RCM talent takes centre stage at the BBC Proms
Friday 20 April 2018
The 2018 BBC Proms showcases talent from the Royal College of Music’s legacy of celebrated alumni, from great composers like Britten and Parry to rising stars such as Louise Alder and Martin James Bartlett.
A highlight of this year's Proms is a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the BBC Young Musician competition, which sees an array of previous winners and finalists taking to the stage on 15 July. RCM Junior Department graduates Ben Goldscheider and Laura van der Heijden, cello professor Natalie Clein and undergraduate pianist Martin James Bartlett perform a varied programme including Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals and three world premieres.
RCM alumna Louise Alder performs the title role in Handel’s Theodora on 7 September. Since graduating from the RCM International Opera School in 2013, Louise has won many prestigious awards, including Young Singer of the Year in the International Opera Awards 2017 and the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 2017.
Fellow soprano Sophie Bevan, who graduated from the RCM in 2007, performs a programme of Boulanger, Elgar and Vaughan Williams on 12 August. Baritone Gerald Finley, an RCM alumnus who has led many masterclasses at the College, takes part in the Last Night of the Proms on 8 September. Alumnus conductor and Proms veteran John Wilson leads Bernstein’s West Side Story on 11 August.
Many RCM professors star in this year’s Proms, including RCM Research Fellow in Composition, Dr Mark-Anthony Turnage. The world premiere of his new composition Farewell is performed on 6 August by RCM alumna Dame Sarah Connolly, alongside works by illustrious RCM composers Stanford, Parry, Vaughan Williams, Holst and Britten.
Brindley Sherratt, Visiting Professor of Vocal Studies, performs on 17 July and Visiting Professor of Conducting, Martyn Brabbins performs an all-RCM alumnus programme on 27 July. Dr Natasha Loges, Head of Postgraduate Programmes, gives an introduction to Shostakovich’s ‘Leningrad' Symphony in a Proms Plus Talk on 16 July.
There’s no need to wait until the beginning of the Proms season to experience world-class live classical music; visit the RCM’s What’s On section to explore our diverse range of events performed by the best young musical talent.
