Five of the best Proms to see in 2018

Prom 10: Fauré, Franck & Widor’s Toccata

From the swelling motifs of César Franck’s Trois Pièces – Pièce Heroïque to the majestic melodies of Charles-Marie Widor’s Organ Symphony No 5 in F minor, Latvian organist Iveta Apkalna makes her Proms debut with a programme of classic – and lesser-known – organ works. Renowned for her musicality and captivating technique, Apkalna will also perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s Fantasia in G major and Thierry Escaich’s dissonant Deux Évocations. Sunday 22 July; 11am

Prom 26: Late Night Serpent and Fire

Filled with passion and heartbreak, this concert explores the deeds and desires of the ancient queens Cleopatra and Dido. Performed by soprano Anna Prohaska and the early music ensemble Il Giardino Armonico, the Prom features excerpts from works including Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and George Frideric Handel’s Julius Caesar in Egypt. The concert also features instrumental works, such as Matthew Locke’s The Tempest – Curtain Tune. Thursday 2 August; 10.15pm

Prom 31: Minnesota Orchestra & Osmo Vänskä

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, the Minnesota Orchestra and conductor Osmo Vänskä come together to perform a selection of 20th-century American classics. Starting with Bernstein’s scintillating overture to his opera Candide, the concert includes George Gershwin’s jazz-influenced Piano Concerto in F major and Charles Ives’s lyrical Symphony No 2. Monday 6 August; 7pm

Prom 49: Chopin & Tchaikovsky

One of classical music’s emerging talents, pianist Seong-Jin Cho makes his Proms debut with Frédéric Chopin’s masterful Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor, written when the composer was in his late teens. Other highlights from the programme include Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s lilting Symphony No 5 in E minor, and a UK premiere of Fireworks, an orchestral work by Agata Zubel. Sunday 19 August; 11am

Prom 64: Verdi Requiem

Apocalyptic and emotionally charged, Verdi’s Requiem is a musical arrangement of the Roman Catholic funeral mass. Performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and soloists including soprano Lisa Davidsen and mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill, the Prom features a double choir, eight trumpets and thunderclaps. Expect the grandeur of the Royal Albert Hall to lift Verdi’s masterpiece to new heights. Thursday 30 August; 7.30pm

For more information on the Proms season, visit bbc.co.uk/proms. All Proms are broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, and a selection on BBC Four and BBC Two. For more information, visit bbc.co.uk/programmes