First female conductor for the Last Night of the Proms

Marin Alsop will become the first woman ever to conduct the Last Night of the Proms in its 118-year history.

She told the Today programme that she is "very very proud, but also pretty surprised to be the first".

She said that at nine years old her violin teacher told her that "girls don't do that", but she persevered and said her success was partly down to her "incredibly supportive" parents.

Alsop said that acceptance of female conductors was a matter of society becoming comfortable with seeing women in the ultimate authority roles, adding: "We're moving on and tonight is a landmark in that progression."