Planning BBC Proms in London? The morning festival concert at Royal Albert Hall on 23 August 2026 features Mozart's 'Haffner' Symphony, Britten, Elgar and new music by Thea Musgrave. Prepare your visit and ticket purchase, and choose between reserved seating and the Promming areas
BBC Proms in the morning edition: Mozart, new music and chamber sound at the Royal Albert Hall
BBC Proms 2026 brings the morning concert "Mozart's 'Haffner' Symphony" to the Royal Albert Hall on 23 August, starting at 11:00. The programme combines two works by Mozart, Britten, Elgar and a new score by Thea Musgrave, performed by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields with horn player Felix Klieser, bassoonist Amy Harman and violinist Benjamin Marquise Gilmore as leader and concertmaster.
Such a combination clearly shows what distinguishes BBC Proms from a conventional series of evening concerts. The 2026 season comprises 86 concerts over eight weeks, 72 of which take place at the Royal Albert Hall, while the rest are spread across other cities in the United Kingdom. This morning slot is built around strings, horn and bassoon, with a clear contrast between familiar scores and a new work. It is worth securing tickets in good time.
A programme leading from Britten to the 'Haffner' Symphony
The announced programme is as follows:
- Benjamin Britten - Simple Symphony
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major
- Thea Musgrave - Bassoon Concerto, 'Out of the Darkness' - BBC commission, world premiere
- Edward Elgar - Romance for bassoon and orchestra
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony No. 35 in D major, 'Haffner'
Britten's Simple Symphony was composed in 1934 and draws on themes from the composer's youth. Its directness demands precise articulation and quick responses among the strings, making it a strong opening for the Academy of St Martin in the Fields programme.
Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 3 places Felix Klieser at the centre. The horn emerges from the orchestral texture and returns to it, making the relationship between the solo tone and the ensemble's chamber-like response particularly interesting to follow.
The biggest novelty on the programme is Thea Musgrave's Bassoon Concerto, 'Out of the Darkness'. The work was commissioned for the BBC and its world premiere is announced here, with Amy Harman as soloist. In a season that includes 20 premieres, 17 of them BBC commissions and co-commissions, this concert is not only a look towards the canon but also a place where new repertoire is being created.
Elgar's Romance for bassoon and orchestra keeps the bassoon in the foreground, but in a completely different expressive world. Amy Harman thus moves from Musgrave's new score into earlier British repertoire, while the conclusion belongs to Mozart's Symphony No. 35 in D major, 'Haffner'.
Felix Klieser and Mozart's horn
Felix Klieser already has a strong connection with Mozart's horn concertos. He recorded the complete Mozart cycle with Camerata Salzburg and made his BBC Proms debut in 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall. His biography includes the Leonard Bernstein Award from 2016, as well as appearances with a range of European orchestras and festivals.
Klieser was born without arms and plays the horn with his feet, with the instrument placed on a stand. But in Mozart, the key element is the musical line: natural phrasing, clean transitions and the ability of the solo horn to separate from the orchestra and then blend back into its colour.
Amy Harman brings the bassoon to the centre of the programme
Amy Harman appears in two works, giving the bassoon an unusually prominent role in this Prom. She was principal bassoonist of the Philharmonia Orchestra, is now principal bassoon of the Aurora Orchestra, and since 2024 has taught bassoon at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf. Her biography also states that she was the first bassoonist to perform a live solo recital in a BBC Radio 3 broadcast.
In 2026, she also released the album "The Bassoonist's Songbook", a project focused on the instrument's singing quality. That context is important for this Prom: Musgrave's new concerto and Elgar's Romance present the bassoon as a carrier of melody and solo character. At the same time, the premiere places the audience before a work without a pre-established performance tradition.
Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the model of an orchestra that listens from within
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields was founded by Sir Neville Marriner in 1958, and the ensemble gave its first performance the following year at the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. Over the decades, the orchestra has built an enormous discography and an international reputation, including the music for the 1985 film "Amadeus".
The Academy cultivates a player-led approach in which members assume greater collective artistic responsibility than in a strictly conductor-led model. This suits a programme that demands quick reactions and precise chamber-music communication.
The ensemble is led by Benjamin Marquise Gilmore, a violinist with experience as concertmaster, soloist and ensemble leader. In Mozart and Britten repertoire, his role directly influences the collective attack, phrasing and changes of character.
Royal Albert Hall as the heart of the London part of the Proms season
The Royal Albert Hall is located at Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP. It opened on 29 March 1871 and for more than a century has remained one of London's most recognisable concert venues. For BBC Proms, it is important not only as a hall but as a space that has shaped the very way audiences experience the festival.
The large circular interior creates several different experiences of the same concert. Audiences in numbered seats follow the performance from a conventional concert perspective, while the Promming zone in the Arena brings listeners closer to the stage. The Gallery offers a view from the top of the hall and a different sense of the spatial image of the sound.
The way audiences choose their zone, stand close to the orchestra or listen from the higher levels is part of the festival culture. With a chamber orchestra, it is easier from close range to follow the physical communication between the string players, while a higher position provides a broader picture of the whole. Ticket sales for this event are currently under way.
Tickets, Promming and what choosing a zone means
For concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, there are numbered seats and standing Promming places in the Arena and Gallery. According to information for the 2026 season, around 1,000 Promming places are available for each concert, and for most performances same-day tickets can be booked from 9:30 on the day of the concert, with up to two per booking. A limited number of seats are also planned for visitors who cannot stand for the entire programme.
For this event, the ticket is valid for the selected concert and day, rather than as a multi-day festival pass. The Arena provides more immediate proximity to the performers, while the Gallery offers a broader view of the hall and a different acoustic position.
With Promming, it is worth bearing in mind that the concert is heard while standing, except for the limited seating available to people who need it. For a morning programme lasting approximately until 13:00, this is a practical decision, not merely a question of the view towards the stage.
How to get there and how to organise the morning in London
The concert starts at 11:00, and the published schedule anticipates a finish at around 13:00. The Royal Albert Hall is located in South Kensington, near the museum district and Kensington Gardens, so public transport is the simplest way to arrive for a large number of visitors.
South Kensington is used as a practical reference point for the Underground. Bus routes 9, 52, 360, 452 and the night route N9 also stop in the immediate vicinity of the Royal Albert Hall, while route 70 stops on Kensington Road near the hall. TfL also lists a direct connection on route 360 to the Royal Albert Hall from the direction of South Kensington.
It is useful to arrive with enough time for entry and to find your zone, especially when Promming. Current hall information should be checked shortly before arrival for entry conditions and permitted items, as operational rules can change.
What a first-time visitor can expect from this Prom
This is a good choice for audiences who want several different entry points into orchestral music within a single programme. Britten brings rhythm and clarity to the string sound. Mozart's horn concerto provides a recognisable Classical language with the soloist in the foreground. Musgrave introduces a completely new work without a pre-established performance tradition. Elgar gives the bassoon a lyrical role, while the 'Haffner' Symphony closes the arc with a return to Mozart.
For a first visit, it is not necessary to know the scores. It is enough to follow how the colour of the orchestra changes when the horn enters, how the bassoon moves from an orchestral colour into a solo voice, and how the string players of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields respond to one another.
Audiences who know BBC Proms primarily through the Last Night of the Proms will get a different picture of the festival here: a more chamber-like morning programme that still combines familiar works with music that is only just entering concert life.
The broader identity of BBC Proms 2026
The Proms began in 1895 as a series of promenade concerts associated with conductor Henry Wood, and the idea of a more accessible, broadly programmed summer festival has remained a recognisable part of its identity. In 2026, that principle can be seen in the range from major international orchestras to contemporary commissions, from Classical repertoire to programmes that move beyond strictly symphonic boundaries.
This year's season brings together 20 international ensembles and 41 orchestras and choirs from the United Kingdom. This morning Prom condenses that breadth into several clear contrasts: Britten's energy, Mozart, Musgrave's new score, Elgar's lyricism and an orchestra that relies on the internal communication of its musicians.
For travellers coming to London for music, the morning slot leaves the rest of the day open for South Kensington, the museums and the surrounding parks. For regular visitors, the value lies in a programme that places horn and bassoon in the spotlight and brings a world premiere within a distinctly Classical framework.
It is worth securing tickets in good time, especially if you want a particular zone and way of listening. The choice between seats, the Arena and the Gallery is not merely logistical - it can change the way you experience the chamber sound of the Royal Albert Hall.
Sources:
- BBC / Public Technologies - data on the BBC Proms 2026 season, the number of concerts, ensembles, premieres and the Promming ticket model.
- BBC Music Magazine - schedule for the concert "Mozart's 'Haffner' Symphony", repertoire, performers and approximate duration.
- Wise Music Classical - confirmation of the world premiere of Thea Musgrave's concerto 'Out of the Darkness' and performer Amy Harman.
- Thea Musgrave - announcement of the new bassoon concerto and the context of its premiere at BBC Proms.
- Felix Klieser - biography, connection with Mozart's horn concertos and previous appearance at BBC Proms.
- Amy Harman - biography, orchestral and teaching roles, and the album "The Bassoonist's Songbook".
- Academy of St Martin in the Fields - history of the ensemble, its founding, first performance, recording legacy and player-led approach.
- Philharmonia and London Symphony Orchestra - biographical information about Benjamin Marquise Gilmore.
- Royal Albert Hall Archive - opening date of the hall and the historical context of the venue.
- Transport for London - bus connections and transport orientation for the Royal Albert Hall and South Kensington.