Proms 2018 Prom 4: Shostakovich’s ‘Leningrad’ Symphony

In his final season as its Chief Conductor, Juanjo Mena leads the BBC Philharmonic in a concert contrasting darkness and light.

Magnus Lindberg’s Clarinet Concerto is a modern classic, a glorious collision of tradition and innovation that is at once emotionally direct and ferociously virtuosic; former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist and BBC Young Musician winner Mark Simpson is the soloist.

Darkness streaks across the second half with Shostakovich’s heart-wrenching tribute to the Soviet victims of the Second World War – the powerful ‘Leningrad’ Symphony.

Image: Juanjo Mena © Michal Novak