Sakari Oramo conducts the Last Night of the Proms

Eight-week long BBC Proms is currently taking place in London.

On August 7 Sakari Oramo conducts Stravinsky’s opera-oratorio Oedipus rex with baritone Juha Uusitalo performing the role of Creon.

Taking place at Cadogan Hall on August 9, the Lapland Chamber Orchestra celebrates the 80th birthdays of two major British composers Sir Harrison Birtwistle with his Endless Parade and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies with his 1989 Sinfonia. The night’s programme, which is conducted by John Storgårds, also includes Sibelius’ Rakastava.

This year Sakari Oramo will have two Proms debuts: on August 11 at Cadogan Hall he will perform as a violinist at Proms for the first time together with Janine Jansen (violin) and Itamar Golan (piano); in addition he will also conduct for the first time the traditional finale, Last Night of the Proms on Saturday 13 September. 

BBC Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by Sakari Oramo on August 13, and John Storgårds on August 14.

Jukka Tiensuu's Voice verser, three songs performed by soprano and symphony orchestra, will take place in Royal Albert Hall on August 23. The same night soprano Anu Komsi performs Szymanowkis's atmospheric Songs of a Fairy Princess with the conduction by Sakari Oramo.

On September 6 tenor Topi Lehtipuu sings in Bach's St. Matthew Passion, that confronts suffering and torture, as well as salvation and redemption.

BBC Proms, which was founded in 1895 celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. Richard Strauss’s 150th-anniversary year is one of the themes this year.