Royal Albert Hall

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Categories, Music

Eric Clapton

Categories, Pop and rock

• Critics' choice

The prolific 67-year-old blues rock veteran returns for five nights with plenty of gruff murmurings, bluesy pickings and dusted rootsiness. His latest album features Steve Winwood, Chaka Khan and Paul McCartney, is called ‘Old Sock’, and has an iPhone...

Anthony Strong

Categories, Jazz and experimental

Ex-Charlotte Church keyboardist Strong delivers his Harry Connick-style piano and vocals on a late-night set of swinging standards.

Peter Michaels Trio

Categories, Music

• Free

Classical guitarist Peter Michaels experiments with gypsy jazz, Brazilian rhythms, Klezmer and Indian classical music with a rhythm section comprising double bassist Gili Lopes and percussionist Demi Garcia Sabat.

Mark Knopfler

Categories, Pop and rock

• Critics' choice

Five nights from husky-voiced Dire Straits guitarist Knopfler, no doubt playing some classics ('Money For Nothing', 'Brothers in Arms', etc.) alongside songs from his new solo record, 'Privateering'.

Kai Hoffman

Categories, Jazz and experimental

• Critics' choice

Sassy London-based American jazz vocalist Hoffman sings from her repertoire of jazz, jump jive and swing from the 1940s. She also performs originals from her new album, 'Do It While You Can'.

Swan Lake In-the-Round

Categories, Ballet

English National Ballet performs its whizz-bang in-the-round production of 'Swan Lake', complete with a company of more than 120 dancers, an army of identikit swans and endless billowing dry ice. It's an impressive spectacle but with the right dancers,...

Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons

Categories, Pop and rock

Never mind 'Jersey Boys', here's the real thing. The renowned New Jersey pop group, who hit the big time in the mid-'60s, run through their falsetto-led hits: 'Walk Like a Man', 'Bye, Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye)' and 'Working My Way Back to You', amongst...

Bonnie Raitt

Blues, roots and country

The firey-haired Californian blues singer, slide-guitarist and long-time political activist Raitt promotes her latest album 'Slipstream', which is her first in seven years.

Neil Innes – Another Chance to Get it Right

Comedy

'Monty Python' song writer Neil Innes performs a solo show of witty ditties and biographical tales.

Ian Anderson: 'Thick as a Brick'

Categories, Pop and rock

Still gamely piping away on one leg at the age of 65, Anderson assembles his flute to play Jethro Tull's prog-folk masterpiece 'Thick As A Brick' in full. At least we can be sure that with millions of albums sold – and a lucrative salmon-fishing business...

Pete Firman

Stand-up, Solo shows, Magic

Jokes and tricks from Middlesbrough-born magician extraordinaire Pete Firman. Star of BBC's 'The Magicians', Pete's mix of friendly banter, astonishing tricks and cheeky innuendos is a real winner. Thought magic was old-school hack? Think again.

BBC PROMS First Night of the Proms

Classical & Opera, Music festivals

• Critics' choice

BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC Proms Youth Choir under Sakari Oramo, with Sally Matthews (soprano), Roderick Williams (baritone) and pianist Stephen Hough. Julian Anderson: Harmony (c4 mins; BBC commission, world premiere) Britten:...

BBC PROMS Doctor Who Prom

Classical & Opera, Families

Doctor Who returns to the Proms to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the popular BBC series. As well as showcasing Murray Gold’s music from the past eight years, the concert also journeys back to the early days of Doctor Who and the groundbreaking...

BBC PROMS Doctor Who Prom 2

Classical & Opera, Families, Music festivals

Doctor Who returns to the Proms to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the popular BBC series. As well as showcasing Murray Gold’s music from the past eight years, the concert also journeys back to the early days of Doctor Who and the groundbreaking...

BBC PROMS 'The Rite of Spring' on Period Instruments

Music festivals, Orchestral music

• Critics' choice

An evening of riot and revolution in dance music from the court of Louis XIV to the Ballets Russes. François-Xavier Roth directs Les Siècles in the first period-instrument performance at the BBC Proms of Stravinsky’s 'The Rite of Spring', marking the...

BBC PROMS Mahler's Fifth Symphony

Orchestral music, 20th century music (1900 – 2000)

• Critics' choice

Arditti Quartet; Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under Jonathan Nott. Helmut Lachenmann: 'Tanzsuite mit Deutschlandlied' Mahler: Symphony No 5 in C sharp minor (Previously unheard at the Proms, the blistered, metallic timbres and subtle textures of Lachenmann’s...

BBC PROMS Nielsen's 'Inextinguishable'

Symphony, Music festivals, Concerto

• Critics' choice

BBC Philharmonic under Juanjo Mena, with pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii. David Matthews: 'A Vision of the Sea' (BBC commission, world premiere - inspired by Shelley’s poetry, the pull of the tide on the Kentish coast and an evocation of the sound of sunrise...

BBC PROMS Gospel Prom

Classical & Opera, Gospel, Music festivals

Pastor David Daniel host London Adventist Chorale London Community Gospel Choir Muyiwa and Riversongz People's Christian Fellowship Choir What does gospel music mean today? The Proms explores this emotive and richly varied world – the meeting and mixing...

BBC PROMS Thomas Adès Premiere

Music festivals, Concerto

• Critics' choice

BBC Symphony Orchestra under Thomas Adès, with cellist Paul Watkins, Christianne Stotijn (mezzo-soprano) and Simon Keenlyside (baritone). Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem Lutosławski: Concerto for Cello Thomas Adès: 'Totentanz' (world premiere) (Thomas...

BBC PROMS The Song of the Night

Orchestral music, Symphony, Music festivals, Romantic music (1815 – 1910), 20th century music (1900 – 2000)

• Critics' choice

BBC National Chorus of Wales, BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Thomas Søndergård, with Michael Weinius (tenor). Stenhammar: 'Excelsior!' Szymanowski: Symphony No 3 ('The Song of the Night') – A journey from dusk to dawn and on...

BBC PROMS Pappano/Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia

Music festivals, Concerto

• Critics' choice

Sir Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome, take a musical journey that begins with the ceremonial fizz and pomp of Mozart’s ‘Haffner’ Symphony and ends in the burnished melancholy and high drama of Rachmaninov’s Symphony...

BBC PROMS Stockhausen

Music festivals, Choir, Contemporary music (1975 – present)

• Critics' choice

Ex Cathedra directed by Jeffrey Skidmore; Kathinka Pasveer, sound projection. Stockhausen: 'Gesang der Jünglinge' Stockhausen: 'Mittwoch aus 'Licht' – 'Welt-Parlament' (Ex Cathedra and Jeffrey Skidmore revisit the babel tower of the opera Mittwoch aus...

BBC PROMS Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia/Pappano

Music festivals, Choir, Choir and symphony, A cappella

• Critics' choice

Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome, and Chorus of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome, under Sir Antonio Pappano, with Maria Agresta (soprano). Verdi: String Quartet (version for orchestra) (arr C Hermann) Verdi: 'Ave Maria' (1880) Verdi:...

BBC PROMS Joshua Bell plays Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto

Symphony, Music festivals, Concerto

• Critics' choice

National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America under Valery Gergiev, with violinist Joshua Bell. Sean Shepherd: 'Magiya' (BBC co-commission with Carnegie Hall: European premiere) Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto Shostakovich: Symphony No 10 in E...