Chopin and Ravel

First Night of the Proms

The 117th season of the Proms gets under way at the Royal Albert Hall with music by Brahms, Liszt, Janácek and a world premiere curtain-raiser by British composer Judith Weir. Nineteen-year-old pianist Benjamin Grosvenor makes his Proms debut as the soloist in Liszt's dramatic 2nd Piano Concerto and there is an international line-up of soloists for a performance of Janácek's extraordinary choral work, the Glagolitic Mass. They are joined by the forces of the BBC Singers, the BBC Symphony Chorus and the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of chief conductor Jirí Belohlávek. Katie Derham is in the presenter box and during the course of the evening meets Jirí Belohlávek, Benjamin Grosvenor and organist, David Goode.