SATURDAY 14 MARCH 2026
SAT 00:30 Through the Night (m002s45d)
Beethoven Piano Concertos from Romania
Romanian pianist Andrei Licaret conducts and performs with the 'Magic Summer' Festival Orchestra in a concert from Bucharest featuring Beethoven's 2nd, 3rd and 4th piano concertos. Penny Gore presents.
12:31 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Concerto no 2 in B flat major, Op 19
Andrei Licaret (piano), 'Magic Summer' Festival Orchestra, Andrei Licaret (conductor)
01:01 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Concerto no 3 in C minor, Op 37
Andrei Licaret (piano), 'Magic Summer' Festival Orchestra, Andrei Licaret (conductor)
01:39 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Concerto no 4 in G major, Op 58
Andrei Licaret (piano), 'Magic Summer' Festival Orchestra, Andrei Licaret (conductor)
02:15 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Recitative and Leonora's aria from 'Fidelio'
Anja Kampe (soprano), Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez (conductor)
02:23 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Adagio from Trio for violin, cello & piano in B flat major, Op 11
Beaux Arts Trio
02:31 AM
Božidar Širola (1889-1956)
Missa Poetica
Slovenian Chamber Choir, Vladimir Kranjčević (director)
03:03 AM
Adolf Fredrik Lindblad (1801-1878)
String Quartet no 6 in E flat major
Örebro String Quartet
03:29 AM
Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924)
Nocturne in B major, Op 33 no 2
Stéphane Lemelin (piano)
03:36 AM
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Notturno in B major, Op 40
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jan Stanienda (conductor)
03:43 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Sonata a quattro in C major
Ensemble Zefiro
03:55 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Per questa bella mano, KV.612
Wolf Matthias Friedrich (baritone), Kirill Troussov (violin), Clémence de Forceville (violin), Martin Moriarty (viola), Flurin Cuonz (cello), Lars Olaf Schaper (double bass)
04:02 AM
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
4 Visages for viola and piano, Op 238
Silvia Simionescu (viola), Alice Burla (piano)
04:12 AM
Aaron Copland (1900-1990), arr. Timothy Kain
Hoe Down - from "Rodeo" arr. for 4 guitars
Guitar Trek
04:16 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Concerto for harp and orchestra in B flat major, Op 4 no 6 (HWV.294)
Sofija Ristič (harp), RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Pavle Dešpalj (conductor)
04:31 AM
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Fantasia on Greensleeves
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Katowice, Marin Alsop (conductor)
04:36 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Bolero in A minor, Op 19
Emil von Sauer (piano)
04:43 AM
Jean-Baptiste Forqueray (1699-1782)
La Morangis, ou La Plissay – chaconne
Pierre Pitzl (viola da gamba), Marcy Jean Bölli (viola da gamba), Luciano Contini (archlute), Augusta Campagne (harpsichord)
04:50 AM
Bohdana Frolyak (b.1968)
Let There Be Light
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Dalia Stasevska (conductor)
05:00 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Trio for keyboard and strings in G minor, H.XV.19
Katharine Gowers (violin), Adrian Brendel (cello), Paul Lewis (piano)
05:16 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Jesu meine Freude, BWV.227
Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier (director)
05:40 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Variations on a rococo theme in A major for cello and orchestra, Op 33
Bartosz Koziak (cello), Polish Radio Orchestra, Warsaw, Andrzej Mysinski (conductor)
06:01 AM
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)
Four African Dances, Op 58
Samuel Nebyu (violin), Charles Abramovic (piano)
06:19 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
The Swan of Tuonela (Lemminkainen suite, Op 22)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thomas Søndergård (conductor)
SAT 06:30 Breakfast (m002sg06)
Wake up with classical music
Hannah French presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Morning (m002sg0b)
Composer Nico Muhly on the power of choral music
Tom Service with guests, stories and the perfect classical soundtrack for the weekend!
The American composer Nico Muhly has written over one hundred works for choirs, and despite being a New Yorker has made a musical home in this very British musical tradition. He chats to Tom about his relationship with choral music and his new album works written for the Tallis Scholars that intersperse texts from Lamentations with interviews with members of the Windrush Generation.
As part of our Creators series and on the eve of this year's Oscars, the Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir talks to Tom about her score for The Joker, which in 2019 made her the first female composer to win for Best Original Soundtrack at the Academy Awards.
Also, conductor Delyana Lazarova is the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra's new Principal Guest Conductor, and she chats to Tom about why collaboration is the key to everything she does and her plans for her new orchestra.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Saturday Morning”.
SAT 12:00 Earlier... with Jools Holland (m0029pqv)
The pianist and bandleader picks his favourite classical music
Jools shares his lifelong passion for classical music and the beautiful connections with jazz and blues. With fascinating guests each week, who bring their own favourite music and occasionally perform live in Jools's studio.
Today, Jools's choices include music by Brahms, Bach, Hildegard of Bingen and Little Brother Montgomery, with performances by the Vienna Philharmonic and Sphinx Virtuosi. His guest is the singer-songwriter Beth Rowley who introduces music she loves by Emma Butterworth, Naseer Shamma, Ennio Morricone and Chopin.
To listen on most smart speakers just say, 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Earlier with Jools Holland'.
SAT 13:00 Music Matters (m002sg0g)
Turning the Page
4. Adjusting to your age
Violinist Tasmin Little looks at how, when and why musicians retire from performance. As someone who stopped performing in her 50s, Tasmin wants to open up the conversation so that musicians don't feel obligated to carry on, or wait until life decides for you to make a change.
She speaks to Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires about the importance of adjusting to your age because if you want to enjoy your older years, then you need to prepare for it. The world's oldest working conductor, Herbert Blomstedt shares his secret to longevity and the plans for his 100th birthday. And Violinist Lyn Fletcher who led the Halle Orchestra for 22 years, shares her sense of obligation to make way for the next generation.
Produced by Rebecca Gaskell for BBC Audio North.
SAT 14:00 Record Review (m002sg0k)
Janacek's Sinfonietta in Building a Library with Nigel Simeone and Andrew McGregor
Andrew McGregor with his selection of some of the week's best new classical releases.
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2.10pm
Andrew is joined by guest reviewer Katy Hamilton for her favourite releases of the week.
3pm
Building a Library: critic, writer and expert on Czech music Nigel Simeone surveys recordings of Janacek's Sinfonietta and makes a top recommendation.
Written for large orchestra with heavy brass, Janacek said his Sinfonietta of 1926 was intended to express "contemporary free man, his spiritual beauty and joy, his strength, courage and determination to fight for victory". It has stirred audiences ever since, and has a rich recorded legacy.
Top choice:
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Charles Mackerras (cond.)
Decca 4101382
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3.50pm
Record of the Week. Andrew picks his favourite release.
SAT 16:00 Sound of Cinema (m002sg0m)
From Score to Statue- Awards Weekend Special
Edith Bowman hosts an awards‑themed special, setting the stage for Hollywood’s most glittering night of the year - The Academy Awards. We'll be taking listeners on a journey through some of the most renowned and critically acclaimed film scores; Oscar winning music that has shaped movie-making, elevated unforgettable stories and left a lasting mark on cinematic history.
And we'll also be welcoming presenter and writer Sally Magnusson, who'll be revealing her award-winning choice on this week's Pick of the Flicks.
SAT 17:00 This Classical Life (m002bv5k)
Jess Gillam with... Conor Mitchell
Jess Gillam swaps music choices with the multi-award-winning opera and music theatre composer, librettist and stage director Conor Mitchell.
Conor's picks include Benjamin Britten, Igor Stravinsky, Amy Winehouse and Glenn Miller, while Jess chose Amy Beach, Jacob Alon, and music from one of Conor's favourite musicals - West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein.
Conor spoke with Jess about all sorts of topics, from Conor's Northern Irish identity having grown up during The Troubles, to how politics influences his art (and, sometimes, vice versa), to his dislike of nostalgia, his enduring love for the city of Belfast, and much more besides.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3”.
SAT 18:00 Opera on 3 (m002sg0p)
Puccini's Madama Butterfly
From the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Puccini's Madame Butterfly starring Aleksandra Kurzak and Adam Smith in his Met debut. Carlo Rizzi conducts.
Puccini’s poignant tale of a loyal geisha and the callous American naval officer with whom she falls in love. For him, it's a fleeting romance, but for her a loving and permanent marriage, even though he deserts her shortly after it. Three years later, he returns, but devastatingly, he's joined by an American wife.
Presented by Debra Lew Harder with commentator Ira Siff.
Puccini: Madame Butterfly
Cio-Cio-San ..... Aleksandra Kurzak (soprano)
Pinkerton ..... Adam Smith (tenor)
Suzuki ..... Jennifer Johnson Cano (mezzo-soprano)
Sharpless ..... Quinn Kelsey (baritone)
Commissioner ..... Paul Corona (bass)
Kate Pinkerton ..... Hannah Jones (mezzo-soprano)
Yamadori ..... Jeongcheol Cha (bass-baritone)
Bonze ..... Peixin Chen (bass)
Goro ..... Tony Stevenson (tenor)
Metropolitan Opera Chorus
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Carlo Rizzi (conductor)
SAT 21:30 Music Planet (m002sg0r)
Zakia sits in
Broadcaster, writer and DJ Zakia Sewell curates a rich selection of global roots-based music. Her forthcoming book Finding Albion explores British national identity, folk culture and myth, themes that also inform her work as a seasoned documentarian and longtime music aficionado. With formative years spent working behind the counter at Honest Jon’s Records in London, Zakia pulls from a multitude of threads to construct a sonic tapestry especially for Music Planet.
Produced by Gabriel Francis.
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say: “Ask BBC Sounds to play Music Planet”.
SAT 22:30 New Music Show (m002sg0t)
Rhodri Davies's Listen List
Kate Molleson talks to the Welsh composer Rhodri Davies about the new music that he's discovering now, and Kate also showcases the best and latest in cutting-edge and experimental new music.
SUNDAY 15 MARCH 2026
SUN 00:30 Through the Night (m002sg0w)
Lekeu and Bruckner from Katowice
The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Katowice and conductor Christian Arming perform Guillaume Lekeu's Adagio pour quatuor d'orchestre and Bruckner's 7th Symphony. Jonathan Swain presents.
12:31 AM
Guillaume Lekeu (1870-1894)
Adagio pour quatuor d'orchestre
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Katowice, Christian Arming (conductor)
12:43 AM
Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)
Symphony no 7 in E major
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Katowice, Christian Arming (conductor)
01:49 AM
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Good Friday music from 'Parsifal'
Felix Mottl (piano)
01:59 AM
Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)
Te Deum for soloists, chorus and orchestra in C major
Giorgia Milanesi (soprano), Ulfried Haselsteiner (tenor), Anne Margrethe Punsvik Gluch (soprano), Thomas Mohr (baritone), Håvard Stensvold (bass baritone), Kristiansand Cathedral Choir, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Rolf Gupta (conductor)
02:25 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828), transc. Franz Liszt
Auf dem wasser zu singen, D744
Anastasia Vorotnaya (piano)
02:31 AM
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Scottish fantasy, Op 46
James Ehnes (violin), Orchestre symphonique de Montreal, Mario Bernardi (conductor)
03:01 AM
Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil (b.1947)
Eternel - for soprano, boys' choir, mixed choir and orchestra
Izabella Kłosińska (soprano), Cracow Philharmonic Boys' Choir, Cracow Polish Radio Choir, Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit (conductor)
03:33 AM
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
Sonata for Mandolin in D minor, K.90
Avi Avital (mandolin), Shalev Ad-El (harpsichord)
03:42 AM
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732-1795)
Sinfonia for strings and continuo in D minor
Das Kleine Konzert
03:51 AM
Giovanni Picchi (1572-1643)
3 Ballos - Ballo alla Polacca; Ballo Ongaro; Ballo ditto il Pichi
Rinaldo Alessandrini (harpsichord)
03:58 AM
George Enescu (1881-1955)
Concertstuck for viola and piano
Tabea Zimmermann (viola), Monique Savary (piano)
04:07 AM
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Beatus vir, SV 268
Collegium Vocale 1704, Collegium 1704, Václav Luks (conductor)
04:15 AM
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Rondo brillante in E flat 'La gaieté', Op 62, J252
Niklas Sivelöv (piano)
04:22 AM
August de Boeck (1865-1937)
Fantasy on two Flemish Folk Songs
Vlaams Radio Orkest [Flemish Radio Orchestra], Marc Soustrot (conductor)
04:31 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Violin Concerto in D minor, RV.242
Anna Gebert (violin), La Scintilla Orchestra, Anna Gebert (conductor)
04:40 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Rondo in E flat major, Op 16
Ludmil Angelov (piano)
04:49 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
(Grosses) Te Deum in C major (Hob XXIIIc:2)
Netherlands Radio Choir, Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra, Antoni Ros-Marbà (conductor)
04:59 AM
Denes Agay (1911-2007)
5 Easy Dances for flute, oboe, clarinet in Bb, bassoon, horn
Tae-Won Kim (flute), Sang-Won Yoon (bassoon), Kawng-Ku Lee (horn), Hyon-Kon Kim (clarinet), Hyong-Sup Kim (male) (oboe)
05:06 AM
Rudolf Matz (1901-1988)
Ballade for violin, cello & piano
Zagreb Piano Trio
05:14 AM
Alexander Scriabin (1871-1915)
Piano Sonata no 4 in F sharp major, Op 30
Jayson Gillham (piano)
05:23 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Symphony no 4 in A major 'Italian', Op 90
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Nello Santi (conductor)
05:53 AM
Alfredo Casella (1883-1947)
Sicilienne and Burlesque
Kathleen Rudolph (flute), Rena Sharon (piano)
06:02 AM
Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837)
Clarinet Quartet in E flat major
Martin Fröst (clarinet), Tobias Ringborg (violin), Ingegerd Kierkegaard (viola), John Ehde (cello)
SUN 06:30 Breakfast (m002sfcb)
Start your day with classical music
Mark Forrest presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
SUN 09:00 Sunday Morning (m002sfcd)
Three hours of classical sparkle
This week on Sunday Morning, Sarah Walker has three hours of uplifting music - including luminous orchestral colour from Debussy and the sparkling playing of L'Orfeo Baroque Orchestra from their new recording of Suites from the French Baroque.
The King's Singers shine in this week’s Choral Reflection - a gorgeous setting of O Christ, who art the Light and Day from the Renaissance Londoner Robert White. And we head to the Suffolk coast with Britten's atmospheric Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes.
There's also a chance to hear a stunning complete recording of Sibelius' triumphant 5th Symphony, and Sarah celebrates Mothering Sunday in her Sunday Sequence at
10.15.
Also, composer and pianist Olivia Belli reworks Puccini...
A Tandem Production for BBC Radio 3.
SUN 12:00 Private Passions (m002sfcg)
George Saunders, writer
The American writer George Saunders won the 2017 Booker Prize with his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. It’s a moving exploration of the grief of President Lincoln as he mourns his 11-year-old son Willie – and it’s voiced by the weird and wonderful spirits trapped in the cemetery.
George was 58 when the novel was published. In the decades before that, he won renown and awards as a master of the short story. He’s also won legions of followers for his close analysis of the form.
Most recently he’s published a second novel, Vigil, in which spirits return – this time to the deathbed of an oil tycoon.
His musical choices include John Adams, William Grant Still, Caroline Shaw and Dvorak.
Producer: Katy Hickman
SUN 13:30 Music Map (m002sfcj)
Barber's Adagio
Sara Mohr-Pietsch explores one of the most recognisable pieces of classical music, Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. The work was famously used at the funerals of President John F. Kennedy, and Princess Diana, so Sara includes other music associated with mourning by Purcell, Tavener, and Mahalia Jackson, alongside pieces of classical music, which like Barber's work, have become iconically associated with films.
Producer: Ben Collingwood.
SUN 15:00 Choral Evensong (m002s3w5)
New College, Oxford
Last Wednesday's service from the Chapel of New College, Oxford.
Introit: A hymne to Christ (Imogen Holst)
Responses: Dónal McCann
Psalms 59, 60, 61 (Goss, Wesley, Rimbault, Quinney)
First Lesson: Genesis 9 vv8-17
Office hymn: Christ, mighty Saviour (Mighty Savior)
Canticles: Watson in E
Second Lesson: 1 Peter 3 vv18-22
Anthem: To shutt up this circle (Nico Muhly)
Voluntary: Suite, Op 5 (Sicilienne) (Duruflé)
Robert Quinney (Organist)
Hugh Rowlands (Assistant Organist)
Marcus McDevitt (Organ Scholar)
To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Choral Evensong”.
SUN 16:00 Jazz Record Requests (m002sfcl)
Jazz for All
Alyn Shipton presents jazz records of all styles as requested by you, including music from trumpeter Charlie Shavers, the Modern Jazz Quartet and contemporary British guitarist Jake Aaron.
Join our community of jazz lovers. Alyn Shipton is waiting for your requests: email jrr@bbc.co.uk or use #jazzrecordrequests on social.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play Jazz Record Requests.”
SUN 17:00 The Early Music Show (m002sfcn)
Early Music Today
Hannah French celebrates 40 years of the ensemble Giardino Armonico, marks the 400th anniversary of John Dowland's death and finds out about some recent detective work surrounding the composer Denis Delair. She also looks ahead to festivals and events in Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Belfast, as well as exploring a selection of new recordings.
To listen to this programme using most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Early Music Show".
SUN 18:00 Words and Music (m002sfcq)
Looking
Looking can be tied up with joy or pain, with desire or despair, with judgement or disorientation. Some of the greatest poets have explored this – including John Donne, Andrew Marvell, Christina Rossetti and Emily Dickinson. You might be able to see, but your eyes can deceive you – as we’ll hear from the philosopher David Hume and the writer of ghost stories Robert Aickman, and looking is closely tied to the way we experience the world and view ourselves – which is explored in writing by the French existentialist Jean Paul Sartre, the film theory scholar Laura Mulvey and the film-maker Dziga Vertov. And composers from Beethoven to Puccini, Arvo Pärt to David Bowie have been fascinated by the textures and experiences of looking. Our readers are Ellie Piercy and Ben Miles.
Producer: Luke Mulhall
SUN 19:15 Sunday Feature (m002sfcs)
Shostakovich and Us
The comedian, actor and keen amateur musician Nick Mohammed explores how the Russian composer Shostakovich rose from relative obscurity in Britain of the 1930s to fame in the 1970s, when his name even became a byword, in British comedies like The Good Life and Morecambe and Wise, for serious modern music.
Nick discovers that Shostakovich was first introduced to the British public by remarkable outward-looking individuals like Sir Henry Wood, who premiered part of Shostakovich's opera The Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District at the Proms in 1936, just a few months after it was effectively banned by Stalin in Russia. Music critics were oblivious to the impact the ban might have had on Shostakovich, who was now living in fear of his life, and in their reviews wrote it was "very thin stuff for sophisticated Western ears and minds." The British composer Benjamin Britten, however, was also in the audience and berated the "sniggering critics", writing in his diary “the satire is biting and brilliant... I will defend it through thick & thin."
During WWII, Shostakovich's music was used to unite the allies and show solidarity with the Soviet Union. Nick is astounded to see the Radio Times promoting a Greetings to Joseph Stalin Concert in 1941, featuring Shostakovich's music and broadcast in honour of Stalin’s birthday. He also hears the nail-biting story of how the BBC acquired the Leningrad Symphony, with the orchestra learning the new work just in time to play it on the first anniversary of Germany invading Leningrad. In the BBC written archive, Nick also finds some fascinating correspondence between a BBC producer and a diplomat in Moscow and a letter from Shostakovich himself, responding to enquiries about his 15th Symphony.
We hear how Shostakovich often confounded those within the Soviet regime and those without, particularly with his "hidden messages" which he said "those with ears will hear." He was guest of honour at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1962, and through the cellist Rostropovich, cultivated a firm friendship with Benjamin Britten.
In his final visit of 1972, he came to watch his son conduct the British premiere of the 15th Symphony at the Royal Festival Hall and even visited York, where he met the the Fitzwilliam Quartet. Nick visits the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall in York with Alan George, viola player in the quartet, who relives his experience of playing the UK premiere of the 13th String Quartet in front of the composer.
In a final revelation, Nick discovers Shostakovich went to see the musical Jesus Christ Superstar in London not once but twice. Andrew Lloyd Webber tells us how astounded he was by this and what it was like to meet him.
The documentary includes new interviews with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Shostakovich biographer Elizabeth Wilson, Shostakovich expert Gerard McBurney, cultural historian Professor Pauline Fairclough, former Controller of Radio 3 and Director of the BBC Proms Nicholas Kenyon and viola player Alan George.
Series Producer: Clare Walker for BBC Audio
SUN 20:00 Record Review (m002sfcv)
Janacek's Sinfonietta
The Building a Library recommended recording from yesterday's Record Review.
SUN 21:00 20th Century Radicals (m002sfcx)
Kaija Saariaho: Light, nature and the cosmos
Kate Molleson and Gillian Moore present BBC Radio 3's series exploring the pivotal 'modern' musical works of the 20th century, the groundbreaking composers who created them, and the radical cultural and artistic movements which gave rise to them. In this episode, Gillian explores the music of Finland’s Kaija Saariaho, leading to a full listen to her 1987 work Io, composed for the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Along the way, we’ll pay another visit to that city's famous basement bunker at IRCAM, discover music from Korea inspired by the natural world, and find out why Io made use of a particular technology that was in the process of becoming defunct…
Produced by Sam Phillips
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
To listen on most smart speakers just say, “ask BBC Sounds to play 20th Century Radicals”
SUN 22:00 Compline (m002sfcz)
Easter: A Seasonal Journey... Lent 4
A reflective service of night prayer from the Chapel of Keble College, Oxford. With words and music for the end of the day, including works by Ravenscroft, White, Tye and Lassus.
Introit: Laboravi in Gemitu meo (Ravenscroft)
Preces: Plainsong
Hymn: Christe qui lux IV (White)
Psalm 91 vv1-12 (Plainsong)
Reading: Hosea 6 v1
Responsory: Into thy hands, O Lord (plainsong)
Nunc dimittis (Tye)
Marian Antiphon: Ave regina caelorum a 6 (Lassus)
Christian Wilson (conductor)
To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Compline”.
SUN 22:30 Night Tracks (m002sfd1)
Blissful sounds for night owls
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
SUN 23:30 Unclassified (m002mcnt)
Sound and Sequence
Join Elizabeth Alker for a selection of fresh music from genre-defying artists as we journey through landscapes of ambient and experimental sounds. Along the way, we'll hear from emerging independent producers whose work plays with orchestral textures and classical form as well as the latest sounds from a new generation of contemporary composers who look to embrace the spirit of rock, pop and electronica.
Produced by Geoff Bird
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
To listen on most smart speakers just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Unclassified'
MONDAY 16 MARCH 2026
MON 00:30 Through the Night (m002sfd3)
Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring and Sibelius's Violin Concerto
The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande is joined by violinist Midori for Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D minor. Jonathan Swain presents.
12:31 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918), arr. André Caplet
Clair de lune
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Jonathan Nott (conductor)
12:37 AM
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
The Rite of Spring, 1947 version
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Jonathan Nott (conductor)
01:12 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Violin Concerto in D minor, Op 47
Midori (violin), Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Jonathan Nott (conductor)
01:46 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Prelude, from Partita no 3 in E major
Midori (violin)
01:49 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Ondine - from Preludes Book 2 (1912)
Philippe Cassard (piano)
01:53 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
String Quartet in G minor, Op 10
Bartók String Quartet
02:18 AM
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Scherzo in B major, Op 87
Mårten Landström (piano), Stefan Lindgren (piano)
02:31 AM
Ludvig Norman (1831-1885)
String Sextet in A major, Op 18
Stockholm String Sextet (sextet)
02:57 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Concerto no 4 in G major, Op 58
Nelson Goerner (piano), Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Ari Rasilainen (conductor)
03:32 AM
Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829)
6 Variations for violin and guitar, Op 81
Laura Vadjon (violin), Romana Matanovac (guitar)
03:40 AM
Blagoje Bersa (1873-1934)
Capriccio-Scherzo, Op 25c
Croatian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra, Mladen Tarbuk (conductor)
03:49 AM
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Let mine eyes run down with tears, Z.24
Grace Davidson (soprano), Aleksandra Lewandowska (soprano), Damien Guillon (countertenor), Samuel Boden (tenor), Matthew Brook (bass), Collegium Vocale, Philippe Herreweghe (director)
03:58 AM
Peggy Glanville-Hicks (1912-1990)
Three Gymnopedies
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Myer Fredman (conductor)
04:07 AM
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Concerto for 3 oboes in B flat major
Hans-Peter Westermann (oboe), Michael Niesemann (oboe), Piet Dhont (oboe), Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel (director)
04:16 AM
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)
Siete canciones populares espanolas
Jard van Nes (mezzo-soprano), Gérard van Blerk (piano)
04:31 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Overture in the Italian Style, D.590
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Marcello Viotti (conductor)
04:39 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Flute Quartet in G major, K.285a
Joanna G'froerer (flute), Martin Beaver (violin), Pinchas Zukerman (viola), Amanda Forsyth (cello)
04:50 AM
Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa (1566-1613)
Miserere
Camerata Silesia, Anna Szostak (conductor)
05:01 AM
Marcel Tournier (1879-1951)
Images for harp and string quartet, Op 35
Erica Goodman (harp), Amadeus Ensemble
05:11 AM
Ferenc Farkas (1905-2000)
5 Ancient Hungarian Dances for wind quintet
Tae-Won Kim (flute), Hyong-Sup Kim (male) (oboe), Pil-Kwan Sung (oboe), Hyon-Kon Kim (clarinet), Sang-Won Yoon (bassoon)
05:21 AM
Alessandro Piccinini (1566-c.1638)
Toccata; Mariona alla vera spagnola, chiaccona
United Continuo Ensemble
05:30 AM
Florence Price (1887-1953)
Symphony no 3 in C minor
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Valentina Peleggi (conductor)
06:03 AM
Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)
Gloria from Mass Puer natus est nobis for 7 voices
BBC Singers, Stephen Cleobury (conductor)
06:12 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Sonata in C major, K.309
Anna Vinnitskaya (piano)
MON 06:30 Breakfast (m002sd9f)
Brighten your day with classical music
Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
MON 09:30 Essential Classics (m002sd9h)
A classical soundtrack for your morning
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
MON 13:00 Classical Live (m002sd9k)
Bartok's 4th Quartet live from Wigmore Hall
Elizabeth Alker with a week of exclusive music-making including a live concert from the Brentano Quartet from Wigmore Hall, performing music by Haydn, Bartok and from American composer Timo Andres.
Also, this week Classical Live explores a world of opera without words, today featuring operatic music by Verdi and Mascagni; we also have exclusive concert recordings from the Portico of Ards in County Down; and following his sad death in February, across the week we’ll hear exclusive performances by the Hungarian pianist and conductor Tamás Vásáry. Today’s programme includes an all-Hungarian performance from Tamás Vásáry of Mahler’s Symphony No.4 with soprano Ingrid Kertesi, and the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Budapest.
LIVE from WIGMORE HALL, introduced for Classical Live by Hannah French
Brentano Quartet
Joseph Haydn
String Quartet in C minor Op. 17 No. 4
Timo Andres
Machine, Learning
Béla Bartók
String Quartet No. 4
*****
With Elizabeth Alker
Repertoire includes:
Giuseppe Verdi
Hymn and Triumphal March from 'Aida'
WDR Radio Orchestra, Cologne
Rasmus Baumann (conductor)
Pietro Mascagni
Symphonic Interlude, from 'Cavalleria Rusticana'
WDR Radio Orchestra, Cologne
Rasmus Baumann (conductor)
From Protico of Ards:
Thomas Tallis
In jejunio et fletu
Gesualdo Six
Owain Park (director)
Clara Schumann
Piano Concerto
Alexandra Dariescu (piano)
Ulster Orchestra
Olari Elts (conductor)
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 4
Ingrid Kertesi (soprano)
Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Budapest
Tamás Vásáry (conductor)
MON 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002sd9m)
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
Onwards and Upwards
Gaetano Donizetti was one of Italy’s most prolific tunesmiths, with almost 70 operas to his name – about as many as Rossini, Bellini and Verdi all combined - whose arias still cut straight to the heart today. All this week, Donald Macleod follows his irresistible rise: from a child brought up in a dark, cramped cellar to become a pioneering master of the style known as bel canto. And like any opera plot, there’s triumph and tragedy, headaches and heartbreak…
Today, Donizetti is plucked from the cramped underground cellar of his birthplace to become a choirboy. He finds a musical father figure to make up for his own father’s cantankerous attitude, and despite a plague of bad luck in his early stage productions, he’s hailed as a “new hope for Italian opera”.
L’Elisir d’amore: Cantiam, facciam brindisi
English Chamber Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
Sinfonia for Winds in G minor
Camerata Budapest
László Kovács, conductor
Gloria (from Messa di Gloria)
Siri Karoline Thornhill, soprano
Marie-Sande Papenmeyer, mezzo
Mark Adler, tenor
Martin Berner, baritone
Simon Mayr Chorus
Bayerischer Staatsopernchor
Concerto de Bassus
Franz Hauk, conductor
String Quartet No 5 in E minor (1st and 2nd movements)
Quartet Pleyel Köln
Enrico di Borgogna, Act I: “Care augette che spiegate”
Della Jones, soprano
Philharmonia Orchestra
David Parry, conductor
Waltz in G major
Larissa Kondratjewa, piano
Reinhard Schmiedel, piano
Zoraida, Act I: Finale “Il silenzio…..qual tradimento”
Bruce Ford, tenor (Almuzir)
Majella Cullagh, soprano (Zoraida)
Paul Austin Kelly, tenor (Abenamet)
Matthew Hargreaves, bass (Ali)
Dominic Natoli, tenor (Almanzor)
Cristina Pastorello, soprano (Ines)
Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields
David Parry, conductor
Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West.
MON 17:00 In Tune (m002sd9q)
Live music from Gavan Ring and Fiachra Garvey
Katie Derham is joined in the studio for live performances by Gavan Ring and Fiachra Garvey, promoting their St Patrick's Day Wigmore Hall concert.
MON 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002sd9s)
The perfect classical half hour
Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical music.
This evening's mixtape begins with music from Ralph Vaughan Williams' first ever film score - the Prelude to '49th Parallel' from 1941. Rachmaninov and Vivaldi lead us into back-to-back female French composers Augusta Holmès and Nadia Boulanger. Gerald Finzi follows with a beautiful Bagatelle for clarinet and piano, before Charles Villiers Stanford takes us into the choral world with The Blue Bird. US composer William Grant Still closes the sequence by evoking a human soul entering 'heaven', or 'Summerland', played by Jeneba Kanneh-Mason.
Produced by Joe Blamey.
To listen on most smart speakers, just ask your smart speaker to "Play BBC Radio 3".
MON 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002sd9v)
Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2
The BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kristiina Poska in Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2, with soloist Gabriela Montero, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.5 and music by Julia Adolphe.
Recorded at the Barbican London on 27th Feb 2026. Presented by Martin Handley.
Julia Adolphe: Underneath the Sheen
Sergey Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
Interval
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor
Gabriela Montero (piano)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Kristiina Poska (conductor)
In the distance, a horn sings a sad, sweet song – and Tchaikovsky begins his journey to the heights of passion and sorrow. Julia Adolphe gazes up at giant Redwood trees, and sees the shimmer of a better world. And Rachmaninov places a dark, quiet chord into silence, at the beginning of the piano concerto that made him a star.
Every story has to start somewhere, and the emotions in Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony and Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto remain as vital as ever. Julia Adolphe’s forest meditation is new to the UK, but for guest conductor Kristiina Poska, it has all the makings of a favourite. She’s joined by the remarkable Gabriela Montero – a pianist who believes that “music is a purposeful art”, and proves it every time she plays.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert".
MON 21:45 The Essay (m0024m3h)
Scotland Rocks
Gold
Scotland has been blessed with some of the most exciting of gemstones, but knowing where to find them is the secret. A rare edition of 'Scottish Gem Stones' by W J McCallien led Kenneth to the discovery of the riches to be found on Scotland's mountains and shores.
In the first episode, Kenneth tells the story of Scotland's short-lived gold rush in 1869, when 600 gold miners made their way to Sutherland in the hope of a major find.
Kenneth searches for the elusive treasure himself, and reflects on his experiences in poetry.
Presenter Kenneth Steven
Producer Mark Rickards
A Whistledown Scotland Production
MON 22:00 Night Tracks (m002br0r)
Reflective music for the day’s end
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
MON 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002br2b)
Naïssam Jalal’s 4/4
‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.
This week, Soweto’s guest is award-winning French-Syrian flautist and composer Naïssam Jalal. Each project she releases draws on personal memories, encounters and influences from different cultures, delivered with Naïssam’s distinctive and compelling sound. Previous albums have featured artists including saxophone colossus Archie Shepp and Hamid Drake, and Naïssam's new album Landscapes of Eternity, inspired by Hindustani tradition, features several Indian classical musicians.
From Monday to Thursday, Naïssam is sharing some of the albums that have shaped her musical journey so far. To begin, she chooses a record by master saxophonist that helped introduce her to the world of jazz.
There is also music from Sylvie & Ursula, SwanNek, and Bobbi Humphrey.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight".
TUESDAY 17 MARCH 2026
TUE 00:30 Through the Night (m002sdb6)
Schulhoff, Haydn and Mendelssohn from Zagreb
The Zagreb Quartet plays music by Schulhoff, Haydn and Mendelssohn. Jonathan Swain presents.
12:31 AM
Erwin Schulhoff (1894-1942)
Five Pieces for String Quartet
Zagreb Quartet
12:45 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
String Quartet no 62 in C, Op 76/3, Hob. III:77 'Emperor'
Zagreb Quartet
01:08 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
String Quartet no 3 in D, Op 44/1
Zagreb Quartet
01:36 AM
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Polka, from 'Two Pieces for String Quartet'
Zagreb Quartet
01:39 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
My mother bids me bind my hair (H.26a.27) from 6 Original canzonettas
Elizabeth Watts (soprano), Mahan Esfahani (fortepiano)
01:43 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Divertimento in G major, Hob.IV:4 (London Trio No.4)
Carol Wincenc (flute), Philip Setzer (violin), Carter Brey (cello)
01:47 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Symphony No.3 in A minor (Op.56), "Scottish"
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Richard Hickox (conductor)
02:31 AM
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Mass in D major, Op 86
Ludmila Vernerová (soprano), Olga Kodešová (alto), Vladimír Okénko (tenor), Ilja Prokop (bass), Miluska Kvechová (organ), Czech Radio Choir, Pilzen Radio Orchestra, Lubomír Mátl (conductor)
03:11 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Violin Sonata in E flat major, Op 18
Thomas Zehetmair (violin), Kai Ito (piano)
03:39 AM
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Sonata in F major from 'Der Getreue Music-Meister'
Camerata Köln
03:46 AM
Marko Ruždjak (1946-2012)
April is the Cruellest Month
Zagreb Guitar Trio
03:54 AM
Stanisław Moniuszko (1819-1872)
The Commander-in-Chief's Lover (overture)
Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra Katowice, Bogdan Oledzki (conductor)
04:01 AM
Arthur Pryor (1870-1942)
Valse Caprice: La petite Suzanne
Peter Moore (trombone), Jonathan Ware (pianoforte)
04:06 AM
Villem Kapp (1913-1964)
Pohjarannik (The North Coast) - poem for bass soloist, male choir and organ
Aleksander Sarapuu (bass), Eesti Rahvusmeeskoor [Estonian National Male Choir], Andres Paas (organ), Ants Sööts (director)
04:12 AM
August Enna (1859-1939)
2 Klaverstykker (2 piano pieces)
Ida Cernecká (piano)
04:20 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Prelude a l'après-midi d'un faune
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Donald Runnicles (conductor)
04:31 AM
Nicolas Chédeville (1705-1782)
Les Saisons Amusantes Part II (Les Plaisirs de l'ete)
Ensemble 1700, Dorothee Oberlinger (director)
04:40 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op 60
Anastasia Vorotnaya (piano)
04:49 AM
Kaspar Förster (1616-1673)
Dulcis amor Jesu (KBPJ.16)
Olga Pasiecznik (soprano), Marta Boberska (soprano), Il Tempo Baroque Ensemble
04:58 AM
Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006), arr. John P.Paynter
Little Suite for Brass Band no 1, Op 80
Edmonton Wind Ensemble, Harry Pinchin (conductor)
05:06 AM
Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880)
Legende for violin and piano, Op 17
Slawomir Tomasik (violin), Izabela Tomasik (piano)
05:14 AM
Bernat Vivancos (b.1973)
Nigra sum
Latvijas Radio Koris, Sigvards Kļava (conductor)
05:23 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Symphony no 39 in E flat major, K.543
Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, Michał Klauza (conductor)
05:51 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Gesange der Fruhe (Songs of Dawn), Op 133
Sylviane Deferne (piano)
06:06 AM
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Concerto for flute and strings in D minor (Wq.22)
Michael Martin Kofler (flute), Slovenicum Chamber Orchestra, Uros Lajovic (conductor)
TUE 06:30 Breakfast (m002sg8z)
Start the day on the right note with classical music
Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
TUE 09:30 Essential Classics (m002sg91)
The very best of classical music
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
TUE 13:00 Classical Live (m002sg93)
Strauss's Symphonic Interludes from 'Intermezzo'
Elizabeth Alker showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.
This week, Classical Live explores opera without words, today featuring the Symphonic Interludes from Richard Strauss's comic opera 'Intermezzo', recorded in Germany. We also have concert recordings from the Portico of Ards festival in County Down, and following his sad death in February, throughout the week we’ll hear exclusive performances from a recital given by the Hungarian pianist and conductor Tamás Vásáry.
But we begin with former Radio 3 New Generation Artist, the pianist Giorgi Gigashvili, performing Beethoven with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No.2 in Bb Major, Op. 19
Giorgi Gigashvili, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Wigglesworth, conductor
From Portico of Ards:
Thomas Tallis
Lamentations of Jeremiah: Part 1
Gesualdo Six
Owain Park, director
Judith Bingham
Watch with me
Gesualdo Six
Owain Park, director
Gabriel Faure
Une Chatelaine en sa Tour
Catrin Finch, harp
Paul Hindemith
Sonata for harp (1st mvt.)
Catrin Finch, harp
Richard Strauss
Four symphonic interludes, from Intermezzo, Op. 72
German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern
Marcus Bosch, conductor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Sonata in C minor, K. 457
Tamás Vásáry, piano
Bohuslav Martinů
Sinfonietta in A, H. 328 ('La Jolla')
Gstaad Festival Orchestra
Alexander Kagan, conductor
TUE 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002sg95)
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
High Notes and Low Ebbs
Gaetano Donizetti was one of Italy’s most prolific tunesmiths, with almost 70 operas to his name – about as many as Rossini, Bellini and Verdi all combined - whose arias still cut straight to the heart today. All this week, Donald Macleod follows his irresistible rise: from a child brought up in a dark, cramped cellar to become a pioneering master of the style known as bel canto. And like any opera plot, there’s triumph and tragedy, headaches and heartbreak…
Today, Donizetti’s star continues to rise, as he takes on tales of the Tudors and battles the so-called “pirates” of the opera industry. We find him brewing up bogus love-potions, and falling in love himself, without recourse to any artificial aids.
Amor marinaro
Ekaterina Siurina, soprano
Iain Burnside, piano
L’elisir d’amore, Act I: “Che vuol dire codesta suonata?”
Ambrosian Opera Chorus
English Chamber Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
String Quartet No 17 – 2nd and 3rd movements
The Revolutionary Drawing Room
L’Esule di Roma, Act II: Scene 5 “Non v’e… Al mio delitto!
Nicolo Alaimo, bass-baritone (Murena)
Opera Rara Chorus
Britten Sinfonia
Carlo Rizzi, conductor
Anna Bolena: Sinfonia (Overture)
Welsh National Opera Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
L’Elisir d’amore, Act II: “Una furtiva lagrima… Prendi, per mei sei libero”
Angela Gheorgiu, soprano (Adina)
Roberto Alagna, tenor (Nemorino)
Orchestre de l’Opera de Lyon
Evelino Pidò, conductor
Lucrezia Borgia, Act II: Finale “Era dessa il figlio mio”
Dame Joan Sutherland, soprano (Lucrezia)
London Opera Chorus
National Philharmonic Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West.
TUE 17:00 In Tune (m002sg97)
Gerard Flotats performs live
Katie Derham is joined live in studio by Gerard Flotats ahead of his concert at the Barnes Music Festival. Also, Greg James chats to Katie about Radio 1's Longest Ride.
TUE 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002sg99)
30 minutes of classical inspiration
30 minutes of back to back classical music to help you wind down at the end of a busy day. Today's sequence opens with a Pavane by Ravel and a beautiful setting of an Indian hymn by Holst. The rich baritone voice of Dmitri Hvorostovsky yearns for love in a song by Rachmaninov, echoed by an orchestral song by Ruth Gipps. The The Bill Evans quartet partners a lullaby with one of Eric Satie's Gymnopedies, and the mix ends with a sweeping arrangement of Willian Grant Still's tribute to the African harp.
Producer: Helen Garrison
TUE 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002sg9c)
Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3 ‘Scottish’
Royal Northern Sinfonia, conducted by Nil Venditti, join forces with violinist Maria Włoszczowska for a concert of vivid contrasts. The programme begins with «rewind« by Anna Clyne, a propulsive and atmospheric opener. At its centre is Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, full of sharp wit, lyrical beauty and sudden, unpredictable twists. The evening concludes with Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘Scottish’ Symphony, sweeping from misty mystery to windswept grandeur - a journey of spiky brilliance and Romantic atmosphere.
Presented by Mark Forrest at The Glasshouse, Gateshead, and recorded on 6th March 2026.
Anna Clyne: «rewind«
Sergei Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 ‘Scottish’
Maria Włoszczowska (violin)
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Nil Venditti (conductor)
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert'.
TUE 21:45 The Essay (m0024nmg)
Scotland Rocks
Agate
Scotland has been blessed with some of the most exciting of gemstones, but knowing where to find them is the secret. A rare edition of 'Scottish Gem Stones' by W J McCallien led Kenneth to the discovery of the riches to be found on Scotland's mountains and shores.
The mineralogist Matthew Heddle, the great 19th century collector of Scottish gemstones. was particularly fond of agates. The wonderful thing about banded agate is that each one is unique; you’ll never know from looking at the outside what the heart of it may reveal. The counties of Angus and Fife have fabulous banded agates on the shores and in the fields, but finding them is about more than just luck.
Kenneth Steven goes in search of the precious stones and reflects on his finds in poetry.
Presenter Kenneth Steven
Producer Mark Rickards
A Whistledown Scotland production
TUE 22:00 Night Tracks (m002br4d)
A bewitching night time soundtrack
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
TUE 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002br8v)
One from BBC Introducing North East
‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday, late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.
French-Syrian flautist Naïssam Jalal returns with her second 4/4 record selection of the week. Tonight, she chooses an album by a legendary Indian flautist and musical director that she is inspired by.
Plus music from Naná Rizinni, Jason Yarde, and Penny Goodwin.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight".
WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH 2026
WED 00:30 Through the Night (m002sg9k)
Beethoven, Schumann and Tchaikovsky from Cologne
Pablo Ferrández is the soloist in Schumann's Cello Concerto performed with the WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony and Beethoven's 'Egmont' Overture complete the programme. Jonathan Swain presents.
12:31 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Overture to 'Egmont, Op 84'
WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne, Andrés Orozco-Estrada (conductor)
12:40 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Cello Concerto in A minor, Op 129
Pablo Ferrández (cello), WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne, Andrés Orozco-Estrada (conductor)
01:05 AM
Pau Casals (1876-1973)
El cant dels ocells, for solo cello
Pablo Ferrández (cello)
01:08 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Symphony no 5 in E minor, Op 64
WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne, Andrés Orozco-Estrada (conductor)
01:56 AM
Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924), arr. Pau Casals
Apres un reve, Op 7 no 1 arr. for cello & piano
Andreas Brantelid (cello), Bengt Forsberg (piano)
02:00 AM
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Sonata for viola and piano, Op 147
Antoine Tamestit (viola), Markus Hadulla (piano)
02:31 AM
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594), arr. Francesco Soriano
Missa Papae Marcelli arr. Soriano for double choir (orig. 6 vv)
BBC Singers, Bo Holten (conductor)
02:57 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Piano Sonata in A minor, Op 42 (D.845)
Alfred Brendel (piano)
03:33 AM
Anon, John Coperario (1570-1626), William Lawes (1602-1645), Pedro Memelsdorff (arranger), Andreas Staier (arranger)
Court Masques under Charles I and II
Pedro Memelsdorff (recorder), Andreas Staier (harpsichord)
03:44 AM
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis for double string orchestra
BBC Philharmonic, Yan Pascal Tortelier (conductor)
03:58 AM
Ludvig Norman (1831-1885)
2 Songs: Such die Blumen dir im Thal; Herbstlied
Olle Persson (baritone), Bengt-Åke Lundin (piano)
04:04 AM
Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979)
Three Pieces for Cello and Piano
Samuel Niederhauser (cello), Denis Linnik (piano)
04:12 AM
Jan van Gilse (1881-1944)
Concert Overture in C minor
Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jac van Steen (conductor)
04:22 AM
John Field (1782-1837)
Andante inédit in E flat major for piano
Marc-André Hamelin (piano)
04:31 AM
Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709)
Sonata in D for Trumpet, Strings and Basso Continuo
Sebastian Philpott (trumpet), European Union Baroque Orchestra, Lars Ulrik Mortensen (conductor)
04:38 AM
Ernest Bloch (1880-1959)
From Jewish Life, B.54
Nicolas Altstaedt (cello), Alexander Lonquich (piano)
04:48 AM
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (no 6 from Lyric pieces, Op 65)
Valerie Tryon (piano)
04:56 AM
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Suite in A major, Op 98b
Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra Katowice, Stanislaw Macura (conductor)
05:15 AM
Chan Ka Nin (b.1949)
Four seasons suite
Ottawa Winds, Michael Goodwin (conductor)
05:27 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
String Quartet in G major, Op 77 no 1
Royal String Quartet
05:47 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Symphony no 38 in D major, K.504, 'Prague'
Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Oksana Lyniv (conductor)
06:18 AM
Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)
Alma Redemptoris Mater & Ave Maria, O auctrix vite
Sequentia, Elizabeth Gaver (medieval fiddle), Elisabetta de Mircovich (medieval fiddle)
WED 06:30 Breakfast (m002sdfy)
Ease into the day with classical music
Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
WED 09:30 Essential Classics (m002sdg0)
Relax into the day with classical
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
WED 13:00 Classical Live (m002sdg2)
Janacek's Suite - ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’
Elizabeth Alker showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.
This week Classical Live explores opera without words, including today a live broadcast from Media City UK in Salford from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Clelia Cafiero performing operatic music by Puccini, Janacek and Richard Strauss. And we also have exclusive concert recordings from Portico of Ards in County Down including solos from harpist Catrin Finch. Plus, following his sad death in February, more highlights from a recital given by the Hungarian pianist and conductor Tamás Vásáry.
Including:
Pablo de Sarasate
Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25
Ming Liu (violin)
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
Long Yu (conductor)
From Portico of Ards:
Ekaterina Walter-Küne
Fantasie on Themes from ‘Eugene Onegin’
Catrin Finch (harp)
1.30
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Live Wednesday Concert series:
Giacomo Puccini
Capriccio Sinfonico
Richard Strauss
Macbeth
Leos Janácek
The Cunning Little Vixen (Suite)
BBC Philharmonic
Clelia Cafiero (conductor)
*****
Fryderyk Chopin
Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante in E flat, Op. 22
Tamás Vásáry (piano)
From Portico of Ards:
Nino Rota
Sarabande & Toccata
Catrin Finch (harp)
WED 15:00 Choral Evensong (m002sdg4)
St Michael’s Church, Barnes, London
From St Michael’s Church, Barnes, London with the choir of Tiffin School.
Introit: The Blackthorn Carol (Oliver Tarney)
Responses: Neary
Office hymn: The growing limbs of God the son (Gonfalon Royal)
Psalm 132 (Wesley)
First Lesson: Hosea 11 vv1-9
Canticles: New College Service (Howells)
Second Lesson: Luke 2 vv41-52
Anthem: Like as the hart (Howells)
Hymn: Cross of Jesus (Cross of Jesus)
Voluntary: Rhapsody No 3 in C sharp minor (Howells)
James Day (Director of Choral Music)
Richard Gowers (Organist)
Recorded 13 March.
To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Choral Evensong”.
WED 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002sdg6)
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
Headaches and Heartbreak
Gaetano Donizetti was one of Italy’s most prolific tunesmiths, with almost 70 operas to his name – about as many as Rossini, Bellini and Verdi all combined - whose arias still cut straight to the heart today. All this week, Donald Macleod follows his irresistible rise: from a child brought up in a dark, cramped cellar to become a pioneering master of the style known as bel canto. And like any opera plot, there’s triumph and tragedy, headaches and heartbreak…
Today, we find Donizetti in deep trouble with the censors who shut down his opera Maria Stuarda, and he’s hit by a series of terrible family bereavements, including the loss of his wife and unborn child. We also hear perhaps the most influential scene in any of his operas, from Lucia di Lammermoor– which provided the model for many future composers’ “mad scenes”.
Lucia di Lammermoor, Act II: Per te d’immenso giubilo
Chorus of the Royal Opera House
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Bernard Haitink, conductor
String Quartet No 16 (ii. Largo)
Quartetto Mitja
Maria Stuarda, Act II: “Figlia impura di Bolena… Va preparati furente”
Edita Gruberová, soprano (Maria)
Agnes Baltsa, mezzo-soprano (Elizabetta)
Francesco Araiza, tenor (Leicester)
Iris Vermillion, mezzo-soprano (Anna)
Francesco Ellero D'Artegna, bass (Talbot)
Simone Alaimo, baritone (Cecil)
Munich Radio Orchestra
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Giuseppe Patanè, conductor
Lucia di Lammermoor, Act III: “Il dolce suono”
Montserrat Caballé (Lucia)
Samuel Ramey (Raimondo),
Ambrosian Singers
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Jesús López Cobos, conductor
Messa di Requiem: Judex ergo; Rex tremendae majestatis
Zdenek Hlavka, baritone
Marcel Rosca, bass
Prague Chamber Chorus
Prague Virtuosi
Alexander Rahbari, conductor
ll sogno “Nostre misere menti”
Il sospiro “Donna felice, stanca d’amore”
Lawrence Brownlee, tenor
Carlo Rizzi, piano
Poliuto: Sinfonia – O nume pietoso
Chor der Wiener Singakademie
Wiener Symphoniker
Oleg Caetani, conductor
Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West.
WED 17:00 In Tune (m002sdg8)
Elmore Quartet and Vista Quartet perform live in studio
The Elmore Quartet and Vista Quartet perform live ahead of their performance at the Guildhall Chamber Festival. Also, Michael Waldron talks to Katie Derham about Britten and Oldham.
WED 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002ksnz)
Switch up your listening with classical music
Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical music.
WED 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002sdgb)
Folk, Fire and the Cello
Cellist Laura van der Heijden teams up with Sinfonia Cymru for a thrilling programme of string music inspired by folklore and fairytales, including a performance of Dobrinka Tabakova's lyrical Cello Concerto. On this journey of earthy textures and electrifying contrasts, we're transported from Ravel's enchanted garden to the coastline of Wales, and experience the riotous ride of Bartók's Divertimento for strings.
Presented by Verity Sharp and recorded at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff, on 28th February.
Élisabeth Jacquet De la Guerre: Céphale et Procris (Act IV, Scene 6: Les demons)
Grace Williams: The Dark Island, II. Barcarolle
Hildegard von Bingen: Antiphons
Pablo Casals: Song of the Birds
Caroline Shaw: Plan & Elevation (II. The Cutting Garden)
Maurice Ravel arr. Martelli: Mother Goose (V. The Enchanted Garden)
Dobrinka Tabakova: Concerto for Cello and Strings
Interval
Leroy Anderson: Plink, Plank, Plunk!
John Rutter: Suite for Strings (I. A-Roving, II. I Have a Bonnet Trimmed with Blue)
Trad. arr. Danish String Quartet: Nordic Suite (II. Scherzo: Staedelil)
Trad. arr. Patrick Rimes: Ar Lan y Môr
Patrick Rimes: Galliard-Bourree
Béla Bartók (1881-1945) Divertimento for Strings
Laura van der Heijden, cello
Sinfonia Cymru
Haim Choi, leader
To listen on most smart speakers just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert"
WED 21:45 The Essay (m0024nx5)
Scotland Rocks
Aquamarine
The great Victorian collector of minerals Matthew Heddle mentions two places in particular for the finding of aquamarine in Scotland, one the island of Arran and the other a mountain in the Cairngorms. But locating these gems is another story.
The Cairngorm mountains are a kind of fortress. There is nowhere else like them in Scotland. You enter their world from one side or another and thereafter are inside them until you withdraw once more. You become aware of other noises than the ones that dominate our days: you hear streams, the breeze lifting the pine trees, the wind in the high hills once you have climbed into them. It’s an elemental place: pure and to all intents and purposes undamaged, undisturbed.
Kenneth Steven explores the history of this semi-precious stone and reflects in poetry on his finds.
Presenter Kenneth Steven
Producer Mark Rickards
A Whistledown Scotland production
WED 22:00 Night Tracks (m002sdgg)
Bewitching sounds for after dark
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
WED 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002sdgj)
An extra story from Dave Holland
Naïssam Jalal is back to share a third album that she admires, and tonight she selects a release by a pianist who is widely celebrated as one of the greatest jazz orchestrators. Also in the programme, there is music from Clara Serra Lopez, Laura Misch, and Moonchild.
‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight".
THURSDAY 19 MARCH 2026
THU 00:30 Through the Night (m002sdgl)
Walton's Viola Concerto and Shostakovich's Symphony no 9
The RAI National Symphony Orchestra performs under the direction of Andrés Orozco-Estrada in Walton's viola concerto with soloist Antoine Tamestit. The rest of the programme contains Shostakovich's 9th symphony and two orchestral works by Ravel to bookend the concert. Jonathan Swain presents.
12:31 AM
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Alborada del gracioso
RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Andrés Orozco-Estrada (conductor)
12:41 AM
William Walton (1902-1983)
Viola Concerto
Antoine Tamestit (viola), RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Andrés Orozco-Estrada (conductor)
01:09 AM
Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881)
Capriccio, Op 55 (encore)
Antoine Tamestit (viola)
01:13 AM
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
Rasendes Zeitmaß. Wild. Tonschönheit ist Nebensache, from Viola Sonata op 25
Antoine Tamestit (viola)
01:15 AM
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Symphony no 9 in E flat, Op 70
RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Andrés Orozco-Estrada (conductor)
01:42 AM
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
La Valse
RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Andrés Orozco-Estrada (conductor)
01:56 AM
Paul Dukas (1865-1935)
Villanelle for horn and piano
Tamás Zempléni (horn), Zóltan Kocsis (piano)
02:02 AM
Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Symphony No 1 in D major, Op 25, 'Classical'
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Karel Ancerl (conductor)
02:16 AM
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704)
Violin Sonata No 6 in C minor
Daniel Sepec (violin), Hille Perl (viola da gamba), Lee Santana (theorbo), Michael Behringer (organ)
02:31 AM
Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op 42
Duncan Gifford (piano)
02:51 AM
Louis Spohr (1784-1859)
Nonet in F major, Op 31
Kyoko Ogawa (violin), Anne Sophie Van Riel (viola), Alexander Arai-Swale (double bass), Hyunjung Song (oboe), Carlotta Brendel (bassoon), Zuzanna Szambelan (cello), Ronja Macholdt (flute), Astrid den Daas (clarinet), Pauline Zahno (horn)
03:19 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225
Roberta Invernizzi (soprano), Annemieke Cantor (alto), Gerhard Nennemann (tenor), Furio Zanasi (bass), Chorus of Swiss-Italian Radio, Ensemble Vanitas Lugano, Diego Fasolis (conductor)
03:33 AM
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)
Jane Grey Fantasy, Op 15
Scott Dickinson (viola), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Teresa Riveiro Bohm (conductor)
03:44 AM
André Grétry (1741-1813)
Overture and Duo (Le jugement de Midas)
John Elwes (tenor), Jules Bastin (bass), La Petite Bande, Gustav Leonhardt (conductor)
03:54 AM
Marianna Martines (1744-1812)
Sinfonia in C major
BBC Concert Orchestra, Johannes Wildner (conductor)
04:06 AM
Arthur Butterworth (1923-2014)
Romanza for horn and strings
Martin Hackleman (horn), CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)
04:16 AM
Josquin des Prez (c1440 - 1521)
Praeter rerum seriem
Huelgas Ensemble, Paul Van Nevel (director)
04:21 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
3 Ecossaises for piano, Op 72 no 3
Ingrid Fliter (piano)
04:24 AM
Carl Nielsen (1865-1931)
Overture to Maskarade (FS.39)
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Leif Segerstam (conductor)
04:31 AM
Carlos Salzédo (1885-1961)
Chanson dans la nuit (Study for harp)
Mojca Zlobko (harp)
04:34 AM
Adam Jarzebski (1590-1649)
Corona Aurea - concerto a 3
Il Tempo Baroque Ensemble, Simon Standage (violin)
04:41 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto for 2 trumpets and orchestra in C major, RV.537
Anton Grčar (trumpet), Stanko Arnold (trumpet), RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Marko Munih (conductor)
04:48 AM
Mel Bonis (1858-1938)
Suite Orientale, Op 48 no 2: Prelude & Danse d'almees
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Rumon Gamba (conductor)
04:56 AM
Johannes Ockeghem (1410-1497)
Intemerata Dei mater
Hilliard Ensemble, Paul Hillier (director)
05:04 AM
Alessandro Marcello (1673-1747)
Concerto in D minor for oboe and strings
Maja Kojc (oboe), RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Pavle Dešpalj (conductor)
05:16 AM
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Mass in G major
Elmer Iseler Singers, Elmer Iseler (conductor)
05:32 AM
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Tristan and Isolde (Prelude)
Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Tabita Berglund (conductor)
05:42 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
String Quartet in D major, Op 64 no 5 (Hob.III.63) "Lark"
Danish String Quartet
06:00 AM
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Piano Sonata no 1 in F sharp minor, Op 11
Martin Helmchen (piano)
THU 06:30 Breakfast (m002sfnh)
Rise and shine with classical music
Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
THU 09:30 Essential Classics (m002sfnk)
Celebrating classical greats
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
THU 13:00 Classical Live (m002sfnm)
Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto with Isata Kanneh-Mason
Elizabeth Alker showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.
This week, Classical Live explores opera without words, today's instrumental highlights from Rameau's masterly opera 'Les Boreades', performed by La Scintilla Orchestra and Jakob Lehmann; we also have concert recordings from the Portico of Ards festival in County Down from harpist Catrin Finch and the Gesualdo Six; and following his sad death in February, throughout the week we’ll hear from an exclusive recital given by the Hungarian pianist and conductor Tamás Vásáry. And Isata Kanneh-Mason performs Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto in Scotland.
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Excerpts from the tragédie lyrique 'Les Boréades'
La Scintilla Orchestra
Jakob Lehmann, conductor
From Portico of Ards:
Jacob Obrecht
Parce Domine
Gesualdo Six
Owain Park, director
Francisco Guerrero
In passione positus Jesus
Gesualdo Six
Owain Park, director
Tomás Luis de Victoria
Tenebrae Responsories
i. Una hora
ii. Tenebrae factae sunt
iii. Aestimatus sum
Gesualdo Six
Owain Park, director
Sergei Rachmaninov
Piano Concerto No.3
Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Delyana Lazarova, conductor
John Parry
Sonata No.1 (1st mvt.)
Catrin Finch, harp
Toshiro Mayuzumi
Rokuden
Catrin Finch, harp
Astor Piazzolla
Vuelvo al Sur
Catrin Finch, harp
THU 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002sfnp)
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
A French Resolution
Gaetano Donizetti was one of Italy’s most prolific tunesmiths, with almost 70 operas to his name – about as many as Rossini, Bellini and Verdi all combined - whose arias still cut straight to the heart today. All this week, Donald Macleod follows his irresistible rise: from a child brought up in a dark, cramped cellar to become a pioneering master of the style known as bel canto. And like any opera plot, there’s triumph and tragedy, headaches and heartbreak…
Today, Donizetti makes a long-awaited move to Paris, fed up with the infuriating censorship of his operas in Italy. Looking for a fresh start, and a new audience, he ends up writing a tune that would take on an anthem-like status for the French.
La fille du regiment: Salut à la France
Natalie Dessay, soprano
Choeur ‘Les Elements’
Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse
Michel Plasson, conductor
Les Martyrs: Danses (Pas de deux)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Mark Elder, conductor
Les Martyrs, Act II: Scenes 2-4: “Mon seul tresor….oui j’irai”
Michael Spyres, tenor (Polyeucte)
Joyce El Khoury, soprano (Pauline)
Brindley Sherratt, bass (Felix)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Mark Elder, conductor
La fille du regiment, Act I: Finale “Ah mes amis…je suis soldat”
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor (Tonio)
Eric Garrett, baritone (Caporal)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House
Richard Bonynge, conductor
Donizetti, arr Liszt: Spirto gentil from La favorite, S400a
William Wolfram, piano
Maria Padilla, Act III: Finale “Il silenzio… O padre”
Lois McDonall, soprano (Maria Padilla)
Della Jones, mezzo-soprano (Ines Padilla)
Christian du Plessis, baritone (Don Pedro)
Roderick Earle, bass-baritone (Ramiro)
Ian Caley, tenor (Don Luigi)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
London Symphony Orchestra
Alun Francis, conductor
Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West.
THU 17:00 In Tune (m002sfnr)
Anna Lowenstein and her quartet perform live.
Katie Derham is joined in the studio for live performances by Anna Lowenstein and her quartet to promote their album Through The Walls. Also, Susan Tomes talks to Katie about her new book Nocturnes and the Fascination of Night.
THU 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002sfnt)
The eclectic classical mix
Take time out with a 30-minute classical soundscape including one of Debussy's Preludes for piano, a string quartet by Haydn, Adolphus Hailstork's Kum ba yah from his 3 Spirituals for orchestra, Ola Gjeilo's Still for voices and harp, the Siciliano from Malcolm Arnold's Little Suite for brass band, and Amy Beach's Berceuse arranged for clarinet and orchestra- amongst others.
Producer: Eleonora Claps
THU 19:30 Radio 3 in Concert (m002sfnw)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 'Pathétique'
With its sweeping melodies and raw emotion, Tchaikovsky’s famous Pathétique Symphony is a powerful exploration of love, loss and fate. It’s music that speaks from the heart, and with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Principal Guest Conductor Delyana Lazarova’s baton, every note tells a story.
But first, Duo Játékok - the French piano duo with a name inspired by playfulness - lights the touchpaper on a firecracker of a double concerto, composed by teenage genius Felix Mendelssohn on a mission to astonish the world.
Presented by Kate Molleson, live from Glasgow's City Halls.
Felix Mendelssohn: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in A-Flat Major
c.
8.15pm: interval
c.
8:25pm
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, ‘Pathétique’
Duo Játékok, pianos
Delyana Lazarova, conductor
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3 in Concert'.
THU 21:45 The Essay (m0024mff)
Scotland Rocks
Serpentine
The first stone Kenneth Steven began collecting in childhood was serpentine from the beaches of the island of Iona. Here he tells the story of the search for the finest gems.
It was Kenneth's mother who’d taught him to search for serpentine. She explained to him the difference between these waxy, much softer pebbles and stones made of marble. Those are duller; they don’t polish the same, and once out of water, they have a drabness about them. You can tell a piece of serpentine because, as soon as it has absorbed the oils from your hand, it’s polished, glimmering.
Presenter Kenneth Steven
Producer Mark Rickards
A Whistledown Scotland production
THU 22:00 Night Tracks (m002sfp0)
A meditative moonlight soundtrack
Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents an adventurous, immersive soundtrack for late-night listening, from classical to contemporary and everything in between.
THU 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002nptl)
New from Surya Botofasina
‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.
All this week, French-Syrian flautist and composer Naïssam Jalal has been Soweto’s guest for 4/4. Rounding off her week, Naïssam picks a record by a pioneering harpist and pianist that has deeply influenced her.
There is also music from Eun and Demae, Nnenna Freelon, and Mary Halvorson and sylvie courvoisier.
To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight".
FRIDAY 20 MARCH 2026
FRI 00:30 Through the Night (m002sfp2)
Prokofiev and Weinberg from Spain
Alban Gerhardt performs the Cello Concerto by Mieczysław Weinberg with the RTVE Symphony Orchestra in Madrid. Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony, composed during the fateful summer of 1944, completes the programme. Jonathan Swain presents.
12:31 AM
Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996)
Cello Concerto in C minor, Op 43
Alban Gerhardt (cello), La Orquesta Sinfónica RTVE, Delyana Lazarova (conductor)
12:59 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Prélude, from 'Cello Suite no 6 in D major, BWV.1012'
Alban Gerhardt (cello)
01:04 AM
Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Symphony no 5 in B flat major, Op 100
La Orquesta Sinfónica RTVE, Delyana Lazarova (conductor)
01:49 AM
Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710)
4 pieces from "Instrucción de música sobre la guitara española"
Xavier Díaz-Latorre (guitar), Pedro Estevan (percussion)
02:06 AM
Bernat Vivancos (b.1973)
Obriu-me els llavis, Senyor (Psalm 51 - Miserere)
Latvijas Radio Koris, Sigvards Kļava (conductor)
02:21 AM
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904), Adolf Heyduk (lyricist)
no.4 Als die alte Mutter
Victoria de los Ángeles (soprano), Sinfonia of London, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (conductor)
02:24 AM
Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909), arr. Manuel Barrueco
Cádiz, from Suite española, Op 47
Xavier Díaz-Latorre (guitar)
02:31 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Mass in C minor 'Great' K.427
BBC Singers, Olivia Robinson (soprano), Elizabeth Poole (mezzo-soprano), Christopher Bowen (tenor), Stuart MacIntyre (baritone), BBC Concert Orchestra, Stephen Cleobury (conductor)
03:21 AM
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
Le Loriot (No.2 of Catalogue d'Oiseaux)
David Louie (piano)
03:30 AM
Alexis Contant (1858-1918)
L'Aurore - Symphonic Poem (1912)
Orchestre Metropolitaine, Gilles Auger (conductor)
03:42 AM
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums)
Moyzes Quartet
03:49 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
"Si, si, fellon, t'intendo.." & "Fra Tempeste funeste a quest'alma" (Rodelinda)
Matthew White (countertenor), Arte dei Suonatori, Eduardo Lopez Banzo (conductor)
03:54 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
8 Variations on Mozart's 'La ci darem la mano'
Hyong-Sup Kim (male) (oboe), Ja-Eun Ku (male) (piano)
04:04 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Helena Winkelman (b.1974)
Brandenburg Concerto no 3 in G major, BWV.1048
Camerata Variabile Basel, Helena Winkelman (conductor), Helena Winkelman (violin)
04:17 AM
Antonio Bazzini (1818-1897)
La Ronde des Lutins
David Nebel (violin), Giorgi Iuldashevi (piano)
04:23 AM
Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)
La grotta di Trofonio (Overture)
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Fabio Biondi (conductor)
04:31 AM
Filiberto Nantermi (d.1605), Giovanni Battista Guarini (author)
Cor mio, deh non languire
Consort of Musicke, Anthony Rooley (director), Emma Kirkby (soprano), Evelyn Tubb (soprano), Mary Nichols (alto), Andrew King (tenor), Alan Ewing (bass)
04:36 AM
Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016)
Notturno e danza
Johan Dalene (violin), Nicola Eimer (piano)
04:44 AM
George Walker (1922-2018)
Lyric for Strings
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Alpesh Chauhan (conductor)
04:53 AM
Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
6 Chansons Françaises
Jenny Högström (soprano), Amadeus Wiesensee (piano)
05:01 AM
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Clarinet Concertino in E flat major, Op 26
Kari Kriikku (clarinet), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor)
05:11 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Sonata in G minor, H.
16.44
Petras Geniušas (piano)
05:23 AM
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)
Suite from Platee (Junon jalouse) - comedie-lyrique in three acts
Concerto Copenhagen, Lars Ulrik Mortensen (director)
05:48 AM
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Audi, coelum, verba mea - from Vespro della Beata Vergine
Lambert Climent (tenor), Lluis Claret (tenor), La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Hesperion XX, Jordi Savall (conductor)
05:57 AM
Fela Sowande (1905-1987)
African suite for harp and strings
CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Mario Bernardi (conductor)
06:22 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Spiegel im Spiegel
Morten Carlsen (viola), Sergej Osadchuk (piano)
FRI 06:30 Breakfast (m002sdgn)
Roll out of bed into classical music
Tom McKinney presents Radio 3’s Breakfast show live from Salford. With birdsong, Bach Before 7 and the best in classical music. You can contact the show by emailing 3breakfast@bbc.co.uk.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play 3 Breakfast’.
FRI 09:30 Essential Classics (m002sdgq)
A feast of great music
Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.
1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.
1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.
1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.
1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
FRI 13:00 Classical Live (m002sdgs)
Orchestral highlights from Wagner's ‘Twilight of the Gods’
Elizabeth Alker showcases the best performances by BBC orchestras, choirs, ensembles and other great performing groups from Europe and around the globe.
This week Classical Live explores opera without words and today Elizabeth features an exclusive recording with Daniele Gatti conducting orchestral highlights from the final part of Wagner's epic music drama, The Ring of the Nibelungs. We also have concert recordings from Portico of Ards in County Down and in the wake of his sad death in February, an archive performance of the Hungarian pianist and conductor Tamás Vásáry playing operatic transcriptions by Liszt.
Richard Strauss
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40
Santa Cecilia Orchestra
Daniele Gatti (conductor)
Franz Liszt
Paraphrase on the quartet from Verdi's 'Rigoletto'
Tamas Vasary (piano)
Richard Wagner
Orchestral excerpts from 'Götterdämmerung'
Dawn and Siegfried’s Rhine Journey; Funeral March
Guglielmo Pellarin (horn)
Santa Cecilia Orchestra
Daniele Gatti (conductor)
From Portico in Ards:
Carlos Salzedo
Variations on an theme in the antique style Op. 30
Manuel Ponce
Intermezzo
Pierick Houdy
Sonata for harp (1st mvt)
Thomas Tallis
Lamentations of Jeremiah: Part 2
Gesualdo Six
Owain Park (director)
FRI 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002sdgv)
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
The Final Act
Gaetano Donizetti was one of Italy’s most prolific tunesmiths, with almost 70 operas to his name – about as many as Rossini, Bellini and Verdi all combined - whose arias still cut straight to the heart today. All this week, Donald Macleod follows his irresistible rise: from a child brought up in a dark, cramped cellar to become a pioneering master of the style known as bel canto. And like any opera plot, there’s triumph and tragedy, headaches and heartbreak…
Today, in a tale of two cities, we’ll see unfold the final act of Donizetti’s career as his productivity ramps up and he gets the long-coveted post of Director of Music to the Austrian Emperor. We hear about his unfortunate fate that mirrored one of his most famous operatic scenes, and the somewhat surprising relic made from his corpse.
Trovatella “Sovra il campo della vita”
Marie-Nicole Lemieux, soprano
Giulio Zappa, piano
Don Pasquale, Act II: “Che interminabile andirivieni”
Munchner Rundfunkschor
Munchner Rundfunksorchester
Roberto Abbado, conductor
String Quartet No 18 (i. Allegro)
Revolutionary Drawing Room
Don Pasquale, Act III: “Com’è gentil… Bravo, bravo Don Pasquale”
Frank Lopardo, tenor (Ernesto)
Eva Mei, soprano (Norina)
Renato Bruson, bass (Don Pasquale)
Thomas Allen, bass-baritone (Malatasto)
Munchner Rundfunkschor
Munchner Rundfunksorchester
Roberto Abbado, conductor
Dom Sebastien: Seul sur la terre
Benjamin Bernheim, tenor
Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Frédéric Chaslin, conductor
Requiem: Offertorio – Lux Aeterna
Marcel Rosca, bass
Tiziana K. Sojat, soprano
Vittorio Giammarrusco, tenor
Jaroslava Horska-Maxová, mezzo-soprano
Zdeněk Hlávka, baritone
Prague Chamber Chorus
Prague Virtuosi
Alexander Rahbari, conductor
Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West.
FRI 17:00 In Tune (m002sdgx)
Live music from Tunde Jegede, Kitty Whately and Julius Drake
Petroc Trelawny is joined in studio for live performances from Tunde Jegede to promote his Wigmore Hall Concert. Plus, Kitty Whately and Julius Drake promote their new album 'Through the Centuries - Songs of Madeleine Dring.
FRI 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002sdgz)
Power through with classical music
Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical music.
FRI 19:30 Friday Night is Music Night (m0027cz6)
Seen from Across the Channel
A French-themed concert which features Radio 3 New Generation Artist Julius Asal, who joins conductor Michael Seal and the BBC Concert Orchestra in Ravel's Piano Concerto. From Alexandra Palace Theatre, London.
Presented by Sarah Walker.
Bizet, orch Lane: Jeux d’enfants (excerpts)
Percy Fletcher: Two Parisian Sketches: Demoiselle chic; Bal masqué
Alan Langford: Aubade triste
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G
INTERVAL
RR Bennett; Suite française
Fauré: Pavane; Berceuse (Dolly Suite)
Ravel: Jeux d’eau (solo piano)
Chaminade: Pièce Romantique et Gavotte
Peter Hope: Four French Dances
Julius Asal (piano)
BBC Concert Orchestra
Michael Seal (conductor)
FRI 21:45 The Essay (m0024mht)
Scotland Rocks
Amber
Scotland has been blessed with some of the most exciting of gemstones, but knowing where to find them is the secret.
Kenneth Steven was given a piece of amber when he was a child, found supposedly on Iona. This is the story of amber and where it actually comes from.
Kenneth tells the story of amber in Scotland and in Ireland. Amber necklaces from Ireland are somewhere in the region of three thousand years old. Those necklaces are usually found in bogland hoards and in caves. Perhaps they were kept there for safety, or as offerings to the river or to water deities. It’s surely a sign of the value that was ascribed to them that these amber relics are most often found close to gold. This would suggest that amber was a status symbol for the wealthy and powerful.
Presenter Kenneth Steven
Producer Mark Rickards
A Whistledown Scotland production
FRI 22:00 Late Junction (m002sdh3)
Bloom
As the days grow longer than the nights, and the living world grows in colour and sound, Jennifer Lucy Allan shares surprising new releases and fresh cuts to celebrate the new season’s vitality.
Produced by Gabriel Francis
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
FRI 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002npvy)
Concert highlights from Nils Kavanagh
‘Round Midnight is presented by award-winning saxophonist Soweto Kinch. This weekday late-night show celebrates the thriving UK jazz scene and spotlights the best new music alongside incredible acts from past decades.
Tonight’s Friday night concert comes from jazz pianist Nils Kavanagh and his trio recorded at JPN Cardiff in November. His compositions blend Celtic traditional music and jazz from Scandinavia and the UK, and he was the winner of the Young Irish Jazz Musician of the Year 2022-2024. For this concert, Nils was joined by fellow leading Irish musicians, bassist Benedict Stephens and drummer Sam Green.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Round Midnight".