Bbc Radio 3 Autumn Season 2017 Press Pack Contents

BBC RADIO 3 AUTUMN SEASON 2017 PRESS PACK CONTENTS

Page 2 - Schedule and Presenter Changes Page 5 - Arts and Culture Page 11 - Classical Page 21 - World, Jazz and New Music Page 25 - Special Seasons

For further information please contact radio3publicity@bbc.co.uk 020 3614 3888

Alexandra Heybourne, Head of Communications, BBC Radio 3 Kate Hassell, Publicist, BBC Radio 3 Saskia Rolland-Bezem, Assistant Publicist, BBC Radio 3

BBC RADIO 3 SCHEDULE AND PRESENTER CHANGES, AUTUMN 2017

Sarah Walker Sara Mohr-Pietsch Suzy Klein

This Autumn sees some exciting changes on BBC Radio 3, including new programmes, schedule changes and a presenter re-shuffle.

In Tune

From the 2 October, Radio 3’s flagship afternoon drive-time programme In Tune will move into a slightly later slot, from 5 until 7pm. It will be immediately followed by a brand-new half-hour segment: In Tune Mixtape. This will take the form of an unpresented sequence of music; often contrasting, sometimes surprising, this juxtaposition of works will be an engaging start to the evening on Radio 3. Each mixtape will be easily downloadable, available on the BBC Music App and the Radio 3 website so audiences can listen anytime.

This Autumn also marks Sean Rafferty MBE’s 20th anniversary presenting In Tune.

Essential Classics

On 11 September, Suzy Klein will join Rob Cowan on Essential Classics, BBC Radio 3’s popular weekday programme presenting specially-curated selections of some of the finest classical music recordings, as well as discussion from daily guests on their musical and cultural influences.

Suzy Klein commented:

‘I am thrilled to be joining Essential Classics, a programme I've loved listening to for many years. Not only do we have a stunning line-up of guests this autumn, but I also get to enjoy music with the loyal, passionate listeners who already love this show. I am hugely looking forward to sharing my mornings with them, playing the freshest, best and most brilliant classical recording artists at work today.’

Sunday Morning

From the 1 October, Sarah Walker is set to become the sole presenter for Sunday Morning, where listeners can hear a carefully curated programme of music each weekend.

Sarah Walker commented:

‘After six happy years on Essential Classics, and four years prior to that presenting its predecessor, Classical Collection, I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to present Radio 3’s live Sunday morning show each weekend. The programme will continue to offer everything our listeners are looking for on a Sunday morning – there will certainly continue to be a rich variety of music, that I can guarantee!’

Choir and Organ

This Autumn will see the advent of a brand new concept in Radio 3 programme making. Sundays are traditionally a day of rest and reflection, and a brand new programme Choir and Organ, will pick up on the pure musical joy of choral and organ music. It is the first time Radio 3 has had a dedicated slot for organ music in a weekly show. In each programme, Sara Mohr-Pietsch will present an extensive range of choral or organ music. To complement the on-air show, additional supporting material will be created for specialist listeners or for those who want to dig deeper; this will include interviews, features and will build each week to develop an ongoing library of information, all available online. Information relevant to the music in the programmes on air will also be posted, and will build a tremendous resource for beginners and choral and organ scholars alike.

Sara Mohr-Pietsch commented:

‘I’m so excited to begin presenting BBC Radio 3’s new programme Choir and Organ. This will be a show that highlights what Radio 3 does best, providing listeners with an exciting exploration of both musical worlds as well as the opportunity to extend their knowledge through additional content released exclusively online.’

Afternoon on 3

From the 11 September, Afternoon on 3 will be re-named Afternoon Concert, where concert works and unique performances will be presented in full. The programme will be extended by an extra half-hour, running from 2 until 5pm.

New Generation Artists

From 4 October, listeners will be able to enjoy a weekly Wednesday afternoon programme from 4.30 until 5pm dedicated entirely to BBC New Generation Artists. The show will cast a spotlight on brand new recordings by current New Generation Artists as well as gems from the ever-expanding NGA archive.

Hear and Now

This Autumn, Radio 3’s flagship contemporary music programme will begin a new mini- series, Sound of the Week. Each week, a composer will discuss the influence of a particular sound which has caught their imagination, inspired them or stimulated their composing process. This feature will allow audiences to hear these sounds afresh and shed light on the composers’ own music.

ARTS AND CULTURE

Katie Derham © BBC George Blagden

Sound of Dance

Katie Derham returns in November for the second series of her popular programme, Sound of Dance, where she’ll continue to explore the relationship between music and dance. This series will uncover the African American roots of dances such as the Charleston and Foxtrot, and explore contemporary choreographers’ responses to the music of J.S Bach. At Christmas, Katie will unpick the music and choreography of perhaps the most quintessentially festive ballet, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.

Sunday Feature

This Autumn will see an exciting and diverse range of topics explored in Radio 3’s Sunday Feature documentary slot. In addition to special editions developed as part of Radio 3’s Breaking Free: A Century of Russian Culture season and the BBC Opera Season, other forthcoming highlights include the broadcast of three programmes focussing on the lasting legacies of American icons; environmentalist Henry David Thoreau, writer James Baldwin and poet Robert Lowell. Californian US Poet Laureate Dana Gioia explores the diversity of Californian poetry as he visits every county in the state and Fiona Shaw will guide us through the role and history of stage lighting.

In January, Clemency Burton-Hill will present a landmark series, Select-Copy-Paste, which will explore the impact of technology on creativity. Across three episodes we will trace the creative process, from conception and execution, to sharing and experiencing.

Drama on 3

As part of Radio 3’s Breaking Free: A Century of Russian Culture, Drama on 3 will present Brian Friel’s acclaimed dramatisation of Turgenev’s 1860 novel, Fathers and Sons. Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) and George Blagden (Versailles) lead an all-star cast in a story of generational divide in the political environment that would eventually lead to the Russian Revolution. Also as part of this season, Radio 3 will broadcast specially-commissioned works by some of Russia’s leading playwrights working today, translated for the Radio 3 audience.

George Bladgen commented:

‘I think imagination is such an important part of story-telling. It's where stories come from, it's how stories grow and develop. To be able to allow people to use their own imagination in receiving a story is such a gift, and I think it is why radio is still such a popular medium - it's amazing to see how such a detailed world can be created with sound!’

Other highlights include a radio dramatisation of Justin Butcher’s stage play The Devil’s Passion starring David Suchet. A new production of Louis MacNeice’s iconic radio play, The Dark Tower, will also be broadcast, recorded during a performance at Orford Church, Suffolk, as part of the Snape Maltings Britten weekend, and featuring Benjamin Britten’s original music performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra. Radio 3 will also broadcast a new production of The Mother, French playwright Florian Zeller’s companion play to his West End hit, The Father, which Radio 3 broadcast last year. The Mother will star actress Gina McKee. There will also be the rare chance to hear the work of internationally acclaimed Norwegian playwright Jan Fosse performed in English, when Radio 3 broadcasts his play The Name.

David Suchet commented:

‘When I saw A Devil’s Passion performed on stage I found it to be one of the most amazing evenings I’ve spent at the theatre. I am honoured to be a part of Radio 3’s adaptation which will allow audiences at home to enjoy the same immersive experience created by Justin Butcher’s formidable writing.’

Further highlights include a UK premiere of Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, a collaboration between BBC Radio Drama and the BBC Philharmonic as part of the BBC

6 spoken-word festival Contains Strong Language. Recorded with an audience in Hull University’s Middleton Hall, this production will feature original songs composed by Burgess, and will be the first time the author’s A Clockwork Orange music has been performed along with the play in the UK. The New Year will also see Radio 3 broadcast the first radio production of Lucy Prebble’s international hit, The Effect.

The Essay

Forthcoming essay highlights include a series celebrating the 350th anniversary of Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost. Award-winning poet and editor Don Paterson discusses the five poems he wishes he could have written himself, while Professor Fiona Stafford presents a second instalment of her popular series The Meaning of Flowers. As part of the BBC Opera Season, five different figures including novelist Julian Barnes and actor David Threlfall record personal essays on how they first came to fall in love with the art-form.

Free Thinking

In November, Free Thinking takes part in Being Human, a festival which places a spotlight on new arts and humanities research being conducted at universities across the UK. In keeping with this year’s festival theme, Lost and Found, Matthew Sweet visits academics around the country to explore how we can think about familiar places in brand new ways. New Generation Thinkers Shahidha Bari and Laurence Scott will host a studio discussion on questions raised for the humanities by this year’s Festival theme.

Free Thinking will also present a debate on the themes of poetry and protest at Newcastle University as part of Freedom City 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King receiving an honorary doctorate from the institution. The debate will be led by New Generation Thinker Shahidha Bari, and the panel will include Scottish Poet Laureate Jackie Kay and poets Fred D’Aguiar and Major Jackson.

The Verb

This Autumn, the 2017 winner of the Ted Hughes Award for New Work In Poetry, Hollie McNish, joins the programme, regularly introducing new poets and their work. In October, Ian McMillan will be joined for a full length conversation with celebrated Irish writer Colm Tóibín, recorded as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations of The Edinburgh International Festival.

Between the Ears

Between the Ears is Radio 3’s programme which combines innovative and thought- provoking features that make adventurous use of sound to explore a wide variety of subjects. This Autumn will see Between the Ears broadcast further programmes in binaural sound, a form of sound-recording which allows the listener to experience an immersive spatial audio impression of events when listening on headphones. Highlights include Give Me Space Below my Feet, which gives the listener the impression of teetering on the edge of a rock face, wind whistling past. This immersive experience is coupled with a new poetry commission by Helen Mort. Listeners will also be able to hear The Shanty Boat, a panoramic sound trip down the back waters of America in a shanty-boat with self-styled artist and modern-day Huckleberry Finn anarchist Wes Modes.

Slow Radio

Radio 3 will continue to give its listeners the unique opportunity to take time out of today’s often frenetic world with further Slow Radio programming this autumn. In addition to the regular Slow Radio moments on the station, such as Sunday Morning’s Sounds of the Earth, listeners will also have the opportunity to tune into the following:

In Radio 3’s most ambitious Slow Radio broadcast yet, writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare will attempt to recreate Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous trek across Germany from Arnstadt to Lübeck in Radio 3’s ‘Bach Walk’.

Although Bach never left Germany, there were many occasions in his life when he undertook long journeys across the country. It is generally assumed that these journeys were made on foot. Bach's first major journey on foot probably took place in March 1700, when he travelled to Lüneburg from Ohrdruf (a distance of nearly 200 miles), just before his fifteenth birthday, to take up a free educational opportunity. In Lüneburg he would have been able to hear the playing of the great organist Georg Böhm, and the prospect of listening to and learning from other more experienced musicians seems to have been the main motivating force behind most of his subsequent journeys. During his three years at Lüneburg, he is known to have walked to Hamburg (30 miles away) more than once in order to hear and meet the organist Johann Adam Reincken. The longest walk of Bach's life, however, is thought to be his journey from Arnstadt to Lübeck to hear organist Dietrich Buxtehude. This trip was made in the winter of 1705 and was over 250 miles, a feat all the more remarkable for the fact that the return journey (made in February 1706) would have seen Bach carrying, and somehow keeping dry, several manuscript copies he had made of Buxtehude's music. The exact route Bach took is not known, though it seems reasonable to suppose that he might have travelled through Gotha, Mühlhausen (where his next

8 appointment was to be), Northeim, Seesen, Braunschweig, Lüneburg (where he might perhaps have found free accommodation) and then via the well-worn route to Lübeck.

Horatio Clare’s Bach Walk will be broadcast in 5 episodes with the full 2.5 hour experience available for download as part of a special Bach Christmas celebration. Listeners can expect to hear the trudging of boots, the sounds of the natural landscape interspersed with snatches of Bach’s music, readings and Horatio reflecting on the experience of key parts of the journey. This walk will be Horatio Clare’s second ‘walk’ for Radio 3, and follows on from the previous popular Slow Radio experience which saw Horatio create an immersive walk through the Welsh countryside to Hay Festival for the Bank Holiday weekend. The core of this programme was a recording of a ten mile walk along part of Offa's Dyke, skirting the Black Mountains, travelling North and ending up in Hay-on-Wye. Horatio Clare walked and meditated on the landscape with music and readings weaved in, to create an immersive experience. Bach Walk is an unusual programme offering a chance to step back from the busy hurly-burly of life and engage with natural sounds and meditative thoughts inspired by the gentle rhythm of walking in one of the most beautiful landscapes in Germany.

Horatio Clare commented:

‘I am extremely excited to be part of this wonderfully original project. At that early stage in his life J.S Bach, who seems to have been a wilful and self-directed young man, must have regarded his expedition as an adventure, following his own star across a swathe of northern Germany, over farmland, through mountains and forests, over the Elbe and all the way to Lübeck. To take listeners on a winter odyssey through this most engrossing of countries will be a privilege, and, I hope, an adventure worthy of that amazing young man.’

As part of Radio 3’s Why Music? The Key to Memory weekend in collaboration with the Wellcome Collection, a special slow radio broadcast will bind together the voices of people living with dementia. Participants will discuss their lives and comment on the world around them in this unpresented, 6-hour sequence.

Radio 3 will also broadcast a special five-part series of Slow Radio programmes which will allow listeners to appreciate life at a monk’s pace, reflecting the gentleness and calm of monastic life, following the course of a monastic day. Recorded in binaural sound, listeners will hear musings from the monks themselves, interspersed with sounds of their singing and of the surrounding natural world. The monks expound on why repeating the same activities again and again is good for the soul, and an effective way of achieving tranquillity in a busy world.

This series, which will be broadcast on Radio 3, will complement upcoming BBC Four series The Monastery, and will be available for download as a podcast.

Exhibition: Rattle at Radio 3 14 – 21 September, Barbican Circle Foyer

From the 14 – 24 September, Radio 3 joins the London Symphony Orchestra as an official broadcast partner as part of their ten-day festival marking Sir Simon Rattle’s inaugural season as Music Director of the orchestra.

As part of the celebrations, Radio 3 will be presenting a special exhibition at the Barbican Centre, which will celebrate Rattle’s history with Radio 3 and give audiences a glimpse into the world of live broadcast.

Further information can be found on pages 24 – 25.

CLASSICAL

Catriona Morison © BBC Quatuor Arod © Verena Chen

BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme 2017 – 2019

Radio 3 has announced the new young artists joining its New Generation Artists scheme.

Radio 3’s New Generation Artists scheme (NGAs), founded in 1999, is part of the BBC’s commitment to nurturing young talent, and offers an unrivalled platform to talented young musicians from across the globe. Now in its 19th year, the scheme provides musicians with opportunities to perform live and in the recording studio, to work with the BBC orchestras, perform lunchtime concerts around the UK and collaborate with fellow NGAs.

Through supporting the brightest musicians in reaching the next stage of their careers, the scheme showcases talent to listeners across the UK via a series of Radio 3 broadcasts, fronted by Clemency Burton-Hill. Over the past 19 years, the scheme has supported internationally recognised artists as diverse as Benjamin Grosvenor, Alison Balsom, the Belcea Quartet, Christine Rice and Laura Jurd.

From 4 October, BBC Radio 3 listeners will have the chance to hear brand new recordings by current New Generation Artists, as well as gems from the ever-expanding NGA archive every Wednesday afternoon. Current New Generation Artists, the Amatis Trio, Andrei Ioniţă (cello), Ashley Riches (bass-baritone), the Calidore Quartet, Eivind Holtsmark Ringstad (viola) and Fatma Said (soprano), will remain on the scheme until the end of 2018.

The 2017 – 19 New Generation Artists are:

Aleksey Semenenko – Violin (Ukraine)

Born in Odessa, Aleksey Semenenko began his violin studies at the age of six. Only a year later, he performed Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in A minor with the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra. He has gone on to perform as a soloist with the Moscow Virtuosi, the Kiev National Orchestra, the Junge Philharmonie in Cologne and the Sinfonietta Hungarica. After winning the 2012 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, he presented debut recitals at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City and The Kennedy Centre, Washington DC. A keen chamber musician, Semenenko founded the Stolyarsky String Quartet, which has so far given recitals in Russia, the Ukraine, France, Malta and Switzerland.

Catriona Morison – Mezzo Soprano (UK)

Scottish mezzo Catriona Morison was the winner of the BBC 2017 Cardiff Singer of the World Main prize and joint winner of the Song prize, the first British artist to win this coveted award. Currently a member of the ensemble at Oper Wuppertal, her 2016-17 appearances included Nicklausse (Les Contes D’Hoffmann) Clarice (The Love of Three Oranges) and Maddalena (Rigoletto). Other recent highlights include the roles of Annina (Der Rosenkavalier) and Kay (Die Schneekönigin), both at Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar. She has also appeared in staged performances of Mozart’s Requiem for Theater Hof and Handel’s Alexander’s Feast for Lithuanian National Opera. She has also performed with Scottish Opera, Edinburgh Grand Opera and at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Mariam Batsashvili – Piano (Georgia)

Mariam Batsashvili gained international recognition at the Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht in 2014, where she was awarded First Prize as well as the Junior Jury Award and the Press Prize. She has since gone on to perform with some of the world’s leading orchestras including the Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra. Mariam has performed worldwide at venues including the Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and the Philharmonies of Paris, Cologne and Luxembourg. Forthcoming engagements include performances in St Petersburg and Berlin.

Misha Mullov-Abbado – Double Bass (UK)

Jazz double-bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado studied at Cambridge University and at the Royal Academy of Music. He has performed at some of London’s top jazz venues including Ronnie Scott’s, the Vortex and 606 Club, as well as the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room as part of the BBC Proms Plus Late series in 2014, the same year he was awarded the Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize. In addition to performing, Misha is an award-winning composer, and is regularly commissioned to compose for musicians and ensembles including Thomas Larcher, the

London Schools Symphony Orchestra, the Pelléas Ensemble, the Hermes Experiment and the North Sea Ensemble.

Quatuor Arod – String Quartet (France)

Established in 2013, Quatour Arod’s members are Jordan Victoria and Alexandre Vu (violins), Corentin Apparailly (viola) and Samy Rachid (cello). The quartet came to international attention after being awarded First Prize at the ARD International Chamber Music Competition in Munich, after already having been awarded First Prize at the Carl Nielsen Chamber Music Competition in Copenhagen in 2015 and the FNAPEC European Competition in Paris in 2015.

The quartet are regularly invited to perform at international festivals, including Verbier, Montreux, Aix-en-Provence, Menton, Salon-de-Provence, Folle Journée de Nantes, Heidelberg, Musikfest Bremen and Mozartfest Würzburg. They have upcoming engagements around the world including at the Wigmore Hall, Salzburg’s Morzarteum, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon. They are also currently artist in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Brussels.

Thibaut Garcia – Guitar (France)

Born in Toulouse, Franco-Spanish guitarist Thibaut Garcia was awarded First Prize at the Ana Amalia competition in Weimar, Germany, at just 16. He has since gone on to win several other international competitions, including the Guitar Foundation of America at Oklahoma City (2015), the José Thomas competition in Spain (2014) and the International Competition of Seville (2013). He is regularly invited to perform at some of the world’s greatest guitar festivals in countries around the world, and has recently toured across the USA and Canada, giving more than 60 recitals. In 2016, Thibaut made his concerto debut with the Orchestre National Capitole de Toulouse. Upcoming engagements include appearances as soloist with the Baden-Baden Orchestra, Orchestra National de Montpelier, Orchestre de Cannes PACA and Orchestre de Dijon-Bourgogne.

Simon Höfele – Trumpet (Germany)

One of the most exciting young trumpeters of his generation, Simon Höfele has already made his debut with some of the world’s greatest orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw under conductor Semyon Bychkov. He is the winner of the 2016 Reinhold Friedrich International Trumpet Competition in Lisbon, and also won the European Prize for Young Trumpet Players in Alençon, France, and First Prize at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Conservatory.

Upcoming engagements include appearing as soloist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Sinfonieorchester Aachen and

Philharmonisches Orchester de Hansestadt, Lübek. Höfele is also set to appear at a number of prestigious music festivals including Schleswig-Holstein.

Opera on 3

The resident home of opera at the BBC, Radio 3 broadcasts two operas a week and around 90 complete operas every year. Opera on 3’s Autumn season continues this commitment to bringing some of the very best international opera to its listeners including some of today’s most exciting artists in both new and established roles.

As part of the wider BBC Opera Season this autumn, Radio 3 will broadcast each of the seven operas featured in the V&A’s new exhibition: Opera: Passion, Power and Politics, in a series of recordings showcasing performances from world renowned artists including Cecilia Bartoli, Bernarda Fink, Gerald Finley, Placido Domingo and Nina Stemme.

Additional highlights include the broadcast of two of the Royal Opera House’s recent acclaimed productions: Verdi’s Otello, with tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the title role, and Puccini’s Turandot. In addition to the classics, Radio 3 will present new works including the world premiere of American composer Nico Muhly’s Marnie, from English National Opera.

Afternoon Concert

Afternoon Concert will present a full concert each afternoon on Radio 3 showcasing, in particular, performances from the dynamic BBC Orchestras and Choirs and from across Europe. This Autumn will see a focus on Tone Poems, orchestral music which evokes the content of a poem, novel, painting, landscape or other (non-musical) source. Afternoon Concert will feature especially-recorded works for Radio 3, and favourites by Strauss and Liszt will be interspersed with less familiar works by Saint-Saëns, Janáçek, Smetena and Franck.

To celebrate Sir Simon Rattle’s inaugural season as Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra, Afternoon Concert will present a series of recordings featuring the conductor, including performances with the Berlin Philharmonic.

Radio 3 in Concert

BBC Radio 3 in Concert is committed to reflecting the very best of music-making from across the UK. In September, Radio 3 joins the London Symphony Orchestra as an official broadcast partner for This is Rattle, a ten day festival celebrating Sir Simon Rattle’s inaugural season as the ensemble’s Music Director, broadcasting concerts live from the Barbican Centre.

Other highlights include a special memorial concert marking the 30th anniversary of the death of legendary cellist Jaqueline du Pré performed by the West Eastern Divan Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim. As part of its continuing commitment to new music, BBC Radio 3 will also be joining the London Sinfonietta as their official broadcast partner for their 50th anniversary celebrations, transmitting their anniversary concert live on 24 January. Other broadcasts, interviews and features will share the impact of the ensemble over the past 50 years.

Radio 3 will also be marking the 50th anniversary of the European Broadcasting Union’s regular music exchanges with a special concert broadcast live from LSO St Luke’s on 27 November. The BBC Concert Orchestra will be joined by three young soloists, all either current or former members of the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme: violinist Esther Yoo and viola player Eivind Holtsmark Ringstad come together in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, and Pavel Kolesnikov is the soloist in Beethoven’s Emperor concerto.

Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert

Radio 3’s flagship Monday Lunchtime Concert series from Wigmore Hall begins with a recital from celebrated soprano Sophie Bevan. Other Autumn highlights include the lutenist Paul O’Dette, and a starry line-up of pianists including Lise de la Salle, Anne Queffélec and Gabriela Montero, as well as performances by New Generation Artists the Amatis Trio, Eivind Holtsmark Ringstad (viola) and Andrei Ioniţă (cello).

As part of This is Rattle, the London Symphony Orchestra’s ten-day festival marking Sir Simon Rattle’s inaugural season as its Music Director, a four-part chamber series performed at LSO St Luke’s will feature distinguished alumni of Radio 3’s New Generation Artists scheme: pianist Ingrid Fliter, violinists Esther Yoo and Veronika Eberle and soprano Olena Tokar.

In October, Petroc Trelawny will introduce four chamber music concerts recorded earlier this year at Middleton Hall in Hull, in a series which explores, through music, different aspects of the 2017 City of Culture. The series features the world premiere of a BBC Radio 3 commission; David Bednall’s The Mower, which sets texts by Hull-born seventeenth-century poet Andrew Marvell.

Further highlights will include broadcasts of concerts from St Magnus International Festival, Orkney, Belfast International Arts Festival and Cedars Hall, Wells.

Music Matters

This Autumn, Music Matters will be investigating music education in schools today. Tom Service and Sara Mohr-Pietsch continue their exploration into the role that music plays in society and culture in today’s fast changing world, and will travel around the UK to consider the relationship between language, dialect and local music-making.

Other highlights will include a special programme highlighting and discussing the cultural influence and significance of Sir Simon Rattle as Radio 3 marks his return to the UK this Autumn. There will also be appearances by revered pianist and conductor Sir András Schiff, composer Howard Skempton as he turns 70, Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo, and by celebrated opera star Felicity Palmer as she celebrates an astonishing 50 years on the stage.

Essential Classics

Essential Classics is BBC Radio 3’s popular weekday programme presenting specially-curated selections of some of the finest classical music recordings, as well as discussion from daily guests on their musical and cultural influences.

Upcoming guests set to join Rob Cowan and Suzy Klein include Sir Simon Rattle, legendary fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, actress Dame Diana Rigg, stage and television director Kwame Kwei-Armah, Scottish writer and director Armando Iannucci and beloved children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson. Sir Antonio Pappano will also feature on the programme as part of the BBC Opera Season.

New Year New Music

New Year New Music will explore how contemporary composers view themselves in relation to the past, and to what extent they find themselves inspired by or detached from previous traditions. Further information will be announced shortly.

BBC ORCHESTRAS AND CHOIRS

The BBC’s Orchestras and Choirs each play a unique role in British cultural life. Based in Cardiff, Glasgow, London and Salford, the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Singers and the BBC Philharmonic, reach an audience of millions with their wide- ranging and distinctive programming.

Performing with the world’s leading conductors and soloists, the BBC Orchestras and Choirs give around 400 concerts a year in around 60 locations across the UK as well as touring worldwide. Contemporary music plays a central role in the musical life of each group, and every season includes a significant number of premieres, with many being commissioned by BBC Radio 3.

The Orchestras and Choirs organise around 200 learning and outreach projects across the country, bringing music to tens of thousands of people of all ages across the UK. They are an integral part of the BBC’s Ten Pieces, an initiative designed to encourage children to get creative with classical music and which has reached over 4 million school children across the UK.

The BBC Orchestras and Choirs are the backbone of the BBC Proms, collectively giving almost half of the concerts at the world’s largest classical music festival.

BBC Concert Orchestra

This autumn the BBC Concert Orchestra will travel to Aldeburgh for Snape Malting’s Britten Weekend (27 & 28 Oct), recreating the original broadcast of radio play The Dark Tower at Orford’s medieval church and performing Britten’s concert works inspired by his music for radio drama. The BBC CO head to EFG’s London Jazz Festival with Is This Jazz? (12 Nov) a fun-filled family concert at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall and a performance alongside the Terence Blanchard Quintet in Stories of the Danube (19 Nov) at the Barbican Centre. The orchestra celebrates the 50th anniversary of the European Broadcasting Union (27 Nov), which will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. Also at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall the BBC CO present an evening of dramatic and atmospheric music in Double Indemnity and Music from Film Noir (8 Dec), which sees a radio production of the 1944 masterpiece performed live alongside Miklos Rosza’s score.

BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales

BBC NOW celebrates its 90th anniversary in April 2018 and is joined by some of its closest friends for celebratory concerts throughout the season. Principal Conductor Thomas Søndergård presents seven concerts bookended with Shostakovich’s symphonies 12 and 5. Principal Guest Conductor Xian Zhang begins a complete Beethoven Symphony cycle performed over two seasons around Wales, including Beethoven 9 in January with BBC National Chorus of Wales. Composer-in-Association Huw Watkins presents a Radio 3 commission, and curates two concerts featuring music that has shaped him. Conductor Laureate Tadaaki Otaka celebrates 30 years with the Orchestra and his 70th birthday with two Elgar themed concerts in December. BBC NOW joins arts organisations across Wales for Russia 17 - a season marking the centenary of the Russian Revolution, including Mosolov’s Iron Foundry and Shostakovich’s tone poem October.

BBC Philharmonic

The BBC Philharmonic’s 2017/18 season at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester is a powerful blend of important, established repertoire and new music from leading, creative visionaries. Alongside celebrated repertoire by Mahler, Beethoven, Janáček, Shostakovich, Sibelius and Vaughan Williams, the orchestra will perform two new commissions. On 21 April Leonard Elschenbroich gives the world premiere of BBC Philharmonic Composer in Association Mark Simpson’s Cello Concerto and a new symphony by Arlene Sierra will premiere on 25 November.

The season also includes the UK premieres of Rodion Shchedrin’s Dialogues with Shostakovich, George Walker’s Lilacs, Anna Clyne’s This Midnight Hour and Wolfgang Rihm’s Horn Concerto. Across the season the orchestra welcomes some of today’s most established and exciting musicians, from conductors, Nicholas Collon, Sir Andrew Davis, Edward Gardner, Vassily Sinaisky, John Wilson and Simone Young, to international soloists including Jean- Efflam Bavouzet, Renaud Capuçon, Colin Currie, Peter Donohoe, James Ehnes, Alban Gerhardt, Richard Goode, Soile Isokoski, Tasmin Little, and Kathryn Stott.

Opening on Sunday 24 September with Mahler’s immense Third Symphony, this season is particularly personal and significant for the BBC Philharmonic as it marks Juanjo Mena’s final season as Chief Conductor and the first with John Storgårds as Chief Guest Conductor and Ben Gernon as Principal Guest Conductor.

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Composers’ roots and heritage are at the heart of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s 2017/18 Season. Chief Conductor Thomas Dausgaard has programmed and will conduct a major series of evening and afternoon concerts exploring musical influences on Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Bartók, Nielsen, and Sibelius, including contributions by folk musicians from across Europe. The concerts will reveal how Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto was influenced by Russian Orthodox Gregorian Chant, for example, and how Sibelius’s Kullervo reflects traditional Finnish singing and playing.

Scottish Inspirations, returns for a second year of new BBC commissions showcasing the work of composers energised by Scotland and Scottish identity. Thomas Dausgaard will conduct the world premiere of Eòlas nan Ribheid (The Wisdom of the Reeds) by Scottish composer William Sweeney, based on the pibroch, as well as a new work by composers David Fennessy and Anna Clyne, the latter’s new piece inspired by the Beltane Fire Festival.

Martyn Brabbins returns to conclude his two-season exploration of Tippett’s symphonies with Symphony No.3 and Symphony No.4 as well as the first professional performance of Tippett’s early Symphony in B flat - a piece originally withdrawn by the composer. The Symphony in B flat is performed alongside Stravinsky’s Pertrushka and Mozart’s Fourth Horn Concerto performed by the BBC SSO’s own award-winning Principal Horn, Alberto Menéndez Escribano.

In October, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra will undertake its first tour with Chief Conductor Thomas Dausgaard, playing to audiences across Europe in Germany, Italy and Austria. They will be joined on tour by violinist Nikolaj Znaider.

BBC Singers

This autumn the BBC Singers offer audiences choral repertoire spanning over eight centuries at concert venues in London and beyond.

To open their 2017-18 season at Milton Court, the BBC Singers appear as part of the Barbican’s ‘This is Rattle’ series on 23 September. Conducted by Martyn Brabbins, this concert of ancient and modern music is programmed by Sir Harrison Birtwistle and includes his The Moth Requiem.

Associate Composer Judith Weir curates a varied concert at St Paul’s Knightsbridge on 13 October. To complement some of her own works, Weir places compositions by contemporaries such as Piers Hellawell and Michael Finnissy alongside those by Mendelssohn and Barber.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Durufle’s Requiem, the BBC Singers collaborate with the BBC Concert Orchestra and Stephen Cleobury for a special performance at the iconic King’s College Chapel in Cambridge.

Simon Callow joins the BBC Singers on 21 December for an afternoon of seasonal readings by Dickens interspersed with Victorian Christmas carols. The concert takes place at St Luke’s Chelsea, the church where Dickens was married in 1836.

BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

This autumn the BBC Symphony Orchestra guarantees audiences a programme of originality and imaginative repertoire from the Barbican. Celebrating music from Finland, Chief Conductor Sakari Oramo conducts the complete Sibelius Symphonies. The BBC Symphony Chorus joins the BBC SO, soloists Elizabeth Llewellyn and Marcus Farnsworth under conductor Martyn Brabbins for Vaughan William’s Symphony No. 1, ‘A Sea Symphony’. The BBC SO’s celebrated Total Immersion series offer full days of concerts and discovery exploring the work of British composer Julian Anderson and Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. Continuing to champion new music there will be performances of recent works by Thomas Larcher, Betsy Jolas, Alasdair Nicolson and Anders Hillborg and we welcome world class soloists to London, including Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Pavel Kolesnikov. The final concert of 2017 sees legendary American writer Armistead Maupin, known for his Tales in the City series, join the BBC Symphony Orchestra to read from his forthcoming memoir Logical Family, with music from the movies, the stage and the concert hall.

WORLD, JAZZ AND NEW MUSIC

Sefo Kanuteh © Richard Shashamane

WORLD

In October, World on 3 returns to WOMEX, the World Music Expo highlighting the newest musical talent, this year held in Katowice, Poland.

In November, World on 3 will broadcast a concert recording from the Darbar Festival profiling leading performers of Indian classical music, and in January will return to Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. Taking place over eighteen days from the 19 January to 5 February 2018, presenters Lopa Kothari and Kathryn Tickell will present live sessions with some of the festival’s top artists from the BBC Music Hub.

BBC Introducing on World on 3

A special collaboration between BBC Radio 3 and BBC Introducing was launched in January 2015 to help discover and champion emerging roots-based talent around the UK, which sees BBC Introducing artists record special live sessions for World on 3.

BBC Introducing artist, Kora player Sefo Kanuteh, will be recording his first live session on World on 3 this Autumn. Born and raised in Gambia, Kanuteh has previously collaborated with celebrated Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, and fellow Kora-player Ami Koite. In addition to the Kora, Kanuteh regularly experiments with a range of instruments to create unique sounds including the recorder, harp and guitar.

JAZZ

This Autumn, Radio 3 will mark the centenaries of the births of three jazz greats: Dizzie Gillespie, Buddy Rich and Thelonius Monk.

In November, as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival, Max Reinhardt will host a special live edition of Radio 3’s experimental music programme, Late Junction, from the stage of East London’s popular arts venue, Rich Mix. The BBC Concert Orchestra will present a family concert featuring the premiere of a specially-commissioned work by saxophonist and composer Trish Clowes.

Further programming to be announced shortly.

NEW MUSIC

Hear and Now

This Autumn, BBC Radio 3’s flagship contemporary music programme will begin a new mini- series, Sound of the Week. Each week, a composer will discuss the influence of a particular sound which has caught their imagination, inspired them or stimulated their composing process. This feature will allow listeners to hear these sounds afresh and shed light on the composers’ own music. The series starts with composers Laura Cannell and Jennifer Walshe.

Further upcoming highlights include broadcasts from the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Total Immersion series exploring the work of British composer Julian Anderson and Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. Radio 3 will also broadcast Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös’s latest opera, The Golden Dragon, performed by Music Theatre Wales. Hear and Now celebrate the 30th anniversary of Birmingham Contemporary Music Group with a concert live from Birmingham, featuring including music by Ondřej Adámek, Rebecca

Saunders and Helmut Lachenmann. In November, Radio 3 will broadcast live from Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival where the programme will include music by electronic band Kraftwerk performed by German experimental group Zeitkratzer.

Late Junction

Late Junction presents an eclectic mix of music from a variety of genres. On Friday 1 September, Radio 3 will curate one of the main stages at End of the Road festival for the first time. Four boundary-pushing artists will top the bill on the Radio 3 stage, including: multi-instrumentalist and mystic Laraaji: psychedelic Tuareg vocalist and guitarist Mdou Moctar: Oram award winner Klein, known for her unique blend of gospel, experimental electronic production and raw vocals and Xylouris White, a duo comprised of the otherworldly singer and lute player Geroge Xylouris and Dirty Three drummer, Jim White. Highlights from End of the Road festival will be broadcast on Late Junction from 12 to 14 September.

Other highlights from the Autumn include appearances from acclaimed British actor and sometime musician Toby Jones, who presents a thirty-minute mix tape exploring the outer reaches of his record collection. Verity Sharp will also present a special programme at the home of one of the most distinctive voices in British song writing, Robert Wyatt, with whom she will share an afternoon of music and discussion.

January will see Late Junction explore the relationship between technology and creativity in a special, one-off live collaboration. The programme will position the computer as a composer, and explore to what extent a machine can hold its own, improvising alongside one of the leading left field musicians of the last fifty years, Charles Hayward. This edition of Late Junction is a musical counterpart to Clemency Burton Hill’s upcoming Sunday Feature series Select-Copy-Paste, which also focusses upon the arts’ continually evolving relationship with technology.

Exposure

Exposure is Radio 3’s monthly programme showcasing new and experimental music from across the UK. In September, Exposure will focus in on Belfast, featuring Irish harpist and sound-artist Una Monaghan, who transforms the sound of her harp with live electronics. Exposure’s journey across the country continues to Milton Keynes in October featuring the band Black Springs, who showcase their unique sound created using processing tape, guitar, voices, drums and homemade instruments. November’s edition will showcase new music from Liverpool.

Open Ear

Open Ear is Radio 3’s contemporary music concert series. Following on from the first Open Ear Prom at the Tanks at Tate Modern, Sara Mohr-Pietsch will present two concerts from LSO St Luke’s which will feature as part of New Year New Music on Radio 3 in January. These performances will feature new music ensemble An Assembly and a selection of songs from composer and performer Kerry Andrew’s You Are Wolf project.

SPECIAL SEASONS

THIS IS RATTLE

Sir Simon Rattle © BBC

From the 14 -24 September, Radio 3 joins the London Symphony Orchestra as an official broadcast partner in a ten-day festival marking Sir Simon Rattle’s inaugural season as Music Director of the orchestra.

As part of the festival, Radio 3 will be broadcasting concerts live from the Barbican Centre, as well as recording chamber music concerts performed at LSO St Luke’s by former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists championed by Rattle: pianist Ingrid Fliter, violinist Veronika Eberle, soprano Olena Tokar and violinist Esther Yoo. The celebration of Rattle’s return to the UK will also be marked across the programming on Radio 3, including a special edition of In Tune broadcast live from the Barbican Centre, featuring an appearance by the LSO Discovery Choir.

Exhibition: Rattle at Radio 3 14 – 21 September, Barbican Circle Foyer

Radio 3 presents a special exhibition as part of This is Rattle at the Barbican Centre.

The exhibition will celebrate Rattle’s history with Radio 3, allowing audiences to select audio extracts from the Radio 3 archive of Sir Simon Rattle conducting an array of orchestras as well as showcasing footage from historic interviews and performances as seen on other BBC platforms.

This unique display will also allow audiences to take a peek behind the curtain into the technology behind live broadcast through exciting interactive elements; Participants will have the unprecedented opportunity to book slots with a Radio 3 sound engineer and learn the basics of mixing the sounds of a symphony orchestra ready for broadcast. Audiences will also be able to try their hand at presenting and record themselves introducing a concert.

CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE

Zena Edwards

Sarah Sayeed

Helen Mort © BBC

Contains Strong Language is a brand new spoken word festival which will take place across four days from National Poetry Day on the 28 September to 1 October. Produced by BBC Radio in partnership with Hull UK City of Culture 2017, Hull City Council, Humber Mouth, The British Council, BBC Learning, Wrecking Ball Press, National Poetry Day and a number of poetry organisations, Contains Strong Language celebrates both new and existing work, with over 50 events across eight venues in Hull, including world premieres, concerts, workshops and outreach activity. Highlights on Radio 3 will include:

The Verb

BBC Radio 3 presents special editions and commissions as part of Contains Strong Language, including three special editions of The Verb, Radio 3’s programme celebrating spoken word and poetry. In the first, broadcast live from Hull, Ian McMillan will look at the poetry inspired by the city, including the new 2017 ‘Washing Line’ poems with poets Dean Wilson and Vicky Foster, and will speak to poet and editor Rachael Allen about Philip Larkin. There will be a celebration of the story of spoken word in the UK on the 35th anniversary of performance poetry and spoken word organisation Apples and Snakes, with John Hegley, Grace Nichols, John Agard, Ty, Debris Stevenson, Zena Edwards, Dizraeli, Joelle Taylor and Hanna Silva. The third of these special editions will feature a host of international poets from Latvia, America and Poland, including Michael Dickman, Bodhan, Piasecki and Orbita.

Members of Radio 3’s Verb New Voices scheme, an initiative between Radio 3, New Writing North, The Writing Squad and Arvon which supports young writers, will present their innovative written works on The Verb as part of the festival.

TX: 29 September, 6 and 20 October 2017

Free Thinking

A Free Thinking discussion exploring the love poem To His Coy Mistress, written by satirist and poet Andrew Marvell, who also served as MP for Hull in the 1660s. Presented by Matthew Sweet with a panel including novelist and poet Michael Symmons Roberts, poet Helen Mort and University of Hull academic Stewart Mottram, they’ll talk by the tide of the Humber at lunchtime on National Poetry Day.

TX: 28 September 2017

Drama on 3 – A Clockwork Orange

In the year in which we celebrate the centenary of Anthony Burgess’ birth, BBC Radio Drama in collaboration with the BBC Philharmonic, present a UK premiere of his cult novel A Clockwork Orange. In 1987 Burgess published a dramatisation of his own classic text entitled ‘Clockwork Orange - a play with music’ which included songs and music also written by the Manchester-born novelist and poet. This will be the first time Burgess’ Clockwork Orange music has been performed along with the play in the UK.

Commissioned by BBC Radio 3, the radio theatre performance of ‘A Clockwork Orange – a play with music’ will also be the second time it has been performed since his death, and the first time his songs have ever been broadcast. It will be recorded with an audience in Hull University’s Middleton Hall on Saturday 30 September and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in Drama on 3 the following evening, Sunday 1 October. As well as including Burgess’ own songs, this dramatisation will include extracts from Beethoven’s symphonies performed by the BBC Philharmonic as described by Burgess in his dramatic text.

TX: 1 October 2017

Between the Ears – Give Me Space Below My Feet

The legendary 93 year-old mountaineer Gwen Moffat lays down a challenge: is it possible to take her climbing again? In a new poetry commission, Helen Mort picks up the gauntlet with an original poem and recorded in binaural sound to once again give Gwen the sense of teetering on the edge of a rock face, wind whistling past as her fingers reach for the contours to pull her higher…

OPERA SEASON

This Autumn, in collaboration with the V&A and Royal Opera House, the BBC will embark upon a season of opera programming featuring new films, documentaries, performances and special projects across BBC Two, BBC Four, Radio 3 and BBC Arts Digital. These major cultural institutions have come together with the shared vision to engage a wider audience with opera and to enthuse a new generation of opera lovers. The season has been in development for the past three years and will take audiences behind the scenes to explore the social, political and historical context of major works. It will place world class performances centre stage on screens and radio airways, give new insights into the form through the world’s greatest living opera stars, explore the emotive power of the art form and see opera companies from across the UK coming together for the first time with BBC Arts for an online celebration of British, European and global performance.

BBC Radio 3 is the year-round home of opera at the BBC, broadcasting two operas each week, and around 90 complete operas a year, with its flagship programme Opera on 3 allowing listeners to experience opera performances from some of the very best national and international companies. Radio 3 will present additional programming throughout the BBC Opera Season from 30 September until mid-November, which will include recordings of the seven operas which feature in the V&A’s new exhibition: Opera: Passion, Power and Politics as well as an episode of its flagship programme, In Tune, broadcast live from the Museum.

Further highlights from the BBC Opera Season on Radio 3 will include:

Composer of the Week – Puccini

This special edition of Composer of the Week will feature The Royal Opera House’s Music Director, Sir Antonio Pappano, who joins Donald Macleod to explore the life and work of Giacomo Puccini, focussing on a different one of his operas each day.

TX: Monday 9 – Friday 13 October 2017

Sunday Feature: John Tusa’s Opera Journey

In this Sunday Feature, Sir John Tusa re-traces his journey through opera, starting with his discovery of the art-form as a National Serviceman in post-war Germany. He returns to the three opera houses which shaped his love of opera, Kiel, Essen and Hannover, exploring his own musical roots and why opera houses continue to thrive in Germany.

TX: 8 October 2017

Sunday Feature: The Flappers Guide to the Opera

Based on new and original research by cultural historian Dr Alexandra Wilson, this Sunday Feature will recreate the lively operatic scene of 1920s London. Wilson transports listeners back in time and guides them around the diverse spaces where opera was performed, from opulent Covent Garden to flea-infested East End dives, cinemas to restaurants. On their journey, listeners will encounter quirky performance practices and meet a colourful cast of critics, singers and opera-goers. Rich and poor rubbed shoulders at the opera, just as opera itself rubbed shoulders with jazz, music hall, film and celebrity culture.

TX: 22 October 2017

The Essay

In a special edition of The Essay, five individuals reflect on how they fell in love with opera for the first time. The contributors include award-winning novelist Julian Barnes, who examines how he came to opera through the experience of grieving a bereavement. Actor David Threlfall (best known for portraying Frank Gallagher in the television series, Shameless) and writer Garth Greenwell consider the impact of their experiences with the art-form, the latter discussing how opera provided him with the ‘antidote’ for his ‘training’ in the ideals of masculinity he was taught growing up in Kentucky. Novelist Patricia Duncker explores the relationship between opera and the novel as art-forms.

TX: Monday 16 – Friday 20 October 2017

WHY MUSIC? THE KEY TO MEMORY

Why Music? The Key to Memory is a free weekend of events and broadcasts exploring the relationship between music, memory and the mind in collaboration with Wellcome Collection.

Broadcasting live from Wellcome Collection from 13 – 15 October, BBC Radio 3 will present a series of live events and programmes exploring music, memory and the mind. Discussions will explore everything from power of song in helping people living with dementia and how conductors learn complicated musical scores, to how jazz improvisation works. The weekend will include ‘Created Out of Mind’, current residents of The Hub – Wellcome’s interdisciplinary research group exploring the relationship between arts and science. Created Out of Mind are a unique group of artists, scientists and clinicians who are working together over two years at Wellcome Collection to explore dementias and the arts. Results of some of their research will be broadcast on Radio 3 across the weekend.

Why Music? The Key to Memory will feature performances of four world premieres, including a new work by Scottish composer Martin Suckling, composer and performer Kerry Andrew and works by three young composers taking part in the BBC Proms Inspire scheme. The weekend will include appearances by artists including The Aurora Orchestra, pianist Igor Levit, and singer Lesley Garrett. Audiences will also have the opportunity to enjoy readings performed by acclaimed actor Simon Russell Beale and see Cerys Matthews and Tom Service join forces for a simulcast broadcast on BBC 6 Music and Radio 3 featuring an eclectic mix of music and guests. Special live editions of multiple Radio 3 programmes including In Tune, Hear and Now, Sound of Cinema, Music Matters and The Listening Service will take place at Wellcome Collection across the weekend.

Why Music? The Key to Memory will be available on iPlayer for 30 days following broadcast. Announced today, highlights from the weekend will include:

Radio 3 in Concert – The Musical Memory Palace

Broadcast live from Maida Vale, a special concert exploring the theme of memory for all the family.

Listeners will be transported into The Musical Memory Palace by the Grand Memory Master, Ed Cooke, who himself can memorise the order of a deck of playing cards in less than a minute. The Grand Memory Master applies the playful and imaginative ‘memory palace’ techniques to improve the memory of Mozart’s 40th symphony, illuminating the genius and drama of Mozart’s writing and inviting audience members to astonish themselves with the power of their own memories.

Audiences listening at home will be able to view the visual aids used during the concert online at the Radio 3 website.

TX: 13 October

Record Review

Andrew McGregor presents a special edition of Radio 3’s Record Review, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this month. He is joined by cognitive neuropsychologist Dr Catherine Loveday, who will reveal the results of a unique experiment conducted on Radio 3 listeners throughout September investigating the influence of the ‘reminiscence bump’, the period of life from teens to early twenties from which we remember most. Revealed live, the results will demonstrate if the ‘reminiscence bump’ is the reason why many people never change their minds about their favourite recording of a particular work.

The programme will also explore whether the reminiscence bump compromises critical objectivity. Jeremy Summerly will put himself to the test, listening ‘blind’ to several of the finest recordings of the same work, to see if he will put the recording he remembers best from his younger days into first place.

TX: 14 October 2017

Memory Varied: Igor Levit plays Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations

Sarah Walker is joined by internationally acclaimed pianist Igor Levit to discuss Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, a work which develops a foursquare theme into a series of extraordinary transformations.

Before performing the whole work from memory, Levit demonstrates the demands Beethoven makes on both listeners’ and performers’ memories, and considers whether listeners need to remember the original theme during the near-hour long piece of music, and how a performer goes about memorising such a complicated score.

TX: 14 October 2017

Saturday Classics - Lesley Garrett

Opera star Lesley Garrett presents a personal selection of music on the theme of memory, including music that not only remembers people, places and events, but which also recalls other musical works and styles. Broadcast live from the Reading Room at Wellcome Collection.

TX: 14 October 2017

In Search of Proust’s Music

Acclaimed actor Simon Russell Beale joins forces with violinist Jack Liebeck, pianist Katya Apekisheva and soprano Ailish Tynan for a concert of words and music, uncovering the musical thread in Proust’s life and his great novel In Search of a Lost Time.

TX: 14 October 2017

Living with Dementia

In a unique slow radio moment, music binds together the voices of people living with dementia. Participants discuss their lives and comment on the world around them in this unpresented, six-hour sequence.

TX: 15 October 2017

Private Passions – Simon Wessely

Psychiatrist and Professor of Psychological Medicine Sir Simon Wessely shares his private passions with Michael Berkeley.

TX: 15 October 2017

Lunchtime Concert - A New Work by Martin Suckling and Schubert String Quintet

Soloists from the Aurora Orchestra premiere a new work combining music and poetry by British composer Martin Suckling and poet Frances Leviston, inspired both by Schubert and the pioneering use of piezoelectric computer memory. The programme begins with Schubert’s String Quintet and includes a discussion exploring the new work and its relationship with memory, with reflections from experimental physicist Stuart Parkin, Frances Leviston and Martin Suckling.

Commissioned by Poet in the City and Aurora Orchestra with the support of PETMEM.

TX: 15 October 2017

The Choir

In this special edition of The Choir, the Fellowship Octet of The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain will perform three world premieres. Written by three young composers from the BBC Proms Inspire scheme and their mentor Kerry Andrew, each work was inspired by Wellcome’s Created Out of Mind research into the experience of people living with dementia.

TX: 15 October 2017

BREAKING FREE: A CENTURY OF RUSSIAN CULTURE

In November, BBC Radio 3 will broadcast a two-week season from the 6 – 17 November marking the centenary of the Russian Revolution. Following a historical focus on the anniversary of the reformation earlier this year with Breaking Free: Martin Luther’s Reformation, Radio 3 presents Breaking Free: A Century of Russian Culture. The season will explore Russian and Soviet music and art from 1917 to the present day, focussing on the intrinsic relationship between Russian music, culture and politics, including how the Russian state has shaped, appropriated and utilised culture across the past century, and how artists have responded to the requirements of the state.

Highlights will include a special edition of Free Thinking recorded in front of an audience at Pushkin House, the UK’s oldest Russian cultural centre. Radio 3 will also broadcast specially- commissioned works by some of Russia’s leading playwrights working today, translated especially for the Radio 3 audience. On 7 November, the 100th anniversary of the storming of the winter palace, there will be a whole day of programming focussing on the Russian Revolution across BBC Radio 3. Further highlights from the season include:

Private Passions: Simon Sebag Montefiore

Russian historian and best-selling author Simon Sebag Montefiore who shares his private passions with Michael Berkeley.

Sunday Feature: To Resurrect Mayakovsky

Part of a series of Sunday Features exploring different aspects of the revolution, writer Ian Sansom will explore the figure of Vladimir Mayakovsky, the poet who ‘proclaimed’ the Russian Revolution. Featuring readings from his poems, the documentary explores to what degree we should continue to admire and read the work of artists today who were once dictators’ mouthpieces.

TX: 5 November 2017

Late Junction – 100 Years of Russian Experimentalism

Nick Luscombe presents a range of Russian experimental music from across the century, ranging from today’s Moscow ‘noise music’, sound art forged in utopian Soviet sound studios, to contemporary classical work from up and coming composers. The programme will also survey some unique musical revolutions which emerged East of the Iron Curtain.

TX: 7 November 2017

The Essay

Running for two weeks across the season, a series of essays will capture the spirit and ideas of the Russian Revolution through the stories and artists of the time, written by cultural figures of ours. Contributors include Sir Richard Eyre discussing the theatre director and actor Vsevolod Meyerhold, former ballerina Deborah Bull on celebrated dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, and writer Elaine Feinstein on the poetry of Anna Akhmatova and Marina Tsvestaeva. The series culminates with a personal essay written by Martin Sixsmith on the general impact of the revolution on the arts as a whole.

TX: Monday 6 – Friday 10 November and Monday 13 – Friday 17 November 2017

Composer of the Week – 100 Years of the Russian Revolution from 1917 to 2017

In a special edition of composer of the week, Donald Macleod is joined by musicologist and music historian Professor Marina Frovola-Walker to discuss the lives of Russian composers against the backdrop the Revolution. Each programme will focus upon two composers, shining the spotlight on lesser-known figures of this period, including Nikolai Roslavets and Alexander Mosolov.

Between the Ears – The Plot for Karl Marx

For almost 60 years, the tomb of Karl Marx in Highgate cemetery, London, has been a spot for international pilgrimage. The giant bronze head mounted on a huge stone was inaugurated in 1956. The documentary explores the legacy of Marx through the eyes of both pilgrims to his tomb and naysayers alike.

TX: 18 November 2017

In Tune – From Russia with Love

Tom Service presents ten features which tell the story of the Russian century through ten works of art which will be broadcast each weekday as part of In Tune. Recorded in Moscow and St Petersburg, a light will be shone on the diverse range of artistic output of the country, including everything from Anna Akhamatova’s epic poem ‘Requiem’, Pussy Riot’s ‘Punk Prayer’ and Malevich’s ‘Black Square’. These features will be broadcast each day as part of In Tune.

TX: Monday 6 – Friday 10 November and Monday 14 – 17 November 2017

Drama on 3 – Fathers and Sons

Drama on 3 presents Brian Friel’s acclaimed dramatisation of Turgenev’s 1860 novel, telling the story of generational collision against the backdrop of the restless political environment which would eventually lead to the Russian Revolution. Both young heroes seem, at first, passionate revolutionaries, believing that the old Russia should be swept away – but are unsure what it should be replaced with. Featuring an all-star cast including actors Charles Dance and George Blagden and directed by Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres.

TX: 5 November

CHRISTMAS

Bach Christmas

This Christmas will be a Bach Christmas on BBC Radio 3. From the 1 to 24 December, Radio 3 Breakfast will play one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s magnificent 24 Preludes and Fugues from the first book of his Well-Tempered Clavier. In the week beginning Monday 18 December Bach’s works will be scheduled across the station. Listeners will also be able to enjoy The Bach Walk, Radio 3’s most ambitious Slow Radio broadcast yet, which involves writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare attempting to recreate sections of the 20-year-old composer’s famous journey of over 250-miles across Germany from Arnstadt to Lübeck; The hypnotic mix of the natural soundscape and the trudging of boots blends with Horatio’s reflections coupled with excerpts of Bach’s wonderful music. A Bach Christmas will conclude on Sunday 24 December with programmes including a specially-recorded performance of Bach’s Musical Offering by award-winning young Belgian ensemble BaroccoTout and a Bach- focussed edition of Words and Music.

BBC Radio 3 Breakfast Carol Competition 2017

Listeners and budding composers across the country are invited to write a brand new Christmas Carol, as the BBC Radio 3 Breakfast Carol Competition launches on Friday 1 September.

The 2017 competition challenges amateur composers to create a brand new Carol for SATB choir (a cappella or with piano accompaniment) set to the words of Sir Christemas, a text thought to be written in the late 15th century. The text will be revealed during Radio 3 Breakfast on Friday 1st September.

Entries will be judged by an expert panel chaired by David Hill (former Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers) Judith Weir (Master of the Queen’s Music and Associate Composer with the BBC Singers), Jonathan Manners (BBC Singers Producer) Margaret Cameron, (an alto with BBC Singers) and Griselda Sherlaw-Johnson (Choral Promotion Manager with Oxford University Press).

The six shortlisted carols will be performed live on Radio 3’s Breakfast programme in the lead up to Christmas by the BBC Singers, directed by David Hill. The winner will be decided by public vote, as listeners will be able to hear each of the shortlisted carols and vote for their favourite on the Radio 3 website.

The winning carol will be announced live on Breakfast on 22 December, and played throughout Christmas day on Radio 3. The deadline for submissions is 1 November.