Domingo to perform at the Proms

Placido Domingo and Matt Smith
Domingo has performed at the Proms before, while Smith is making his debut

Spanish tenor Placido Domingo and Doctor Who's Matt Smith are some of the highlights of this year's BBC Proms, which has just announced its line-up.

Domingo, who recently had surgery for colon cancer, will return to London to perform Verdi's opera Simon Boccanegra.

New Time Lord Smith will appear as part of the Doctor Who Prom, which returns after its successful debut in 2008.

ITV lunchtime news presenter Katie Derham is leaving the channel to host some of the Proms coverage on BBC Two.

The 39-year-old, who already presents a show on BBC Radio 3, is moving to the BBC full time in a non-news role.

As part of the Proms coverage, she will meet artists, conductors and musicians in specially made films.

Music is one of her greatest loves and this opportunity was always going to be very difficult for her to resist
ITV editor-in-chief David Mannion on Katie Derham going to the BBC

"I'm thrilled to be joining the BBC Proms team at the start of such a fantastic season. It's going to be tremendous fun bringing viewers in depth coverage from the concerts and digging deeper into the history of some of the wonderful music," she said.

David Mannion, editor-in-chief at ITV News, paid tribute to the newsreader, calling her an "exceptional talent".

He added: "Music is, however, one of her greatest loves and this opportunity was always going to be very difficult for her to resist."

Other highlights of this year's season include Stephen Fry introducing a complete performance of Wagner's opera The Mastersingers of Nuremberg , starring Bryn Terfel; Jamie Cullum performing in concert; and a celebration of US composer Stephen Sondheim in honour of his 80th birthday.

The Proms tradition of the Beethoven Night will return and the first complete Beethoven piano concerto cycle to be given by a single pianist in any Proms season will be undertaken by the UK's Paul Lewis.

Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand will open the festival, which runs from 16 July to 11 September, culminating in the traditional last night fanfare.

For the first time this year, viewers will be able to watch the series of concerts and events across all the BBC's TV networks, as BBC Three and BBC HD join coverage of the event.

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