Laura Marling, Benjamin Grosvenor and Philharmonia Orchestra to join live line-up at BBC Proms

More details of live programme revealed

  • Singer-songwriter Laura Marling joins the live line-up of Proms this summer
  • Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor performs with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Esa-Pekka Salonen l
  • For the first time ever, all live Proms performances will be visualised and available to watch via BBC Four or live streamed on BBC iPlayer
  • BBC Four to air much-loved Late Night Proms, including 2015’s Radio 1Xtra Prom featuring Stormzy and 2017’s tribute to soul label Stax
  • BBC Radio 1Xtra, Radio 2 and 6 Music to broadcast Proms
  • A collection of Proms is made available on BBC iPlayer – from Alina Ibragimova performing solo Bach to the Doctor Who Prom

The BBC Proms are delighted to announce award-winning British singer-songwriter Laura Marling will be part of the live Proms this summer. Marling will be performing songs from her recently acclaimed, Mercury-nominated album Song for Our Daughter, as well as selected songs from her previous albums, in brand-new string arrangements by American multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer Rob Moose. Laura will perform live at the Royal Albert Hall with pioneering string group 12Ensemble, who have collaborated with everyone from The National to Max Richter on Sunday 6 September, broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Four, and recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music.

Further artists announced today include British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor appearing with the Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen (Wednesday 9 September), organist Jonathan Scott who brings the colossal sound of the Royal Albert Hall’s organ back to the Hall in a recital of popular classical works (Saturday 29 August) and a programme of contemporary classical works performed by the London Sinfonietta to be announced (Tuesday 1 September).

The full line-up includes previously announced stars such as Nicola Benedetti, Stephen Hough, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Sir Simon Rattle, Anoushka Shankar and Mitsuko Uchida.

The BBC Singers will also make a special appearance at the First Night of the live Proms, joining the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo on Friday 28 August. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales with Chief Conductor Ryan Bancroft, BBC Philharmonic with Chief Conductor Omer Meir Wellber and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with Chief Conductor Thomas Dausgaard join the Proms from their homes in Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow, representing the cities in which they are based, in this summer’s Proms. The Proms outside London will all be streamed to BBC iPlayer.

The two weeks of live Proms include seven new commissions highlighting the Proms’ commitment to contemporary music. The opening night sees a new work by Hannah Kendall whilst Aziza Sadikova, Jay Capperauld and Gavin Higgins all have world premieres, in addition to the three commissions already announced by Thomas Adès, Andrea Tarrodi and Richard Ayres.

Whilst it is very unlikely there will be an audience at the Royal Albert Hall, every live Prom will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and for the first time ever, all live Proms performances will be visualised and available to watch via BBC Four (Thursday, Friday, Sunday) or live streamed on BBC iPlayer (Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday).

Details of the Last Night of the Proms will be announced in due course.

Iconic Late Night Proms return to BBC Four

In a season which brings together musical greats from the past and present, we are delighted to announce a series of additional late-night broadcasts on BBC Four, featuring some of the most exciting Late Night Proms from past years. Upcoming Late Night Proms on BBC Four include the ground-breaking Radio 1Xtra Prom from 2015, celebrating grime and hip hop music and featuring Stormzy, Wretch 32, Little Simz and Krept & Konan with Jules Buckley and his Metropole Orkest (7 August), the Angélique Kidjo Prom from 2019, where ‘the undisputed queen of African music’ and three-time Grammy Award-winner made her Proms debut in a tribute to salsa songstress Celia Cruz (21 August); and from 2017 a tribute to soul label Stax, with Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Booker T Jones, Sam Moore, Sir Tom Jones, William Bell, Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd (11 September). The series launched with the first ever TV broadcast of the now iconic 2015 Radio 1 Ibiza Prom, featuring Pete Tong and Jules Buckley (31 July).

A wealth of extraordinary Proms concerts at the audience’s fingertips on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer

Listeners can relive every note of the season on BBC Sounds, with full concerts from across the eight-week season available to listen to after broadcast on BBC Sounds. A specially curated new BBC Sounds series – ‘Late Escapes’ – also features escapist and late-night music from Proms past and present.

We are delighted that audiences can now also rediscover ten classic Proms on iPlayer with the launch of a new collection featuring a wide range of performances, from classical masterpieces to family favourites. The series includes performances by Alina Ibragimova and Alisa Weilerstein, a celebration of the life and work of Nina Simone and a rare outing of the highly requested Doctor Who Prom (2013), with the collection showcasing a wealth of incredible music-making for all ages. Additional concerts will be made available throughout the summer.

All of us at the BBC Proms stand with music-lovers everywhere and musicians around the world affected by COVID-19.

For full listings of the archival Proms being broadcast this season, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/proms