This year’s BBC Proms schedule kicks of later today (July 15th) with fans being treated to performances of Brahms and Liszt.The Liszt concerto is being performed in order to mark the 200th anniversary of the Hungarian composer’s birth.
Liszt will also be remembered on the Last Night of the Prom, with Chinese pianist Lang Lang due to play another of his concertos.
Hosted at the Royal Albert hall in central London, the event will run until September 10th and will take in a string of performances from some of the most talented individuals in world music.
Highlights of the schedule include pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, who at 19 years-old will be the youngest soloist to perform an opening prom. The highly-skilled youngster will treat audiences to a rendition of Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass.
Australian comic Tim Minchin, famed for bringing polished musical performances to his stand-up routines, is also set to appear.
The hugely-popular star will treat audiences to a comedy concert, while other shows on the menu include an audience request night and a mass choral performance with more than 1,000 singers.
Interest in this year’s proms has outshone those of years gone by, with organisers selling a record number of tickets within the first 12 hours of going on sale.
More than 85,000 tickets were snapped up, marking a seven per cent rise on last year’s total.
Indeed, demand for a place in the audience was so high this time round that tickets sold at a rate of 376 per minute in the first hour.
However, fans needn’t be disappointed as an extra 1,400 tickets will be made available on the day of each concert.
Proms director Roger Wright commented: “We’re delighted that so many people have been able to get their tickets successfully and look forward to welcoming them to the Proms this summer.”
Music fans unable to secure a ticket will still be able to enjoy the vast array of music on offer as the concerts are due to be broadcast on Radio 3, BBC 2 and BBC 4.