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. 

Elim Chan expertly conducts the SSO through a varied programme featuring an Australian fanfare, Russian ballet music and Brahms' First Piano Concerto with Sir Stephen Hough. 

The debutante conductor made her mark in Prokofiev, with Jan Lisiecki joining in for Mozart.

The Hong Kong-born conductor joins the San Francisco Symphony as Music Director Designate, effective immediately, and begins her tenure as Music Director in September 2027.

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.