The BBC Proms in photos: the best snaps taken at the 2021 Proms so far
In a year like no other, we celebrate the best photos of this year's BBC Proms season – captured by resident Proms photographer Chris Christodoulou
Ilan Volkov and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Prom (26 August)
Ilan Volkov conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven's concert aria 'Ah! perfido', with soprano Lucy Crowe. The orchestra then tackled Beethoven's Second Symphony and presented the world premiere of Minds in Flux by George Lewis, who was in the audience.
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Patricia Kopatchinskaja: Bartók Roots Prom (28 August)
Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja traced the history of Hungarian folk song in a Proms programme featuring Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2. She performed alongside the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and conductor Ilan Volkov.
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Family Prom with the Kanneh-Masons (29 August)
The Kanneh-Mason family hosted this year's Family Prom, performing Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals with a few other musical friends.
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Mahler Chamber Orchestra Prom (30 August)
George Benjamin conducted Ravel's jazz-infused Piano Concerto, with Pierre-Laurent Aimard appearing as the soloist. The programme also featured a work by Oliver Knussen and the world premiere of Benjamin's own Concerto for Orchestra.
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Wagner's Tristan und Isolde Prom (31 August)
Robin Ticciati conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera with a stellar line-up of soloists in Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde.
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John Eliot Gardiner Prom (1 September)
Conductor John Eliot Gardiner made his 60th Proms appearance conducting his Monteverdi Choir with the English Baroque Soloists. Mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg joined them as the soloist in Handel's cantata Donna, che in cie, a piece that features music later used in his opera Agrippina.
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20th-century British Film Music Prom (2 September)
This Prom celebrated British film music from the 20th century, a golden era for both Hollywood and Britain's film industries. Bramwell Tovey conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra in works by Malcolm Arnold – whose centenary falls this year, Vaughan Williams and Doreen Carwithen.
We named all the best 20th-century British film music here.
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Kirill Gerstein and BBC Symphony Orchestra Prom (3 September)
Kirill Gerstein returned to the BBC Proms for a performance of Schumann's Piano Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor Semyon Bychkov, who also played Beethoven's Coriolan Overture.
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Sinfonia of London Prom (4 September)
The Sinfonia of London made its much-anticipated concert debut at this year's Proms, under the baton of its conductor John Wilson. Soprano Francesca Chiejina joined them for songs by Berg, alongside performances of Korngold's Symphony in F sharp minor and Ravel's La valse.
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Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Prom (5 September)
Sheku Kanneh-Mason has graced the Royal Albert Hall stage once this year already for the Family Prom, along with his six talented siblings. Tonight though, he appeared as the soloist, in Dvorák's Cello Concerto, accompanied by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and its brand new chief conductor Domingo Hindoyan. Also on the programme was the world premiere performance of Grace-Evangeline Mason's orchestral work, The Imagined Forest.
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James McVinnie and BBC Concert Orchestra Prom (6 September)
James McVinnie has held organist titles at Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral, and made his Proms debut this year in a concert of contemporary music, with works ranging from Judith Weir and Missy Mazzoli to Messiaen and Rautavaara.
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We named the best contemporary choral works here.
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Benjamin Grosvenor, Anna Lapwood and Hallé Orchestra Prom (7 September)
Anna Lapwood has been presenting on BBC TV for many of this year's Proms, but this year she took to the stage in a different capacity as she made her Proms solo debut in Saint-Saëns's inimitable 'Organ' Symphony. Also taking to the stage on 7 September was pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, who joined the Hallé Orchestra and conductor Mark Elder in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4.
Anna Lapwood shared on her popular TikTok account the fact that she was allowed access to the Royal Albert Hall's organ overnight to rehearse for the Prom and set up the organ stops as she wished.
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Proms Festival Orchestra Prom (8 September)
A brand new ensemble made up of freelance musicians was formed for the 2021 Proms, known as the Proms Festival Orchestra. Mark Wigglesworth led the orchestra in Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and Mahler’s Fifth Symphony.
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Bach's St Matthew's Passion Prom (9 September)
Period-instrument ensemble Arcangelo returned to the Proms this year with Bach's beloved St Matthew's Passion, accompanied by a stellar line-up of soloists.
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Pavel Kolesnikov Prom (10 September)
This Prom was initially scheduled as one of the season’s ‘Mystery Proms’, but it was later announced that it would feature pianist Pavel Kolesnikov in a performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. His recent recording of the Goldbergs was awarded a three-star review by BBC Music Magazine.
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