2019 season guide
Welcome to the 125th season of the greatest classical music festival on the planet!
With 8 weeks of extraordinary music making from July through to September, enjoy over 150 events including more than 80 concerts of orchestral, choral and chamber music. Featuring many premieres; over 20 of which are ±«Óătv commissions of new works.
>> What's on - view the festival's event listings
Find on this page an overview of the festival, introductory videos plus links to events selected to illustrate the themes and range of the season.
±«Óătv Proms 2019 â a summer of unmissable moments
A summer of unmissable moments from the ±«Óătv Proms
Popular events
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First Night of the Proms, 19 July
JanĂĄÄekâs monumental Glagolitic Mass launches the ±«Óătv Proms with thunderous spiritual drama. Karina Canellakis conducts the massed forces of the ±«Óătv Symphony Orchestra & Chorus and ±«Óătv Singers in one of the 20th centuryâs great choral masterpieces.
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Last Night of the Proms, 14 September
Charismatic American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton joins Sakari Oramo and the ±«Óătv Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to lead the musical celebrations that bring the worldâs greatest classical music festival to a spectacular close.
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CBeebies Proms, 21 and 22 July
Take a musical trip to the moon with all your favourite CBeebies characters and presenters. A brand new work by Hans Zimmer â film musicâs living legend â is the centrepiece of a concert celebrating this weekendâs 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
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Prom 27: The Sound of Space: Sci-Fi Film Music, 7 August
The London Contemporary orchestraâs Late Night Prom puts a futuristic spin on the best sci-fi music for film and television. Among the soundtracks featured are those for Alien: Covenant, Gravity, Moon and Interstellar.
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Proms 29 & 30: The Warner Brothers Story, 9 August
John Wilson and his orchestra take us back to where it all began in a concert of classic songs and scores from the Warner Bros. studios. The programme features music by Korngold, Loewe and Steiner, including numbers from My Fair Lady and The Sea Hawk.
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Prom 64: The Breaks, 6 September
Dance crews, b-boys and b-girls take centre-stage at the Royal Albert Hall for a spectacular celebration of the global phenomenon of breaking. Jules Buckley and the Heritage Orchestra are joined by special guests.
Proms on the ±«Óătv
Many Proms are televised and the Proms' own weekly magazine programme returns on Saturday evenings on ±«Óătv Two with lively discussion with star performers from the festival and insights into the week’s music.
>> TV schedule
Nearly every Prom is broadcast live on ±«Óătv Radio 3
>> The Proms on Radio
and you can enjoy the Proms on the go with downloads from ±«Óătv iPlayer and ±«Óătv Sounds.
>> 7 ways to get the Proms
Discover classical music with the Proms
If you are a music lover who is new to classical music the Proms is the perfect place to start exploring.
£6 Promming tickets are available on the day for every Prom or enjoy every note on Radio, TV and online.
Take a look at concerts in our Classical for Starters category to find much-loved favourites from the world of classical music you may recognise.
And don’t miss this video of recommendations of things to try from the Proms Director David Pickard, answering questions from saxophonist Jess Gillam, who performed at last year’s Last Night of the Proms.
Jess Gillam in conversation with David Pickard
Saxophonist Jess Gillam in conversation with Proms Director David Pickard
Listen and Watch
Tickets guide
Themes for 2019
Theme: We celebrate 50 years since the lunar landing and take a broader look at the link between music and the world around us.
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Prom 4: Holst's The Planets, 21 July
The scope, symbolism and the sheer thrill of space travel are all celebrated here by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Holstâs The Planets is framed by an exhilarating Minimalist masterpiece by John Adams and Samuel Barberâs elegiac Violin Concerto.
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Prom 10: Public Service Broadcasting, 25 July
Cult London band Public Service Broadcasting mark the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing with a brand-new orchestral arrangement of their 2015 studio album The Race for Space. The electronic four-piece is joined by The Multi-Story Orchestra.
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Prom 11: 1969: The Sound of a Summer, 26 July
Woodstock, the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon, The Beatlesâ final album (Abbey Road) â 1969 was a key year, and here the ±«Óătv Concert Orchestra turns the clock back 50 years the film and popular music of 1969 to recreate the soundtrack of a special summer.
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Prom 27: The Sound of Space: Sci-Fi Film Music, 7 August
The London Contemporary orchestraâs Late Night Prom puts a futuristic spin on the best sci-fi music for film and television. Among the soundtracks featured are those for Alien: Covenant, Gravity, Moon and Interstellar.
Theme: We cross boundaries and embrace different traditions.
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Prom 16: Late Night â AngĂ©lique Kidjo, 30 July
Described as âthe undisputed queen of African musicâ, three-time Grammy Award-winner AngĂ©lique Kidjo makes her Proms debut with her nine-piece band in late-night tribute to the celebrated salsa songstress Celia Cruz.
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Prom 54: Duke Ellingtonâs Sacred Music, 29 August
Jazz, showbiz and spirituality come together in Duke Ellingtonâs spectacular Sacred Concerts, which spawned three critically acclaimed, boundary-crossing albums. Drawing on all three, the Proms presents an exhilarating evening of dance, song and spectacle
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Prom 64: The Breaks, 6 September
Dance crews, b-boys and b-girls take centre-stage at the Royal Albert Hall for a spectacular celebration of the global phenomenon of breaking. Jules Buckley and the Heritage Orchestra are joined by special guests.
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Prom 70: Jonny Greenwood, 10 September
Multi-talented guitarist and composer Jonny Greenwood curates a Late Night Prom featuring his new work for solo violin and strings, as well as a range of pieces broadly picking up on the themes of patterning and Minimalism.
Theme: We celebrate 150 years since the birth of Proms founder/conductor Henry Wood
The Proms continues Wood’s tradition of programming new work with commissions of over 20 works from established and new composers including
>> Hanz Zimmer
The festival includes a broad selection of the premieres that Wood brought to the UK. These include long-established major works, including by Debussy, Janacek, Mahler, Sibelius, Rachmaninov, Ravel and Tchaikovsky.
Look out too for composer-themed nights, following Wood's tradition.
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Prom 41: Russian works premiered by Henry Wood, 17 August
Rachmaninovâs First Piano Concerto is the centerpiece of an all-Russian programme by Vladimir Jurowski and the LPO, which also includes the dance-filled suite from Rimsky-Korsakovâs Mlada and Glazunovâs big-hearted Fifth Symphony.
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Prom 56: Henry Wood Tribute, 31 August
This special concert explores the rich musical legacy of Proms-founder Henry Wood, who celebrates his 150th anniversary this year. A diverse programme of works premiered and championed by the conductor includes music by Wagner, Ravel and Ireland.
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Prom 71: Bach Night, 11 September
John Butt and his period-instrument ensemble the Dunedin Consort explore the music of Bach. They pair Bachâs four Orchestral Suites with four newly commissioned works, each taking inspiration from the dances that are the heartbeat of Bachâs music.
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Prom 74: Beethoven Night, 13 September
Beethovenâs revolutionary Fifth Symphony provides the climax of a concert by Andrew Manze and the NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, that also includes music from Beethovenâs Fidelio and works by the composerâs musical forebears Bach and Handel.
Theme: We reflect the history of classical music in a series of 8 chamber concerts from Cadogan Hall
>> Proms at ...
Free and Get Involved events
There are lots of free events at the Proms including pre-concert talks and participation events.
>> Free events
>> Get Involved
Find Proms by category
>> Composers
>> Proms on TV
>> Free Events
>> For Families
>> Proms at ...
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More
The printed guide is available to buy and includes full concert listings, ticket information, and articles offering more insights into the music, artists and themes of the festival.
>> Proms Guide
Press Information
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