BBC Radio’s Sam Jackson addresses The Proms 2026: “We must not allow our current geopolitical climate to stifle culture”

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Putting together the world’s largest classical music festival is a challenging but incredibly rewarding process. Each year, we aim to combine leading British musicians with outstanding international performers, and to use the BBC Proms to share compelling stories about music and culture, both old and new. It’s a significant undertaking that requires a lot of planning and effort.

We originally planned to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence with this year’s BBC Proms. However, that was before Donald Trump was elected, and we couldn’t have predicted how dramatically – and sometimes unexpectedly – world events, especially in the USA, would unfold.

I’m a firm believer that everyone should experience the beauty and impact of classical music and learn about the composers who created it. It’s also crucial that global events don’t prevent us from celebrating all kinds of music, both old and new. Truly great art should never be silenced.

We easily could have changed our plans to avoid focusing on American culture. In fact, when BBC Radio 3 broadcast from cities across the US – like Boston, Los Angeles, and New York – in January, some listeners wondered why we were doing so. This was happening around the time President Trump was making controversial statements, such as his interest in buying Greenland and a false claim about UK oil revenue.

Honestly, what really struck me about the reaction to our anniversary broadcasts was just how passionately people debated whether or not it was right to celebrate it. The overwhelming majority felt strongly that we should be showcasing great American music, especially in a year like this, and they’d have been disappointed if we’d backed down. Because of that incredibly positive response, we’ve decided to take the same approach with the 2026 Proms – continuing to highlight fantastic music and giving our audience what they clearly want.

This year’s Last Night of the Proms will feature the first-ever performance of Samuel Barber’s Piano Concerto. World-renowned pianist Yuja Wang will perform with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sakari Oramo. Earlier in the season, Marin Alsop led the Philharmonia Orchestra in a concert of classic American music, including pieces by Joan Tower, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and William Grant Still.

This summer’s events include the UK debut of Jessie Montgomery’s cello concerto, a collaboration between the BBC and Lincoln Center. We’ll also hear George Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris’ as part of the opening night, and the very first performance of Wynton Marsalis’s Concerto for Orchestra. Plus, we’re excited to welcome two leading American orchestras: the LA Phil, returning after almost 25 years, and the New York Met Orchestra, making their Proms debut.

This year’s Proms celebrate Miles Davis’s 100th birthday with a performance by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. There’s also a family-friendly concert featuring the music of Oscar winner Alan Menken, and a performance by American soprano Angel Blue with the Chineke! Orchestra.

This season’s program offers much more than just American music. While I can’t possibly cover everything from the eight-week festival, it’s vital that the Proms continues to showcase incredible music from around the globe, especially now when many nations are becoming more focused on themselves. The Proms’ mission to unite people through music remains incredibly important, regardless of global events.

Authors

Sam Jackson

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2026-04-20 20:19