BBC NOW concert in which the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Martyn Brabbins, plays Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales are at Brangwyn Hall on Friday 6 November, with Martyn Brabbins conducting. It's part of the BBC NOW 2026-27 season, and the whole evening is built around desire, loss and fate.
The first half opens with Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, based on Mallarmé's poem. Its sinuous lines and floating harmonies are meant to evoke the intoxication of longing and those moments that feel suspended in time. From there, David Childs takes over as soloist for Paul Mealor's Euphonium Concerto, which draws on a Gaelic tale of lost love. The first half closes with Akimenko's Angel (Poème-Nocturne), a piece shaped by exile and a return to Ukrainian culture and Lermontov's poetry.
After the interval, the focus shifts to Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, with excerpts that let soaring lyricism collide with sharply defined drama. It's the title that gives the night its name, and the one most of us will recognise.
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There's a bit of local history to the venue too. Brangwyn Hall is named after the artist Frank Brangwyn, and his British Empire Panels — originally intended for the House of Lords — are on display there. The concert starts at 19:30, and tickets start from £12.00.
