Credit: Venetia Jollands

This evening, cellist Laura van der Heijden takes to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall for her BBC Proms concerto debut. With the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and conductor Ryan Wigglesworth, Laura performs Cheryl Frances-Hoad’s new work ‘Earth, Sea, Air’. Written for her, the climate-change focused cello concerto takes its inspiration from three disparate aspects of the natural world. Immediately following its Glasgow premiere in 2023 and with the same forces, Laura made the premiere recording of the work for Chandos Records — her debut concerto album — released in May this year to critical acclaim: “Van der Heijden is mesmerizing” (Gramophone, Editor’s Choice July 2024)

In the 2024/25 season Laura looks forward to concerto appearances with the Brno Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, as well as recitals at the Cello Biënnale Amsterdam and Wigmore Hall.