Another extensive and wide-ranging Summer for Intermusica artists and projects at the 1999 BBC Proms, encompassing an astonishing range of repertoire from the baroque to world premieres. Louis Lortie gave a sovereign account of the Chopin Piano Concerto no.2 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Otaka, and a late night Prom early in the season created a spell-binding effect with Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps played by Michael Collins, Isabelle van Keulen, Paul Watkins and Lars Vogt. Richard Hickox directed an outstanding performance of Haydn’s Nelson Mass with his superb Collegium Musicum 90 Orchestra and Choir, and Matthias Bamert’s London Mozart Players dazzled in Mozart and Strauss. One of the highlights of the Proms season was HK Gruber’s new work Aerial written for huge orchestra and solo trumpeter Hakan Hardenberger. “Gruber weaves a musical tapestry bristling with wit and invention, punctuated with telling silences and animated by syncopations that suggest a world out of kilter...a dazzling display of compositional technique.” (The Times) Another premiere was the first UK performance of Friedrich Cerha’s Cello Concerto by Heinrich Schiff, the first time his music had been played at the Proms and an enormously demanding work even for Schiff’s limitless talents. James MacMillan had two works played this year including a reprise of his monumental Cello Concerto and the world premiere of Quickening, another extraordinarily moving symphonic work, including chorus, boys choir and the Hilliard Ensemble. Joyful was Leonidas Kavakos’ sensational performance of the Dvorák Violin Concerto with the National Youth Orchestra conducted by Ivan Fischer – “Kavakos brought sweet tone to the dreamy, lyrical solos.” (The Times) Two chamber orchestras appeared in special events under Intermusica’s management: the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra with Andreas Scholl and KREMERata Baltica under Gidon Kremer's direction. Both provided in very different ways fabulously rewarding concerts to huge audiences.