Barbican shames BBC Proms with Kirill Petrenko’s UK debut

Barbican shames BBC Proms with Kirill Petrenko’s UK debut

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norman lebrecht

January 17, 2017

The BBC were offered a Proms visit last summer by the Bavarian State Orchestra conducted by Kirill Petrenko. The Proms team declined on the grounds that the conductor was unknown in this country.

Petrenko was then elected music director of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Now the Barbican has announced a visit next season by Petrenko and his orchestra. Good for them.

Sad for the BBC.

Sir Nicholas Kenyon, the Barbican’s director, is a former head of the BBC Proms.

Other orchs visiting the Barb next season are: Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mariss Jansons; Orchestra of La Scala conducted by Riccardo Chailly; Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by Herbert Blomstedt.

Comments

  • Halldor says:

    How is this Petrenko (K)’s UK debut exactly? He conducted the LPO at the South Bank in 2008. Part of the concert was released on disc. He’s also worked at Covet Garden.

  • Will Duffay says:

    A repetition of your story from last summer, and with no further evidence to back up your Proms claims. I bet there’s another side to this.

  • Jonathan Dunsby says:

    == The Proms team declined on the grounds that the conductor was unknown in this country.

    That was speculation

  • Music Lover says:

    Given the 2014 Proms season was full of unknown international orchestras and conductors I am afraid I don’t buy the argument that the proms team turned down the Bavarians simply because of who was wagging in front of them.

  • Hanna Nahan says:

    You know nothing, Norman Snow…

  • Una says:

    I go to a concert to hear the music a good orchestra is playing, not see a conductor wagging around!

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