What's On / Proms Plus

Proms Intros

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These comprise introductions of various forms - whether it's a conductor or soloist in conversation, a presentation from a musical expert, a round-table discussion or a showcase. Proms Intros are designed to leave you with a better understanding of the music you're about to hear, enhancing the concert experience.

All Proms Intros take place at the Royal College of Music's Britten Theatre, just across the road from the south side of the Royal Albert Hall.

 Listen to Proms Plus events from the last 7 days

Friday 18 July, 5.00pm (before Prom 1)
Sean Rafferty and Petroc Trelawny present a special edition of In Tune, live from the Britten Theatre, featuring live music from some of this year's Proms artists, and a preview of the Proms Literary Festival with Ian McMillan.
Free to all. Tickets available now - Book online, or phone 0370 901 1227

Monday 21 July, 5.45pm (before Prom 6)
Organist Olivier Latry, who performs Messiaen in the evening Prom, talks to Tom Service about the great French composer.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited broadcast on Radio 3 during tonight's interval.

Tuesday 22 July, 5.15pm (before Prom 7)
Sir Roger Norrington, one of today's most versatile conductors, talks to Martin Handley about the challenge of working with different orchestras.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited broadcast on Radio 3 during tonight's interval.

Thursday 24 July, 5.45pm (before Prom 10)
Managing and Artistic Director of the English Music Festival, Em Marshall, and pianist Ashley Wass discuss Bax, Vaughan Williams and English music with Petroc Trelawny.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Saturday 26 July, 5.15pm (before Prom 12)
Young Composers Winners' Day - Tom Service discusses Tevot, alongside live performances of commissions by the winners of the 2007 Proms Inspire Young Composers' Competition.
Free to all.

Sunday 27 July, 5.15pm (before Prom 14)
A Romantic modernist - Messiaen's music from the vantage point of La Transfiguration, with Dr Christopher Dingle and musicians from the RCM, presented by Tom Service.
Free to ticket-holders.

Monday 28 July, 5.45pm (before Prom 15)
Writer and critic Paul Griffiths joins conductor David Robertson and oboist Nicholas Daniel, with presenter Andrew McGregor, to discuss the music of Elliott Carter.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Wednesday 30 July, 5.15pm (before Prom 17)
Lucy Duran introduces tonight's World Music Award-Winners in conversation with Rita Ray; plus a tribute to Andy Palacio, Americas Award-Winner 2008, who died earlier this year.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited broadcast on Radio 3 during tonight's interval.

Thursday 31 July, 5.00pm (before Prom 18)
Emmanuelle Haïm discusses tonight's opera with Suzy Klein, followed by a presentation of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment's and Glyndebourne's Poppaea film project.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Friday 1 August, 6.15pm (before Prom 19)
Martin Handley in discussion with RLPO Executive Director Andrew Cornall, Composer-in-the-House Kenneth Hesketh and conductor Vasily Petrenko. With musicians from the RCM.
Free to ticket-holders.

Saturday 2 August, 4.15pm (before Prom 20)
Intro Ivan Hewett talks to Paul Hillier, Morag Grant, Robin Rimbaud and Robert Worby about Stockhausen.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Monday 4 August, 5.45pm (before Prom 24)
Margaret Reynolds talks to Roz Trübger and tonight's violinist Tasmin Little about the music of Dame Ethel Smyth, in the composer's 150th-anniversary year.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Friday 8 August, 5.15pm (before Prom 29)
Composer Chen Yi and Stephen Hallett discuss tonight's programme and wider Chinese cultural issues, with Sara Mohr-Pietsch.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Sunday 10 August, 5.45pm (before Prom 33)
Tonight's conductor, Edward Gardner, talks to composers Michael Berkeley and Stuart MacRae, whose new works he will be conducting tonight. Ivan Hewett hosts.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Monday 11 August, 5.45pm (before Prom 34)
Suzy Klein discusses tonight's opera, Puccini's 'Il tabarro', with musicologists Roger Parker and Alexandra Wilson.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited broadcast on Radio 3 during tonight's interval.

Thursday 14 August, 5.15pm (before Prom 38)
Members of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra talk to the Controller of BBC Radio 3 and Director of the Proms, Roger Wright.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Friday 15 August, 5.45pm (before Prom 40)
Conductor Pierre Boulez discusses the music of Janacek with Roger Wright.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited broadcast on Radio 3 during tonight's interval.

Saturday 16 August, 4.45pm (before Prom 41)
Catherine Bott talks to critic, writer and broadcaster Roderick Swanston and theatre historian Sarah Lenton to explore Handel's Belshazzar.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited broadcast on Radio 3 during tonight's interval.

Monday 18 August, 5.45pm (before Prom 44)
Cellist Alban Gerhardt and musicologist David Nice in conversation with Martin Handley.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Tuesday 19 August, 5.15pm (before Prom 45)
The electronic music revolution - Jonathan Harvey talks to Andrew McGregor about how technology has introduced a radically new creative environment for today's composers.
Free to ticket-holders.

Wednesday 20 August, 5.15pm (before Prom 46)
Christopher Cook talks to Director of the Royal Ballet, Monica Mason, about the company, its history, conductors and dancers.
Free to ticket-holders.

Friday 22 August, 5.15pm (before Prom 48)
Andrew McGregor introduces tonight's musical recreation, with oboist Tom Owen and Marketing Manager Lilly Schwerdtfeger and composer Colin Matthews.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Sunday 24 August, 5.15pm (before Prom 51)
Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Mark Padmore discuss Bach's St John Passion with Christopher Cook.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Tuesday 26 August, 5.45pm (before Prom 54)
RCM Chief and Deputy Librarians, Pam Thompson and Peter Horton, join Anthony Payne and Stephen Johnson to discuss Ralph Vaughan Williams on the 50th anniversary of his death.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Friday 29 August, 5.45pm (before Prom 58)
Stephen Johnson joins Zarin Mehta, New York Philharmonic President and Executive Director, and musicians from the orchestra in an exploration of the Philharmonic's musical and educational activities.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Sunday 31 August, 6.15pm (before Prom 61)
Join Suzy Klein, Roger Parker and Susan Rutherford in this introduction to one of the best-known choral works in the repertory - Verdi's Requiem.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Tuesday 2 September, 5.45pm (before Prom 64)
Martin Handley talks to Tristan Murail and Roger Nichols about the ondes martenot, and this intriguing electronic instrument's role in Messiaen's Turangalîla Symphony.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Sunday 7 September, 2.15pm (before Prom 70)
Tom Service, Messiaen scholars Peter Hill and Nigel Simeone and Artistic Director of the Netherlands Opera Pierre Audi discuss Messiaen's Saint Francis of Assisi.
Free to ticket-holders. Edited broadcast on Radio 3 during tonight's first interval.

Thursday 11 September, 5.45pm (RCM) (before Prom 74)
Suzy Klein, Keith James, composer David Matthews and guests discuss the influence of architecture in the music of Gustav Mahler.
Free to ticket-holders.

Friday 12 September, 5.45pm (RCM) (before Prom 75)
Petroc Trelawny looks back on the 2008 Proms season, with Proms Director Roger Wright and Royal Albert Hall Chief Executive David Elliott. Free to ticket-holders. Edited version will be available to listen online.

Saturday 13 September, 5.30pm (RCM) (before Prom 76)
Start your Last Night by joining others to sing favourite folk songs from the British Isles.
Free to ticket-holders.