Proms director to step down

The BBC has today announced that David Pickard will be stepping down from the role of director of the BBC Proms. Remaining in post until October 2024, Pickard will oversee next year’s festival as well as planning for future seasons before moving on to ‘explore new projects’.

Having held the role of director since 2015, Pickard has supported the expansion of the Proms, both geographically, with a 2023 Proms festival at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music, and musically, with the introduction of multi-disciplinary projects. Under his direction, the First Night and Last Night of last year’s festival were, for the first time in Proms history, both conducted by women (Dalia Stasevska and Marin Alsop respectively).

Pickard said: ‘It has been an immense honour and privilege to run the world's greatest classical music festival alongside an incredible team, working with many of the most exciting orchestras, musicians and artists on the planet. By the end of next summer, I will have planned and delivered nine Proms seasons and it feels like the right time to move on and explore new projects.’

The recruitment process for a senior leader overseeing the BBC Proms will start in the new year.  

BBC Radio 3 controller Sam Jackson said: ‘It was a pleasure working alongside [Pickard] this season, where I saw first-hand his commitment to musical excellence and reaching broader audiences – leading to record-breaking figures on BBC Sounds and iPlayer. David has consistently championed classical music at the BBC, in particular the BBC’s own orchestras and choirs, ensuring they remain the beating heart of every Proms season. I look forward to working with him again next year and giving him a proper send-off after the Last Night of the Proms.’