The 20th Year of the Proms at St Jude's

We are delighted to reveal details of our 2012 season – the 20th year of the Proms at St Jude’s Festival. 

As you’ll see, we again have an excellent programme, mixing established artists with rising talent. 

We’re proud to be hosting two BBC music stars: violinist Nicola Benedetti, BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2004 and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, soloist at the First Night of the BBC Proms in 2011.

The 150th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Delius is celebrated with his Concerto for Violin and Cello on the Last Night, with Tamsin Waley-Cohen on violin and Gemma Rosefield on cello. Claude Debussy was born the same year and his Estampes will be performed by Elena Vorotko in a lunchtime piano recital.

To celebrate H.M. The Queen’s 60-year reign, come along to our Diamond Jubilee Choral Concert on 30 June. 

We have a concert to mark the Olympics too – free at lunchtime on 30 June, Chariots of Fire is designed as fun for all the family.

The Festival includes a literary weekend for the first time, on 23/24 June. Tom Service, presenter of Music Matters on BBC Radio 3, will be interviewed about his new book on conductors and conducting. Other authors speaking include Sir Michael Parkinson, A.D. Miller (shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2011), Diana Athill (winner, Costa Prize 2009) and Suburb-resident and cookery writer extraordinaire, Claudia Roden.

We also have several ‘family-friendly’ concerts and other free lunchtime performances, plus six Heritage Walks, enabling you to get to know better Hampstead Garden Suburb, Hampstead Heath and the East End of Suburb founder Dame Henrietta Barnett.

As usual, all funds raised will support the North London Hospice and Toynbee Hall.

The Festival will run from Saturday 23 June to Sunday 1 July 2012.

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Susie Gregson
Proms Chief Executive