Pianist Sir Andras Schiff withdraws from Proms after breaking his leg
South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho has stepped in at the last minute, and the programme has changed.
Conductor and pianist Sir Andras Schiff has withdrawn from the BBC Proms after breaking his leg.
The 70-year-old Grammy winner had been due to perform Bach’s The Art of Fugue at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday.
Due to the Hungarian-born British musician’s absence, South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho has stepped in at the last minute, and the programme has changed.
Cho is performing pieces from French composer Maurice Ravel and Franz Liszt.
On X, formerly Twitter, the BBC Proms account said: “Very sadly, Sir Andras Schiff has broken his leg and has had to withdraw from his late night performance on Thursday 12 September.
The post also said that it was “hugely grateful” to Cho, and wishes Sir Andras “a speedy recovery”.
It added: “We hope you will join us for this special Prom but if you wish to return your tickets, please contact the @RoyalAlbertHall Box Office.”
His Bach performance has been regularly seen as an annual highlight of the Proms.
Sir Andras has been nominated eight times for his classical renditions at the Grammys, and in 1990 won the classical soloist performance prize for his Bach: English Suites.
He has also been honoured with Germany’s Great Cross of Merit with Star, the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Gold Medal, a knighthood for services to music, and a doctorate from the Royal College of Music.
In 2012, Sir Andras was chosen to record a rediscovered work, Albumblatt, by Brahms, which had been found after more than 100 years.
