We, call upon the BBC — particularly BBC Radio 3, BBC Four Television, and the organisers of the BBC Proms, to recognise and celebrate the enduring musical and compositional legacy of Keith Emerson through significantly increased programming, performance, documentary coverage, and inclusion within the 2027/2028 BBC Proms seasons.

In a 1972 interview with Caroline Boucher for Disc magazine, Keith Emerson explained that he wished to become “immortal” in the sense that his music would endure and continue to be discovered and appreciated by future generations. He aspired not merely to popularity, but to be remembered as a serious twentieth-century composer whose complex and multi-layered works would stand the test of time.

More than fifty years later, it is increasingly clear that Emerson achieved exactly that.

Keith Emerson was not only one of Britain’s most influential Rock keyboard virtuosos, but also a pioneering composer who successfully fused classical composition, jazz, progressive rock, electronic experimentation and orchestral structure into a uniquely ambitious musical language. His work consistently challenged assumptions about the boundaries between “popular” and “serious” music.

Through compositions such as “Tarkus”, “Karn Evil 9”, “The Endless Enigma”, “Piano Concerto No. 1”, numerous film and TV scores, and his interpretations of composers including Mussorgsky, Ginastera, Copland and Bartók, Emerson introduced millions of listeners to complex musical forms and helped inspire generations of musicians, composers and arrangers across multiple genres. It is worth noting that many of these co-existing composers were agreeable to Emerson’s requests to adapt their work. 

Despite this extraordinary contribution to British musical culture and innovation, Keith Emerson’s work remains significantly underrepresented across the BBC’s (and the rest of the world’s) cultural and arts programming, especially when compared with similarly influential twentieth-century composers and musical innovators.

We therefore respectfully call upon the BBC (and others) to:

• Increase the broadcast presence of Keith Emerson’s compositions and solo works on BBC Radio 3.
•  Commission and broadcast new BBC Four documentaries and retrospective programmes exploring Emerson’s role in twentieth-century musical innovation.
• Include the music and compositions of Keith Emerson within the BBC Proms 2027/2028 seasons, particularly through orchestral, symphonic or contemporary interpretations that properly reflect the scale, breadth, and ambition of his work.
• Recognise progressive rock and crossover composition as an important and legitimate part of Britain’s modern musical heritage, which has now begun with the inclusion of ‘Prog at the Proms - Fanfare for the Common Man’, in 2026.

The BBC Proms has led, and historically celebrated musical innovation, boundary-breaking composition and cultural significance. Keith Emerson’s body of work unquestionably belongs within that tradition.

As audiences continue to rediscover Emerson’s compositions decades after they were written, and sadly after his tragic passing in 2016, the BBC now has a unique opportunity to honour both his artistic vision and Britain’s wider musical heritage by helping ensure that this remarkable music reaches new generations of listeners, in the UK and all around the world.

Keith Emerson sought to create music that would endure beyond his lifetime. We believe the time has come for the BBC to help fulfil that vision.

Keith Emerson, well known for his sharp sense of humour, would likely have found it ironic that music once rejected by some traditionalists is now seen as an important part of twentieth-century cultural history.