Sibelius鈥檚 Second
19:00
Tue 28 Jul 2026
Royal Albert Hall

Fifty years since Benjamin Britten鈥檚 death, former 91福利社 Young Musician winner Guy Johnston brings the composer鈥檚 Cello Symphony to the Proms. Originally written for Mstislav Rostropovich, it鈥檚 the composer at his most intense: a tour de force for the soloist, set against a brooding, often eerie orchestral backdrop. There鈥檚 darkness in Sibelius鈥檚 Symphony No. 2 as well 鈥 gloriously thrown aside in the glowing finale 鈥 but is it the weight of Russian political oppression or of personal loss? The concert opens with the UK premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage鈥檚 Festen Suite, adapted from the composer鈥檚 multi-Olivier-Award-winning 2025 opera.
Guy Johnston 漏 Frances Marshall