Prom 18: Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony

Music and politics don’t mix, or so we’re told. But Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony was written in direct response to an attack on the composer from Stalin himself, and the stakes – in 1930s Russia – could hardly have been higher. That’s the history; its legacy is a shattering musical testament of humanity against oppression, and an uncompromising Proms debut for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s young Associate Conductor Alpesh Chauhan. First, a vision of pure beauty from Anton Bruckner, before Colin Currie (‘the world’s finest and most daring percussionist’ – The Spectator) takes the spotlight in a new concerto by Nicole Lizée: the Canadian sonic magician who lists MTV, Alexander McQueen, early video games and thrash metal among her influences.

£9.50–£52 (plus booking fee)