THIS IS LONDON SUMMER ISSUE 2025 - Flipbook - Page 38
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DANISH NATIONAL SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA 100 YEARS
Celebrating its centenary, the Danish
National Symphony Orchestra, led by
their Chief Conductor Fabio Luisi, will
perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9
alongside the Danish National Concert
Choir at the BBC Proms in the Royal
Albert Hall on 21 August.
The Danish Broadcasting Corporation
(DR) also celebrates its 100th anniversary,
alongside its other flagship music
ensembles – the Danish National Concert
Choir and the Danish National Vocal
Ensemble.
For DR and its ensembles, the
performances as part of the BBC Proms
will be a milestone moment: a chance to
celebrate a century of public service
broadcasting on one of classical music’s
most important international stages.
Written when Beethoven was
progressively deaf, the Ninth Symphony
is a monumental statement of defiant
hope, climaxing in a musical shout of joy.
The programme also features The
Years by Anna Clyne and Evening
Land by Bent Sørensen, one of Denmark’s
most acclaimed living composers.
Sørensen’s deeply evocative orchestral
work brings the spirit and atmosphere of
Nordic music to British audiences and
bears witness to DR’s ongoing
commitment to promoting Danish music
abroad.
On 23 August, the Danish National
Vocal Ensemble (part of the Danish
National Concert Choir) will give a special
performance in St George’s Bristol – as
part of the special Proms across the
UK programme – showcasing works
by Carl Nielsen, Alma Mahler, and J.S.
Bach, under the direction of Chief
Conductor Martina Bati.
DR was founded in the early 1920s and
was modelled after the BBC in response
to the fundamental question: How can
broadcasting serve the public good? DR’s
early leaders believed that public service
broadcasting should inform, educate, and
uplift. Music became a cornerstone of this
mission, and today, DR’s ensembles and
its state-of-the-art concert hall in DR
Koncerthuset continue to fulfil that legacy,
acting as a cultural beacon at home and
abroad – just like the BBC Proms.
DANCE UMBRELLA
Dance Umbrella, London’s annual
international dance festival, returns from
2 to 31 October 2025, presenting a
dynamic mix of live performances, film
screenings, panels, workshops, and
digital content across London and online.
This year’s festival features world
premieres and UK debuts that highlight
global perspectives, cultural identities,
and the body’s power to express
resistance and resilience.
Live highlights include Repertório
N.1 by Brazilian duo Davi Pontes and
Wallace Ferreira; Taiwan’s Tjimur Dance
Theatre’s bulabulay mun? at The Place;
LANDSCAPE by Elena Antoniou at
Shoreditch Town Hall; and Andrea Peña’s
BOGOTÁ, opening at Sadler’s Wells East.
The Barbican hosts Change Tempo,
showcasing bold new works by Lilian
Steiner and María del Mar Suárez, as well
as Gesualdo Passione, a dance-music
fusion by Amala Dianor and Les Arts
Florissants.
Artist Encounters, Studio Sessions,
and panel discussions at venues like the
Globe and Battersea Arts Centre foster
dialogue around identity, art, and class.
The Digital Pass offers extended access to
dance films including 6:58: MANIFESTO
by Andrea Peña and Men-Jaro by Vincent
Mantsoe, along with podcasts and curated
screenings by international curators.
Tickets and full listings information,
including limited £10 seats, are available
at www.danceumbrella.co.uk
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
