Fantasia Orchestra Returns to the BBC Proms in our Tenth Anniversary Year

April

2026

In August 2026 Fantasia Orchestra and conductor Tom Fetherstonhaugh return to the BBC Proms for two performances at the Royal Albert Hall, marking a major milestone in the orchestra’s tenth anniversary year.

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The 2026 Proms appearances comprise two contrasting but connected programmes: a Relaxed Prom on Sunday 9 August and a Late Night Prom on Tuesday 11 August.

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The Relaxed Prom offers a broad and inviting musical journey, bringing together music by Dvořák and Vaughan Williams with contemporary works by Caroline Shaw and Meredith Monk, alongside arrangements of Radiohead and Duke Ellington. It reflects our artistic identity of bringing different musical traditions together, allowing connections to emerge across style, period and genre. As a Relaxed performance, it also prioritises accessibility and openness, welcoming audiences into the Proms environment in a flexible and inclusive way.

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The Late Night Prom shifts the atmosphere towards a focus on collective listening, immersion, and exploration. Featuring percussion legend Dame Evelyn Glennie, the programme moves through a wide range of sound worlds, including the lyricism of John Coltrane and the meditative beauty of Morton Feldman, both of whom have 100th anniversaries in 2026.

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At its centre is the world premiere of The Wood Pigeon by Héloïse Werner, a BBC commission for this Prom. Werner, currently an Associate Artist at Wigmore Hall, is an exciting and distinctive voice in contemporary music, and her work sits naturally within a programme that explores the boundaries between composition, improvisation and performance.

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Across both concerts, Fantasia Orchestra brings different styles and genres into dialogue, creating unique and exploratory programmes.

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Sunday 9 August, 11am - Relaxed Prom

Louis Prima, arr. Harry Baker Sing, Sing, Sing

Radiohead, arr. Simon Hale Pyramid Song

Caroline Shaw Partita for 8 Voices – ii Sarabande

Antonín Dvořák Czech Suite op. 39 – v. Finale (Furiant): Presto

Ralph Vaughan Williams, arr. Roy Douglas Serenade to Music

Meredith Monk Panda Chant II (Proms Premiere)

Duke Ellington, arr. Harry Baker It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

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Collaborators:

BBC Singers

Tom Fetherstonhaugh, conductor

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Tuesday 11 August, 10:45pm - Late Night Prom

John Coltrane, arr. Harry Baker Welcome

Duke Ellington, arr. Harry Baker It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

Héloïse Werner The Wood Pigeon (World Premiere)

Vincent Ho Sandman’s Castle

Morton Feldman Rothko Chapel – Excerpt