History
Origins and Sir Henry Wood
Promenade concerts had existed in London's pleasure gardens since the mid-18th century, and indoor proms became a feature of 19th century musical life in London from 1838, notably under the direction ofDuring World War II
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the BBC withdrew its support. However private sponsors stepped in to maintain the Proms, always under Sir Henry Wood's direction, until the Queen's Hall was devastated beyond repair during an air raid in May 1941. (The site is now occupied by the St George's Hotel and BBC Henry Wood House). The concerts then moved (until 1944) to their current home, the Royal Albert Hall, during the Promenade season presented by Keith Douglas in conjunction with thePost-war
Sir Adrian Boult and Basil Cameron continued as conductors of the Promenade Concerts after the War, on their return to the Royal Albert Hall, until the advent ofSince 1990
The Proms continue today, and still present newly commissioned music alongside pieces more central to the repertoire and early music. Innovations continue, with pre-Prom talks, lunchtime chamber concerts, children's Proms, Proms in the Park either appearing, or being featured more heavily over the past few years. In the UK, all concerts are broadcast on BBC Radio 3, an increasing number are televised on BBC Four with some also shown onProms seasons
2006
The 2006 season (the 112th) marked the 250th birthday celebrations of Mozart and the centenary of2007
The 2007 season ran from 13 July to 8 September. Early press coverage focused heavily on the fact that musical theatre star2008
The 2008 season ran from 18 July to 13 September 2008. The BBC released details of the season slightly earlier than usual, on 9 April 2008. Composers whose anniversaries were marked include: * Ralph Vaughan Williams: 50th anniversary of his death *2009
In the 2009 season, which ran from 17 July to 12 September 2009, the total number of concerts reached 100 for the first time. The principal anniversary composers included: * George Frideric Handel (250th anniversary of his death) * Joseph Haydn (200th anniversary of his death) * Felix Mendelssohn (200th anniversary of his birth) * Henry Purcell (350th anniversary of his birth) Other composer anniversaries noted in the 2009 Proms included: *2010
The 2010 Proms season ran from 16 July to 11 September. The principal anniversary composers included: * Frédéric Chopin (200th anniversary of his birth) * Gustav Mahler (150th anniversary of his birth) * Robert Schumann (200th anniversary of his birth) * Stephen Sondheim (80th birthday) * Arvo Pärt (75th birthday) *2011
The 2011 Proms season began on 15 July 2011 and ran until 10 September 2011. The principal anniversary composers included: *2012
The 2012 Proms was the 118th season, began on 13 July 2012 and ran until 8 September 2012. Notable aspects of the season included the first Beethoven symphony cycle by a single orchestra at the Proms since 1942, with Daniel Barenboim conducting the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, and various works and concerts that highlighted the2013
The 2013 season celebrated several composer anniversaries: *2014
The 2014 season had a number of pieces in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of2015
Themes for the 2015 season included works by2016
The 2016 Proms season featured a new series of 'Proms at...' concerts which included performances at venues in London besides the Royal Albert Hall and Cadogan Hall, specifically: * The Chapel,2017
The 2017 Proms season featured a number of composer anniversaries: *2018
The 2018 season ran from 13 July to 8 September and featured a number of composer anniversaries: * Leonard Bernstein: 100th anniversary of his birth *2019
The 2019 season ran from 19 July to 14 September.2020
The 2020 season marked 125 years since the first Proms season and was reimagined due to the2021
The 2021 season ran from 30 July to 11 September. This year marked 150 years of the Royal Albert Hall. Composers commissioned for the season were2022
The 2022 season ran from 15 July to 8 September. This year marked the 100th anniversary of the BBC and for the first time, the festival used the new BBC logo as part of the wider corporate rebrand on 20 October 2021. Due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the 2022 season ended on 8 September as part of the BBC's policy of cancelling such shows for 12 days after the Queen died.Last Night of the Proms
Many people's perception of the Proms is based on the Last Night, although this is very different from the other concerts. It usually takes place on the second Saturday in September, and is broadcast in the UK on BBC Radio 3, and on television on BBC Two (first half) andLast Night conductors
The following table lists by year the conductors of the Last Night of the Proms. In general, since the tenure of Sargent, the Chief Conductor of theProms in the Park
The Royal Albert Hall could be filled many times over with people who would wish to attend. To involve extra people, and to cater for those who are not near London, the Proms in the Park concerts were started in 1996. Initially there was one, in Hyde Park adjacent to the Hall, which was a simple video relay of the concert at the Royal Albert Hall. As audiences grew, Proms in the Park started to have musicians of their own on stage, including theProms seasons
Proms Controllers
*See also
* BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms *References
External links
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