BBC Proms 2026: Yeol Eum Son with James Gaffigan and the BBCSO present Gershwin, Marsalis and Barber

Thursday 13^th August’s Prom was an all-American programme that presented orchestral jazz, contemporary classical and symphonic power, all rolled into one consistently engaging evening. A noticeably more diverse crowd was in evidence at the Royal Albert Hall, even if the orchestra – like most – was predictably less so.

We began with Wynton Marsalis’s Concerto for Orchestra, presented in six movements that whipped along with a new idea a minute. The BBC Symphony offered an energetic performance with virtuosity from every section. Particular mention was earned by the enormous percussion forces, a very busy harpist and especially the principal trombonist Helen Vollam, who played a gloriously juicy solo passage. Nonetheless, one couldn’t help feeling slightly frustrated by the lack of coherence between themes and the fact that almost as soon as a musical idea was introduced, it was thrown off for the next. It’s a shame as there was the potential for much to enjoy – from Hollywood-style strings to tightly rendered syncopation, eclectic and sometimes tongue-in-cheek percussion, a folk-like romp and jazz-tinged brass – but it’s a hard one for listeners to get their teeth into, and the overall effect was stylistically jagged.

Following an interval, Yeol Eum Son took the stage for Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. Here was something much more satisfying in the New York composer’s inimitable style. The South Korean pianist’s opening theme (heralded by a snare drumroll, very slightly mis-timed) instantly set an easy, relaxed tone, demonstrating her signature technical perfection throughout. The BBCSO’s woodwind and brass really shone here, with some gorgeously fluid phrasing and New York-style jazz pizzazz. Son brought an infectiously warm, convivial style, fully immersed and involved even in the orchestral tutti sections, and in moments enacting a physical vibrato on the keys in a tribute to the luxuriant sound being served up behind her. The audience responded in kind, inviting a charmingly simple encore in the form of Walter Gieseking’s Tempo di Charleston from his Three Dance Improvisations.

Last but not least, we heard Barber’s Symphony No 1 in One Movement. It presented a significant contrast with the remainder of the programme that might have fit more comfortably had the encore followed the concerto, but it was beautifully rendered by the orchestra, who did full justice to its rich array of textures. Here, they could bring their full heft to the meaty material, with truly epic development that was almost Wagnerian in scale and chromaticism. The shimmering Andante Tranquillo was a highlight, where the ensemble – and in particular oboist Alison Teale – effected an emotive ebb and flow. The result was overall lush, evocative, heroic – a gratifying end to the evening.

Alexandra Fletcher
Photo: Mark Allan 

The BBC Proms 2026 are on from 17^th July until 12^th September 2026 at the Royal Albert Hall. For further information and future events, visit the BBC Proms website here.