Top names for BBC Proms at Titanic Slipways

John Owen-Jones will be flying in directly from New York where he has been playing to huge critical acclaim in Les Miserables. He had previously completed a successful run in London’s West End as the longest serving lead in Phantom of the Opera.

Lesley Garrett is much loved by local audiences and performs regularly on BBC television and radio. She has travelled the globe performing with some of the greatest orchestras and soloists of our time. She is also a prolific recording artist with 14 solo album releases.

BBC Proms in the Park Northern Ireland will also feature sensational virtuoso Clarinettist, Martin Fröst, known for his artistic collaborations with orchestras worldwide.

Also performing are the virtuoso violinist siblings Vladimir and Anton from Slovakia, as well as Londonderry-born pianist Ruth McGinley who rose to fame after winning the piano final of the BBC Young Musician in 1994.The line-up is completed by an appearance of the Londonderry-based chamber choir Codetta, under the guidance of Dónal Doherty.

The concert is BBC Northern Ireland’s biggest outside broadcast event of the year. It offers both home-grown and international talent performing alongside the Ulster Orchestra under the baton of David Brophy.

BBC Proms in the Park in Northern Ireland is now in its 15th year and is supported by Belfast City Council.

This event in Belfast is part of the UK-wide celebrations of the Last Night of the Proms, which radiates out from the Royal Albert Hall to embrace all four nations of the UK on Saturday 10 September, with Last Night events in Hyde Park, London, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The BBC Proms is the world’s largest classical music festival, with over 90 events in 2016 across eight weeks.

BBC Proms in the Park in Northern Ireland will be hosted by Noel Thompson and Claire McCollum. Extracts from the Belfast concert will be shown across the UK on BBC One and BBC Two on the night.

BBC Radio Ulster will also be live throughout the evening from the Titanic Slipways with presenter John Toal. Its coverage begins at 7.30pm.

Viewers will also be able to watch selected highlights from the Belfast concert online at www.bbc.co.uk/proms and on the BBC Red Button.

BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC Four network will broadcast a television highlights programme shortly after the event in September.

Complimentary tickets for this year’s Proms were allocated by random draw. Almost 70,000 ticket requests were received for this year’s event.

Mike Edgar, Head of Entertainment and Events BBC Northern Ireland said: “We are really excited about returning to the magnificent location of Titanic Slipways with a top quality line-up including the superb talents of Lesley Garrett and John Owen-Jones, the sheer brilliance of Martin Fröst and Valdimir and Anton, Derry’s very own Ruth McGinley and fellow performers the wonderful Codetta choir, all alongside the Ulster Orchestra in this their 50th anniversary year. BBC Proms in the Park is a truly unique event with a very dedicated and enthusiastic audience who make it even more of a special evening. I hope everyone attending, watching and listening will really enjoy this wonderful mix of talent.”