The inaugural BBC Proms Japan announced

30 October – 4 November

·         The first ever BBC Proms Japan with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and its Chief Conductor, Thomas Dausgaard

·         BBC Proms Japan marks the first time that the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has toured Japan

·         Venues include Bunkamura Orchard Hall (Tokyo) and The Symphony Hall (Osaka)

The BBC Proms today announces that it will travel to Japan in 2019, as BBC Proms International continues to evolve following successful tours of Australia in 2016 and Dubai in 2017.

The BBC Orchestras and Choirs are the backbone of the BBC Proms each year and, as part of this remit, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra will take the spirit of the festival to audiences in Japan, marking the orchestra’s first ever trip to the region. Taking place from 30 October to 4 November in Tokyo and Osaka, the six-day festival will see Chief Conductor Thomas Dausgaard lead the BBC SSO in daily concerts covering a wide range of repertoire.

The festival will give local audiences the opportunity to experience the world-famous BBC Proms for themselves, with a rich programme including core classical repertoire, British music and new music, all accompanied by a full and varied schedule of learning activity in the region. It will feature many recognisable features of the BBC Proms, including the iconic First and Last Nights, featuring well-loved musical favourites and traditions. Full details of the programme will be announced in early 2019.

English National Opera (ENO) today (Tuesday 18 December) announces that anyone aged under 18 will get free tickets to ENO productions on Saturdays. The tickets will be for seats in the Balcony and be available for any or all of the 11 Saturday performances in the Spring 2019 season in the London Coliseum.

This scheme dramatically expands ENO’s audience engagement strategy and forms part of the company’s central mission to ensure the art form is accessible to everyone.

Children under the age of 16 will need to be accompanied by an adult. However, as part of the initiative, adults who pay full price for a balcony ticket can bring up to four children under 16 free of charge. Teachers bringing school groups can accompany up to 10 children under 16 and free of charge. Children aged 16 and 17 can be unaccompanied, and can book one ticket to each performance free of charge.

The applicable performances are: Akhnaten (23 Feb, 2 Mar); La bohème (2, 9 & 16 Feb); The Merry Widow (9 Mar, 13 Apr); The Magic Flute (16 & 23 Mar, 6 Apr)and Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel (30 Mar).

Bookings for free tickets can be made via the ENO Box Office phone line 020 7845 9218.

The balcony is widely regarded as having acoustically the best seats in the house. Additionally, the London Coliseum is unique in that all seats have unrestricted views of the stage.

ENO CEO Stuart Murphy said: “We were founded on the belief that opera is for everyone. We strive to continually stage opera of world class quality and bring it to as many people as possible. Removing cost as a barrier to entry for Under 18’s is a seismic leap forward for ENO and for opera as a whole, and we hope to entice as many Under 18’s as possible, from the musically obsessed, to the just plain curious. ENO is founded on passion and we want young audiences to feel alternately passionate, excited and transfixed. We can’t wait to welcome them to the London Coliseum.”