This year’s Proms programme has begun, tentatively, to be unveiled. At present there remains a number of concerts where the content has not yet been announced – plus several ‘Mystery Proms’ – so there will be more to come, but thus far there are a few contemporary items to start looking forward to. Below is a summary of the 17 new works currently announced; i’ll update this list as and when – one hopes – more are added. As usual, the first and last Proms concerts open with a new work; James MacMillan will be getting things up and running, while Gity Razaz has drawn the short straw, opening the last night party.
The festival runs from 30 July until 11 September; for more details, head over to the Proms website. In the below summary of premières, ** = world and * = UK.
(updated 29 July 2021)
30 July
James MacMillan – When Soft Voices Die **
2 August
Elizabeth Ogonek – Cloudline **
3 August
Ella Milch-Sheriff – The Eternal Stranger * – cancelled: “Omer Meir Wellber (conductor) and Eli Danker (actor) have withdrawn from this Prom, owing to scheduling issues arising from the pandemic.”
8 August
Augusta Read Thomas – Dance Foldings **
10 August
Britta Byström – Parallel Universes **
19 August
Nico Muhly – A New Flame (after Sweelinck) **
Shiva Feshareki – Aetherworld **
26 August
George Lewis – Minds in Flux **
27 August
Charlotte Bray – Where Icebergs Dance Away *
30 August
George Benjamin – Concerto for Orchestra **
5 September
Grace-Evangeline Mason – The Imagined Forest **
6 September
Samy Moussa – A Globe Itself Infolding *
7 September
Unsuk Chin – Subito con forza *
What do you think of this, Simon? A number of composers I don’t know at all there. Possibly not the usual Fabre list? A younger and more diverse generation perhaps.
i’m not sure what i think, Tom – lots of composers i don’t know at all either. i guess we’ll have to wait and see…