21:
From the 2009 BBC Proms, London
Tonhalle Orchestra, Zurich
David Zinman, conductor; Dawn Upshaw, soprano
SCHUBERT: Rosamunde, Overture
SCHUBERT/OSVALDO GOLIJOV: She Was Here
MAHLER: Symphony No. 4
On SymphonyCast

September 28:
From the 2009 BBC Proms, London
Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig; Riccardo Chailly, conductor
MENDELSSOHN: Piano Concert No. 1
MAHLER: Symphony No. 10
On SymphonyCast

The audience at the Last Night of the Proms, 2003

Britishness is a political idea...an identity which was formed when England and Scotland...Wales doesn't count for the purposes of this argument because they've really not got a sufficiently defined sense of their own identity...I'm waiting therefore to be thumped by any Welshman that may be listening...
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The Proms is 115 years old and still remains true to its original aim: to present the widest possible range of music, performed to the highest standards, to large audiences.
Read more about the history of this event

Get a feel for the Royal Albert Hall during the BBC Proms season with 360° virtual tours

Listen to BBC Proms concerts on the Web as they happen

Go to the BBC Web site >>

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