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Celebs competing for Proms opportunity

23/05/2008

Eight celebrities will compete for the chance to conduct at the last night of the Proms in a new BBC2 reality show.

The winner of Maestro, featuring hip-hop artist Goldie, Blur bassist Alex James and actress Jane Asher, will conduct the BBC Concert Orchestra in front of a 30,000-strong live audience on September 13th.

The programme, which is due to air over the summer, will see a judging panel led by eminent conductor Sir Roger Norrington decide which of the eight contestants gets kicked off the show every week.

Newsreader Katie Derham, presenter Peter Snow, actor David Soul, comedienne Sur Perkins and comic actor Bradley Walsh are the other five conducting-wannabes.

"Maestro will take the audience on a fascinating, surprising, thrilling and informative journey into the heart of music-making," commented Peter Maniura, head of BBC Classical Music Television.

"It will delve into the practicalities, magic and mystery of what a conductor actually does to make great music happen."