Synopsis

The BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Juanjo Mena, will open the Proms on BBC Four from the Royal Albert Hall with two of Richard Strauss’s most celebrated compositions. The programme features *Also Sprach Zarathustra*, renowned for its iconic musical depiction of dawn, and his deeply moving *Four Last Songs*, performed by the German soprano Anne Schwanewilms. Also included is Sibelius's powerful Symphony No. 7, alongside the UK premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s *Laterna Magica*, a work reflecting her