Performer: Elim Chan

After a Rachmaninov concerto that resembles a harangue, an uneven Toronto Symphony programme comes into focus with a sharply characterised Shostakovich Ninth.

Co-commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the concerto highlights Wu Man, a virtuoso player of the Chinese lute.

With Andris Nelsons heading off to European festival commitments, the Boston Symphony continues its Tanglewood season with a series of guest conductors. 

The Hong Kong-born conductor talks about her entry into music, her love of big Russian repertoire, her “Cinderella moment” winning the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition and her ambition to “go against the grind”. 

Stretching over 8 weeks, and with concerts in London and 6 cities across the UK, this year’s BBC Proms has a vast offering – including guest orchestras, premieres, and celebrations of Holst, Bruckner and Schoenberg.

Ahead of this year’s Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition, we talk to past winners Niklas Hoffmann, Elim Chan and François-Xavier Roth about their experiences.