Hello friends,

Welcome to our newsletter where we mark the opening of the Verbier Festival with a selection of streams, including Martha Argerich joining Alexandre Kantorow for Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances and a concert performance of Così fan tutte.

It's also the opening of the BBC Proms this weekend. Check out our comprehensive listings and look out for a good number of reviews across the summer months.  

Mark, Elisabeth and Jo

The Bachtrack Insiders

Personal picks from our site

Mark Pullinger Editor ​​​​​​
Yunchan Lim

I'm looking forward to heading to the Royal Albert Hall this evening for the First Night of the Proms, especially to hearing Yunchan Lim tackle one of my favourite piano concertos, the Ravel in G major. The young Korean has taken the piano world by storm since winning the Cliburn Competition in 2022. Here's his semi-final round programme from that competition where he – daringly – played all 12 of Liszt's Transcendental Études. 

Elisabeth Schwarz Editor
Viola

Congratulations to everyone who guessed Antoine Tamestit correctly in last week's anagram challenge. If you want to expand your viola knowledge, why not listen to our top ten works for viola or have a laugh with our favourite viola jokes?

Jo Johnson Head of Marketing 
What to do with the children...

UK schools break up for the summer holidays this week, and like many around the world already on their summer break, we are therefore on the hunt for things to entertain the children for the next six weeks! With the majority of orchestras on their own summer holidays or on tour, take a look at the programmes of the summer festivals, which usually have great provision for their young audience members. This helpful list of events for children is worth a look.

Out and about

Our tips on what to see live in the UK this week

Ariadne auf Naxos
Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes
Opens 19th July
Laurent Pelly returns to Glyndebourne to direct a new staging of Strauss' whimsical comedy. The cast includes Rachel Willis-Sørensen as Ariadne, Samantha Hankey and David Butt Philip.

Nombulelo Yende / Mariusz Kłubczuk
Wigmore Hall, London
19th July
A programme of emotional depth and cultural resonance: the rich lyricism of Rachmaninov and the vibrant spirit of African and American song sung by soprano Nombulelo Yende with pianist Mariusz Kłubczuk.

Samson et Dalila
Coade Hall, Bryanston, Dorset
22nd-25th July
Dorset Opera presents Saint-Saëns' epic biblical opera directed by Paul Carr and starring Won Whi Choi, making his UK stage debut, and Mae Heydorn.

Crippled Symmetry
Sage Two, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead
24th July
Part of the BBC Proms' weekend trip to the north east – including events in Gateshead, Middlesbrough and Sunderland – The Royal Northern Sinfonia’s Music Director Dinis Sousa joins principal RNS musicians for Morton Feldman's mesmerising meditation.

track bach: Click on Johann Sebastian to find upcoming events, read recent reviews or articles, or watch streams of the composer we owe our name to.

Photography credits:
Mark-Anthony Turnage © James Bellorini;
Simon Boccanegra © Dutch National Opera | Ben van Duin, Martha Argerich / Alexandre Kantorow © Adriano Heitman / Sasha Gusov, Leonard Bernstein © Paul de Hueck, courtesy the Leonard Bernstein Office, Inc., Johanna and Rebecka Wallroth © Amélie Chapalain;
Johann Sebastian Bach © Public domain;
Henry Waddington (The Importance of Being Earnest) © Richard Hubert Smith, Patrick Yocum, Viktorina Kapitonova and the Boston Symphony Orchestra © Hilary Scott, courtesy of the BSO, Paavo Järvi conducts the Estonian Festival Orchestra © Kaupo Kikkas