As he prepares to return to the BBC Proms in August with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily reflects on what the festival means to him: “It’s always a pleasure to return to Europe’s largest classical music festival. It’s very special to play in the Royal Albert Hall with around 6,000 people, and each concert is something special to look forward to. The Hall has had several renovations since its construction, but you still feel the atmosphere of the Victorian and Edwardian epoch there. I think Elgar wrote quite a few pieces with the Royal Albert Hall’s acoustics in mind; that’s why it is so natural to play Elgar’s music there. The programming at the BBC Proms is brave and well thought-out – anyone who attends this year’s Proms will find something in the programme that will be interesting to them personally.”
Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrández makes his Proms debut with Elgar’s famous concerto. He joins Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for a concert that opens with Webern’s lush Passacaglia and closes with Walton’s Symphony No. 2. For more information, visit the Proms website https://www.bbc.co.uk/proms
