Proms 2026 Beethoven’s Ninth

Genre-defying South African cellist Abel Selaocoe returns as soloist in the UK premiere of American composer Jessie Montgomery’s These Righteous Paths – inspired by her late mother, the poet and playwright Robbie McCauley. The concert opens with Bach’s mighty Fantasia and Fugue in G minor in Andrew Davis’s colourful orchestral arrangement. After the interval comes the monumental power of Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ Symphony: a musical cry for freedom and brotherhood that culminates in the radiant ‘Ode to Joy’. This concert marks Gianandrea Noseda’s return to the podium of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra after his final appearance as its Chief Conductor 11 years ago.

Leah Hawkins © Curtis Brown