AIB Awards: Personality of the Year

John Suchet – Classic FM

Millions know him as a famous newsreader. Others might be aware of his passion for the music of Beethoven. But for listeners to Classic FM, John Suchet is, first and foremost, one of the most entertaining, engaging and informative music personalities on British radio.

John’s weekday morning show – which, according to the latest RAJAR figures, now reaches 2.7 million listeners every week – is a compelling mix of well-known classical favourites and rarely-heard discoveries. Since the programme launched in January 2011, John has built his audience through his compelling, authoritative yet light- hearted presentational style. We hear him sharing a story about what happened when an American won a Russian piano competition during the Cold War, and describing listening to classical music on the streets of Tehran when reporting for ITN in 1978; but John is equally comfortable delivering a light-hearted link backstage at the Classic BRITs, or talking about why he’s started learning the trombone again.

At 9 o’clock in the morning, economy of words is something that marks out a great Classic FM presenter. We’re not looking for people to offer verbose analyses of the music at a time when, broadly speaking, our audience is listening whilst doing something else. We therefore believe John should be commended for his ability to hook the listener in, make them smile and tell them something they didn’t know – all within the space of 30 seconds.

In addition, John’s 12-part Sunday night series Beethoven: The Man Revealed, broadcast during the spring of 2013, enabled John to share his deeply infectious love of the music of a composer he believes is the most important musician to have ever lived. This fascinating journey through Beethoven’s life demonstrated John’s ability to share longer-form stories about the music he loves, driving home his versatility as a broadcaster – and it is a clip from this series which opens the audio entry here.

Ultimately, whether he’s sat in the comfort of the studio or found wandering with a roving mic backstage at the Royal Albert Hall, John Suchet’s passion and enthusiasm for the varied music he plays simply shines through.