Radio & Television

The BBC announces new primetime Saturday nights for the 2008 BBC Proms on BBC Two, regular live relays on BBC Four and that all televised Proms will be available on demand on the BBC iPlayer.

The BBC Proms is the biggest, longest-running musical festival in the world. If you’ve ever wondered what it is, how much it costs to present or who listens to the festival, here are the facts.

BBC Proms In The Park brings the magic of the last night of the Proms to more than a million people across the United Kingdom.

The BBC Proms is available to the widest possible audience via BBC Radio, Television and online.

Opening up the world of classical music to young people and new audiences has long been at the heart of the BBC Proms season, and this year is no exception, as a wide range of events invite members of the public to experience the joy of making music, try their hand at composing and even have the opportunity to play alongside professional musicians.

BBC Proms 2008 offers a wide range of activities for children and families to enjoy; from the first Doctor Who Prom, to Music Intro and Family Orchestra, there is something for all ages.

This year pre-Prom events have expanded into a daily feature and for the first time they take place in a single location, the Royal College of Music’s Britten Theatre.

Following on from the success of Violins!! (2005), The Voice (2006) and last year’s Brass Day, 2008 brings a day full of folk-influenced events taking place on Sunday 20 July in and around the Royal Albert Hall.

Now in its fourth year at Cadogan Hall, BBC Proms Chamber Music goes from strength to strength in 2008 with eight Monday lunchtime concerts throughout the season.

Ten Late Night Proms this season range from vocal delights such as the Tallis Scholars with Renaissance music, The King’s Singers in celebration of their 40th birthday, Stockhausen’s Stimmung and Rachmaninov’s Vespers, to jazz with Nigel Kennedy and his quintet, NKQ, Daniel Barenboim and members of his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, a cello recital by Jian Wang and traditional Indian music.