SATURDAY 25 JULY 2026
SAT 00:30 Through the Night (m002yxqd)
Holst's The Planets at the BBC Proms
Student musicians from Helsinki and London unite under conductor Sakari Oramo to perform Holst's suite alongside Sibelius’s The Wood Nymph and a new work for soprano and orchestra from Finnish-American composer Lara Poe, which channels haunting Nordic cow-calling traditions. Jonathan Swain presents.
12:31 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Skogsrået , Op 15
Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra, Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor)
12:51 AM
Lara Poe (b.1993)
Laulut maaseudulta (Songs from the Countryside)
Anu Komsi (soprano), Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra, Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor)
01:23 AM
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
The Planets, Op 32
Royal College of Music Chamber Choir, Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra, Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor)
02:12 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Morning Star
Marian Consort
02:16 AM
Gunnar de Frumerie (1908-1987), Pär Lagerkvist (author)
Hjärtats sånger (Songs of the Heart), Op 27
Claes-Håkan Ahnsjö (tenor), Thomas Schuback (piano)
02:31 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Divertimento in B flat major for violin, cello and piano, K.254
Trio Orlando
02:52 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor, Op 21
Christian Ihle Hadland (piano), Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Karabits (conductor)
03:25 AM
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), Unknown (arranger)
Solveig's Song from 'Peer Gynt', Op 23 arr. for oboe and piano
Wan-Soo Mok (oboe), Hyun-Soo Cho (piano)
03:29 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Suite No 2 in F major, HWV.427
Allan Rasmussen (harpsichord)
03:38 AM
Horatio Parker (1863-1919)
A Northern Ballad (1899)
Albany Symphony Orchestra, Julius Hegyi (conductor)
03:52 AM
Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924)
Nocturne No 1 in E flat minor, Op 33 No 1
Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano)
04:01 AM
Clément Janequin (c.1485-1558), Thomas Crecquillon (c.1505-1557), Claudin De Sermisy (c.1490-1562)
Four Renaissance chansons
Vancouver Chamber Choir, Ray Nurse (viol), Nan Mackie (viol), Patricia Unruh (viol), Margriet Tindemans (viol), Liz Baker (recorder), Jon Washburn (director)
04:13 AM
Vincenzo Petrali (1832-1889)
Organ Sonata per flauto
Cor van Wageningen (organ)
04:18 AM
Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Serenade for Strings, Op 20
Royal Academy Soloists, Clio Gould (director)
04:31 AM
Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908)
Romanza Andaluza, Op 22
Moshe Hammer (violin), Valerie Tryon (piano)
04:35 AM
Stanisław Moniuszko (1819-1872)
Polonaise de concert in A major (1867)
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Zygmunt Rychert (conductor)
04:42 AM
Mykola Lysenko (1842-1912)
La Tristesse, Op 39
Anastasia Kobekina (cello), Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula (piano)
04:49 AM
Conrad Friedrich Hurlebusch (1691-1765)
Concerto in A minor for two oboes, solo violin, strings & basso continuo
Paul van de Linden (oboe), Kristine Linde (oboe), Manfred Kraemer (violin), Musica ad Rhenum
05:01 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata No 18 in E flat major, Op 31 No 3
Shai Wosner (piano)
05:24 AM
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Serenade for orchestra
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jan Krenz (conductor)
05:28 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Kyrie eleison in G minor for double choir and orchestra, RV.587
Choir of Latvian Radio, Riga Chamber Players, Sigvards Kļava (conductor)
05:39 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Tod und Verklärung , Op 24
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thomas Søndergård (conductor)
06:04 AM
János Fusz (1777-1819)
Quartet for flute, viola, cello and guitar
Laima Sulskute (flute), Romualdas Romoslauskas (viola), Ramute Kalnenaite (cello), Algimantas Pauliukevicius (guitar)
SAT 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002z7ry)
The finest classical music to elevate your morning
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 (m002z7s0)
Tom Service, Olivier Latry, Jess Gillam and Mark-Anthony Turnage
Tom Service with guests, stories and the perfect classical soundtrack for the weekend! Today's episode features three musicians who all appear at this year's Proms season.
Olivier Latry talks to Tom about Bach, the mighty organ of Notre Dame and how he feels to be returning to the Royal Albert Hall organ for his forthcoming Prom, which focuses on the art of transcription.
Radio 3 presenter and saxophonist extraordinaire Jess Gillam reveals why she's so excited to be involved with "Choirs on the Concourse" in Gateshead, as part of the BBC Proms in the North East.
And in his ongoing series, Tom meets another Creator, as Mark-Anthony Turnage explains the process of adapting an orchestral suite from his hit 2025 opera Festen - the suite will be premiered at this year's Proms on 28th July.
SAT 12:00 Earlier... with Jools Holland (m002z7s2)
Classical, blues and jazz for the weekend
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 Alessandro Marcello, Grace Williams and Lloyd Glenn, with performances by the ensembles Holland Baroque and Il Gardellino. His guest is the singer, musician, producer, composer and actor Herbert Grönemeyer who performs in the studio and introduces music he loves by Schubert and Rachmaninov.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Earlier with Jools Holland".
SAT 13:00 Key Changes: Radio 3's Essential History of Classical Music (m002z7s4)
1772: The Symphony Laboratory
1772, Esterháza. In a remote palace deep in the Hungarian marshes, Joseph Haydn works under the patronage of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. Cut off from the wider musical world, he writes at speed for a resident orchestra, shaping and testing ideas.
Historian Simon Schama joins Gillian Moore to explore how Haydn expands the possibilities of a developing orchestral form: the symphony. And how his career moves from court isolation to international recognition on the commercial concert stage.
Gillian Moore is joined by a roster of distinguished historians for this major new BBC Radio 3 series, charting a course through 1000 years of classical music history. For Episodes 17 - 24, Gillian welcomes Simon Schama to help her explore the fascinating stories and rich sound worlds of the Classical and early Romantic eras.
Producer: Zerlina Vulliamy
Academic Consultant: Professor Laura Tunbridge, University of Oxford
Story Consultant: Kate Leys
Series Editor for BBC Audio: Emma Harding
Key Changes theme tune composed by Joseph Howard and performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Kerem Hasan.
MUSIC DETAILS
Haydn, Symphony No.45 in F-sharp minor “Farewell” i. Allegro Assai
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, Conductor Adam Fischer
Haydn, Symphony No.45 in F-sharp minor “Farewell” iv. Finale
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Conductor Kerem Hasan
Haydn, Symphony No.94 in G Major “Surprise”, ii. Andante
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Conductor David Robertson
Prokofiev, Symphony No 1 in D Major “Classical” i.Allegro
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Sakari Oramo
Haydn, String Quartet in F Minor, Op 20 No.5, Adagio
Chaos Quartet
Marianna Martines, Dixit Dominus Psalm 110 (vi. Gloria Patri)
Salzburger Hofmusik, Conductor Wolfgang Brunner
Haydn Symphony No. 104 in D Major “London” iv. Finale
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Conductor Leonard Slatkin
To listen to this programme using most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Key Changes."
SAT 14:00 BBC Proms (m002z7s6)
2026
Horrible Science: The Big Bang Proms Experiment
Live at the BBC Proms: The BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Karen Ní Bhroin join Albert Einstein and Marie Curie as they share the DNA of CBBC’s hit comedy show Horrible Science.
Presented by Georgia Mann, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London.
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Karen Ní Bhroin (conductor)
Richard David Caine
James McNicholas
Jessica Ransom
Inel Tomlinson
Join Albert Einstein and Marie Curie as they share the DNA of CBBC’s hit comedy sketch show Horrible Science live at the Royal Albert Hall with some scientifically proven bangers from the classical canon. They’ll be joined by some of the great characters from science to introduce sensational sounds from Holst’s The Planets to John Williams’s Star Wars. But will the Prom survive Dr Big Brain’s devilish desire to conquer the universe?
Interval: Particle Physicist Dr Harry Cliff explores the ways in which we can bring the latest thinking and big ideas to life for beginner scientists of all ages.
SAT 16:00 BBC Proms (m002z7s8)
2026
Proms Across the UK: Choirs on the Concourse
Live at the BBC Proms in Gateshead: BBC Singers and conductor Sofi Jeannin with soloist Jess Gillam.
Presented by Elizabeth Alker, live from The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead.
Charles Wood: Hail, gladdening light
Hildegard von Bingen: Spiritus sanctus vivificans
Christian Forshaw: My soul, there is a country
Shruthi Rajasekar: Sat on the shore
Iain Farrington: Like as the waves
Caroline Shaw: and the swallow
Charles Villiers Stanford: The Blue Bird
Roderick Williams: Never weather-beaten sail (BBC Commission, World Premiere)
John Tavener: Mother of God, here I stand
Alec Roth: Night Prayer
Hubert Parry: Songs of Farewell – No. 6: Lord, let me know mine end
Jess Gillam (saxophone)
BBC Singers
Sofi Jeannin (conductor)
As part of a mini choral convention, the BBC Singers present a programme based around themes of Hubert Parry’s Songs of Farewell written during the First World War, opening with Wood's luminous Hail gladdening light. Saxophone and choir come together in the shining melodic structure of the chant of Hildegard of Bingen’s Spiritus sanctus vivificans. Works by Christian Forshaw and Roderick Williams, the BBC Singers’ Composer in Association, set texts from the Songs of Farewell, while pieces by Shruthi Rajasekar, Iain Farrington and Caroline Shaw transport us to the sea and the sky. Saxophone soars in Stanford’s exquisite The Blue Bird followed by moments of reflection and contemplation by Tavener and Alec Roth. The programme ends with Parry’s own setting of the final motet from his Songs of Farewell, Lord let me know mine end.
SAT 17:30 This Classical Life (m002z7sb)
Jess Gillam with... Jon Batiste
Jess Gillam hosts a listening party with American singer, songwriter, pianist and composer, Jon Batiste. An eight-time Grammy Award winner, Jon first came to international prominence as bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert before establishing himself as one of the most versatile musicians of his generation. Equally at home in jazz, classical, soul and pop, his musical curiosity has led to collaborations with artists including Stevie Wonder, Lana Del Ray and Beyoncé. As both a performer and composer, he has appeared on some of the world's biggest stages, from Carnegie Hall to major international festivals, and won an Academy Award for his work on the soundtrack to Pixar's Soul.
Jon's musical picks include a classic recording of Bach, a deeply personal rendition of the jazz standard by his uncle, mentor and teacher Alvin Batiste, and soulful music from D'Angelo. Jess brings along the bluegrass-inspired virtuosity of Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck, one of Caroline Shaw's evocative compositions for string quartet, and Bartók's folk-inspired choral miniatures.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Radio 3".
SAT 18:30 Music Planet (m002z7sd)
Africa Oyé 2026
Kathryn Tickell shares highlights from Africa Oyé festival in Liverpool, the UK’s biggest celebration of African music and culture. Now in its 34th year, the festival began as a series of small gigs in Liverpool’s city centre, before moving to its current home in Sefton Park. Hosting artists from across Africa, as well as the Caribbean, South America and the wider diaspora, it is a real celebration of multiculturalism. After a year off to secure its future, the festival returned in 2026 with a customarily powerful line-up, including Mozambique's veteran social commentators Ghorwane, voodoo-charged sounds from Nana Benz du Togo, and legendary Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara.
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 19:30 BBC Proms (m002z7sg)
2026
Proms Across the UK: Mozart and Mendelssohn
Live at the BBC Proms: Royal Northern Sinfonia with director Maria Włoszczowska and pianist Christian Ihle Hadland perform Bacewicz, Mendelssohn and Mozart.
Presented by Linton Stephens, live from The Fire Station, Sunderland
Grażyna Bacewicz: Divertimento
Felix Mendelssohn: Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings
c.
8.20pm
Interval: Poets Sarah Jackson and Jake Morris-Campbell talk a walk around the centre of Sunderland to explore the changing landscape of the city
c.
8.50pm
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 39
Maria Włoszczowska (director/violin)
Christian Ihle Hadland (piano)
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Polish violinist Maria Włoszczowska directs the Royal Northern Sinfonia in a programme of musical innovations and provocations. Grażyna Bacewicz turns an 18th-century entertainment into a witty, piquant and often densely beautiful miniature. The 14-year-old Mendelssohn had no model for his unusual Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings but combined his two soloists with ingenious and eloquent results. At the other end of his career, Mozart took the symphony to new heights in his final three efforts in the genre, beginning with the vivacious Symphony No. 39, whose brilliance veers on the cusp of darkness.
SAT 21:45 Talking Music (m002z7sj)
Dalia Stasevska
Kate Molleson presents a new series of in-depth conversations with artists appearing at the BBC Proms, creating space for thoughtful reflection on their musical lives and creative work.
The series opens with conductor Dalia Stasevska, Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, speaking after her appearance at the First Night of the BBC Proms. She reflects on her journey to the podium, the influences that have shaped her as an artist, and the ideas that drive her approach to performance.
Together, they explore her commitment to new music, her approach to programming, and the relationship between conductor, orchestra and audience.
SAT 22:30 New Music Show (m002z7sm)
Fast and Slow
Tom Service presents music by Martin Smolka, Czech music's self-proclaimed "hooligan": his piano concerto Presto e lento, featuring soloist Joseph Havlat and the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jack Sheen. Also tonight, in our latest Listen List, composer and artistic director of the Rainy Days festival Catherine Kontz chooses three tracks she's listening to right now and thinks we should hear. Plus music from experimental vocalist Audrey Chen at London's Cafe Oto and a round-up of some of the latest new releases.
SUNDAY 26 JULY 2026
SUN 00:30 Through the Night (m002z7sp)
Sibelius' 7th Symphony from Berlin
Thomas Adès conducts the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra in two of his own works, including his cello concerto "Lieux retrouvés" with soloist Nicolas Altstaedt. Debussy's "Ronde de Printemps", Mark Simpson's "Israfel" and Sibelius's Symphony No 7 complete the programme. John Shea presents.
12:31 AM
Thomas Adès (b.1971)
Dawn - Chacony for orchestra at any distance
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Adès (conductor)
12:40 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Rondes de printemps, from 'Images for Orchestra'
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Adès (conductor)
12:48 AM
Thomas Adès (b.1971)
Lieux retrouvés
Nicolas Altstaedt (cello), Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Adès (conductor)
01:05 AM
Mark Simpson (b.1988)
Israfel
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Adès (conductor)
01:17 AM
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Symphony No 7 in C major, Op 105
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Adès (conductor)
01:38 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Quintet for clarinet and strings in B minor, Op 115
Mark Simpson (clarinet), Danish String Quartet
02:17 AM
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Sinfonia in F major, Wq.175
Arte dei Suonatori, Marcin Świątkiewicz (harpsichord)
02:28 AM
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643), Eberhard Kraus (arranger)
Madrigale for trumpet, trombone and accordion
Heinz della Torre (trumpet), Stefan Schlegel (trombone), Paolo D'Angelo (accordion)
02:31 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Symphony No 1 in C minor, Op 11
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thierry Fischer (conductor)
03:00 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Keyboard Sonata in C major, Hob.
16.48
Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano)
03:12 AM
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Danses Concertantes for chamber orchestra
Polska Orkiestra Radiowa, Krzystzof Slowinski (conductor)
03:32 AM
Nicolas Gombert (c.1495-c.1560)
Musae Jovis a 6
Ars Nova Vocal Group, Bo Holten (conductor)
03:39 AM
Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937)
Konzertstuck for harp & orchestra, Op 39 (1903)
Suzanna Klintcharova (harp), Sofia Symphony Orchestra, Dimitar Manolov (conductor)
03:55 AM
Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697)
Die Zeit meines Abschieds ist vorhanden (cantata)
Greta de Reyghere (soprano), James Bowman (counter tenor), Guy de Mey (tenor), Max van Egmond (bass), Ricercar Consort
04:02 AM
Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894)
Melody in F major, Op 3 No 1
Dennis Hennig (piano)
04:07 AM
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Der Freischutz (Overture)
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Kenneth Montgomery (conductor)
04:17 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Flute Sonata in A major, BWV.1032
Sharon Bezaly (flute), Terence Charlston (harpsichord)
04:31 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Fantaisie-impromptu for piano in C sharp minor, Op 66
Dubravka Tomsic (piano)
04:36 AM
Daniel Auber (1782-1871)
Overture from Le Cheval de bronze
Bratislava Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Štefan Róbl (conductor)
04:45 AM
Adrian Willaert (c.1490-1562)
Pater Noster
Netherlands Chamber Choir, Paul Van Nevel (conductor)
04:49 AM
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Holberg Suite, Op 40
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton (conductor)
05:09 AM
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Sonate de Concert for trumpet in C and organ
Blagoj Angelovski (trumpet), Velin Iliev (organ)
05:20 AM
Dora Pejačević (1885-1923), Rainer Maria Rilke (author)
Liebeslied, Op 39
Katia Markotich (mezzo soprano), HRT Symphony Orchestra, Mladen Tarbuk (conductor)
05:25 AM
Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)
3 Motets: Ave Maria; Christus factus est; Locus iste
Sokkelund Choir, Morten Schuldt-Jensen (conductor)
05:38 AM
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
The Golden cockerel - suite
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Uri Mayer (conductor)
06:05 AM
Ernst von Dohnányi (1877-1960)
Piano Quintet No 2 in E flat minor, Op 26
Tátrai Quartet, Erno Szegedi (piano)
SUN 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002z7tz)
Kickstart your day with the best classical music
Elizabeth Alker 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’.
SUN 09:00 Sunday Morning (m002z7v1)
Two hours of classical sparkle
Join Sarah for two hours of music to accompany your Sunday morning, whether you're reading the papers, doing some gardening or making lunch.
It's the height of the summer holiday season, so in today's Sunday Sequence we'll discover what some of our favourite composers got up to on their travels, with music written by Poulenc in Naples, Elgar in Yorkshire and Brahms near Lake Thun in Switzerland.
Sarah also has a Choral Reflection from Julie Cooper, some spine-tingling Bernstein, and the chance to settle in with one of Schubert's best-loved symphonies.
A Tandem Production for BBC Radio 3.
SUN 11:00 BBC Proms (m002z7v3)
2026
Olivier Latry plays Bach
Live at the BBC Proms: Olivier Latry plays Bach and improvises on the name B.A.C.H.
Presented by Petroc Trelawny, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Bach: Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 – Chaconne arr. Messerer
Bach: Cantata No. 147 – Chorale ‘Jesus bleibet meine Freude’ transcr. Duruflé
Widor: Bach’s Memento – Mattheus-Final arr. Widor
Bach: Cantata No. 68 – Aria ‘Mein gläubiges Herze’ transcr. Gigout
Vivaldi / Bach: Concerto in A minor, BWV 593
Bach: Prelude and Fugue in D minor, BWV 539
Bach: Chorale ‘Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter’, BWV 650
Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
Olivier Latry: Improvisation on B-A-C-H
Olivier Latry (organ)
Titular Organist of the Grand Organ at Notre-Dame in Paris, Olivier Latry returns for an all-Bach programme with a twist. Hear the Royal Albert Hall’s organ put through its paces in arrangements and improvisations on Bach by great organists Widor, Duruflé and Latry himself.
SUN 12:45 New Generation Artists (m002z7v5)
2026 Proms season showcase - Elizaveta Ivanova and Andrew Hamilton
Georgia Mann introduces specially recorded performances from this year's Norfolk and Norwich Festival. Recorded in the fine acoustic of Norwich's eighteenth-century Octagon Chapel, these performances form part of the annual showcase featuring Radio 3's New Generation Artists. Today's programme includes Vaughan Williams's Five Mystical Songs in the seldom-heard version for chamber forces.
Debussy: Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune
Elizaveta Ivanova (flute), Sanja Bizjak (piano)
Vaughan Williams: Five Mystical Songs
Andrew Hamilton (baritone), Kleio Quartet, Berniya Hamie (piano)
Poulenc: Flute Sonata
Elizaveta Ivanova (flute), Sanja Bizjak (piano)
SUN 13:30 Music Map (m002z7v7)
Haydn's 'Lark' Quartet
Sara Mohr-Pietsch wends her way towards Haydn's glorious string quartet Op. 64 No.5 'The Lark'.
The quartet was written towards the end of Haydn's time with the Esterhazy family, a working relationship that enabled the incredible flourishing of not just the string quartet, but the symphony too. Sara explores the tricky terrain of other musical patronages, including musical offerings from JS Bach, Louise Farrenc and a lovestruck Schubert. And along the way, there are sidepaths to dancing music with Handel and Germaine Tailleferre, larks in flight from Tchaikovsky, and a famous musical leap that opens a boozy bit of opera by Verdi.
SUN 15:00 Sofi Jeannin - Singing Together (m001x3xq)
Sacred and Ceremonial
Conductor Sofi Jeannin explores the collective singing experience and its ceremonial role in times of celebrations and grief, from African Pygmy music to British coronations, from the concentration camps to times of national mourning.
Produced by Lindsay Pell
SUN 16:00 Jazz Record Requests (m002z7vb)
Abdullah Ibrahim Remembered
A special edition featuring your requests remembering the late South African-born pianist, composer and anti-apartheid activist Abdullah Ibrahim.
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 (m002z7vd)
York Early Music Festival - Anacronia
Hannah French presents a concert given by the young Spanish ensemble Anacronia earlier this month at the National Centre for Early Music, as part of this year's York Early Music Festival.
London’s vibrant music scene has deep roots inthe 18th century, when concert series filled the city’s most prestigious salons. One of the most celebrated of these was the one led by composers Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedrich Abel, which featured their own music and works by outstanding European composers such as Haydnand CPE Bach, as well as visiting virtuosi such as Juan Oliver y Astorga, that embodied the arrival of the Classical style.
Anacronia performs some of the composers and repertoire associated with the Bach-Abel concerts, including:
Johann Christian Bach - Flute Quartet in C major
Carl Fridrich Abel - Flute Quartet in D major
Juan Oliver y Astorga - Trio for 2 violins and bass
Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach - Divertimento in G major
Joseph Haydn - Flute Quartet in D major
To listen to this programme using most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Early Music Show".
SUN 18:00 Choral Evensong (m002yxp4)
Buckfast Abbey
Solemn Vespers from Buckfast Abbey on the Feast of St Mary Magdalene.
Prelude: Victimae paschali laudes (Scheidemann)
Incipit: Deus in adiutorium (Plainsong)
Hymn: Lauda mater ecclesia (Guerrero)
Psalms 109, 112, 121, 126 (Plainsong – Patrick Russill, Plainsong, Plainsong – Matthew Martin, Plainsong)
Scripture Reading: Romans 8 vv28-34
Magnificat Octavi toni a 8 (Martin Baker)
Motet: Maria Magdalena et altera Maria (Guerrero)
Voluntary: Dic nobis Maria (Scheidemann)
Matthew Searles (Master of the Music)
Charles Maxtone-Smith (Organist)
Recorded 5 February.
To listen on most smart speakers just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Choral Evensong”.
SUN 19:00 BBC Proms (m002z7vg)
2026
Poulenc and Adams
Live at the BBC Proms: The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Kazuki Yamada, with soloists Lucas & Arthur Jussen perform Poulenc Concerto for two pianos and Adams Harmonium.
Presented by Petroc Trelawny, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Francis Poulenc: Sinfonietta
Francis Poulenc: Concerto for Two Pianos in D minor
c.
7.50pm
Interval: Petroc Trelawny talks to Gillian Moore about John Adams’s choral symphony Harmonium, which connects to this year’s Proms theme of Afterlife & Visions of Beyond, and also looks ahead to Gillian's top picks in the second week of Proms concerts.
c.
8.10pm
John Adams: Harmonium
Lucas and Arthur Jussen (pianos)
CBSO Chorus
Sydney Philharmonia Chorus
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Kazuki Yamada (conductor)
The human voice ‘riding upon waves of rippling sound’ was the starting point for the glittering, pulsing soundscapes of John Adams’s Harmonium – one of the American composer’s defining works, harnessing the motoric energy of Minimalism to large-scale architectural form and textural richness. Commissioned by the BBC in 1947, Poulenc’s Sinfonietta is a typically playful, nose-thumbing riff on the traditional symphony, full of wit and brilliance – a mood it shares with the composer’s joyful, Mozart-inspired Concerto for two pianos. ‘Breathtaking’ Dutch siblings Lucas and Arthur Jussen make their Proms debut, joined by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Kazuki Yamada.
SUN 21:00 BBC Proms (m002z7vj)
2026
Proms Across the UK: Nadine Shah and the Royal Northern Sinfonia
South Tyneside-born singer Nadine Shah and the Royal Northern Sinfonia, recorded in concert at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead.
Presented by Elizabeth Alker from The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead
Nadine Shah (vocals)
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Ellie Slorach (conductor)
Knats special guest
With her subjects including grief, womanhood and addiction, and melodies inspired by Sufi singer Abida Parveen, Nadine Shah is a powerful voice in the UK indie-rock scene. The Mercury Prize-nominated South Tyneside- born singer-songwriter collaborates with the Royal Northern Sinfonia in the latest of the orchestra’s series of bold musical dialogues.
SUN 22:30 Night Tracks (m002z7vl)
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.
SUN 23:30 Unclassified (m0029hs2)
Bright Horizons
Join Elizabeth Alker as she shares a selection of fresh music from genre-defying artists, including tracks from theremin player Hekla and Japanese-Welsh composer Delyth Field. Plus: New York musician Greg Stasiw explores the relationship between sound and space; Welsh artist Leif finds beauty in a battered old instruments; and Argentina's Franco Robert offers a new waltz for piano.
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 27 JULY 2026
MON 00:30 Through the Night (m002z7vp)
Brahms Symphony No 3 at the BBC Proms
BBC Proms performance from 2024 that includes Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Ryan Wigglesworth. Leading international mezzo-soprano Alice Coote lends her glowing voice to Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, after a symphony by Brahms that is both menacing and mellifluous. John Shea presents.
12:31 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Symphony No 3 in F major, Op 90
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor)
01:07 AM
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) Op 4
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor)
01:35 AM
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Kindertotenlieder
Alice Coote (mezzo soprano), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor)
02:00 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Impromptu No 2 in E flat, D.899
Rudolf Buchbinder (piano)
02:05 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
String Quartet in G minor, Op 20 No 3
Quatuor Mosaïques
02:24 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
12 Ecossaises, D.299
Ralf Gothoni (piano)
02:31 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Mass in C major, K.317 'Coronation'
Arianna Venditelli (soprano), Emilie Renard (mezzo soprano), Rupert Charlesworth (tenor), Marcell Bakonyi (bass), Coro Maghini, Claudio Chiavazza (director), Academia Montis Regalis, Alessandro De Marchi (conductor)
02:58 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Piano Trio No 1 in D minor, Op 49
Tori Trio, Jin-kyong Jee (cello), Kyon-min Kim (violin), Sook-hyon Cho (piano)
03:29 AM
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594)
Tu es Petrus - motet for 6 voices
Silvia Piccollo (soprano), Emanuela Galli (soprano), Fabian Schofrin (alto), Marco Beasley (tenor), Daniele Carnovich (bass), Emanuela Galli (soloist), Diego Fasolis (conductor)
03:35 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto in C minor for treble recorder, RV.441
Michael Schneider (recorder), Camerata Köln
03:46 AM
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Kol Nidrei, Op 47
Shauna Rolston (cello), Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Uri Mayer (conductor)
03:58 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Pastorella in F, BWV.590
Hans van Nieuwkoop (organ)
04:09 AM
Flor Alpaerts (1876-1954)
Romanza for Violin and Orchestra (1928)
Guido De Neve (violin), Vlaams Radio Orkest [Flemish Radio Orchestra], Michel Tabachnik (conductor)
04:16 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
9 Variations on 'Quant' e piu bello' by Paisiello for piano (WoO.69)
Theo Bruins (piano)
04:22 AM
Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Sonata No 9 for 2 violins and continuo in F major (Z.810)
Simon Standage (violin), Agata Sapiecha (violin), Marcin Zalewski (viola da gamba), Lilianna Stawarz (harpsichord)
04:31 AM
Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)
Overture to L'Italiana in Algeri (Italian Girl in Algiers)
Capella Coloniensis, Gabriele Ferro (conductor)
04:39 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Sonata for cello and piano in D minor
Ola Karlsson (cello), Lars David Nilsson (piano)
04:51 AM
Leokadiya Kashperova (1872-1940)
Night
BBC Singers, Hilary Campbell (conductor)
04:54 AM
Albert Moeschinger (1897-1985)
Quintet on Swiss folksongs for wind, Op 53
La Strimpellata Bern
05:14 AM
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
'Sabato' from 'Pyrmonter Kurwoche', TWV 42:g3
Albrecht Rau (violin), Heinrich Rau (viola), Clemens Malich (cello), Wolfgang Hochstein (harpsichord)
05:22 AM
Gertrude van den Bergh (1793-1840)
Rondeau, Op 3
Frans van Ruth (piano)
05:29 AM
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704)
Six Rosary Sonatas
Daniel Sepec (violin), Hille Perl (viola da gamba), Michael Behringer (harpsichord), Michael Behringer (organ), Lee Santana (theorbo)
06:09 AM
Dag Wiren (1905-1986)
String Quartet No 2, Op 9
Saulesco Quartet
MON 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002z6mj)
Embrace the morning calm of classical music and birdsong
Al Ryan 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’.
MON 09:30 Essential Classics (m002z6ml)
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 a masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers, say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.
MON 13:00 Classical Live (m002z6mn)
Respighi's Roman Triptych from the BBC Proms
Linton Stephens introduces a week of highlights from the BBC Proms including, today, Respighi's colourful Roman triptych from the Sinfonia of London and John Wilson. Also in today's programme, piano music by Rachmaninoff from Radio 3 New Generation Artist Julius Asal at the Aldeburgh Festival and cello music by Bach from the Pau Casals Festival in Spain.
BBC Proms:
Hildegard of Bingen
Spiritus sanctus vivifican
Jess Gillam (saxophone)
BBC Singers
Sofi Jeannin (conductor)
BBC Proms:
Ottorino Respighi
Roman Festivals
Sinfonia of London
John Wilson (conductor)
Pau Casals International Music Festival:
Johann Sebastian Bach
Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV. 1007
Daniel Müller-Schott (cello)
BBC Proms:
Ottorino Respighi
Fountains of Rome
Sinfonia of London
John Wilson (conductor)
Aldeburgh Festival:
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Preludes, Op. 32
Julius Asal (piano)
BBC Proms:
Francis Poulenc
Sinfonietta
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Kazuki Yamada (conductor)
BBC Proms:
Ottorino Respighi
Pines of Rome
Sinfonia of London
John Wilson (conductor)
To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers), just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live".
MON 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002z6mq)
Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884)
Symphonist in the making
Donald Macleod journeys through the early years of Alice Mary Smith, with guests Ian Graham-Jones and Leanne Langley. Macleod charts Smith’s background and training with tutors from the Royal Academy of Music, as well as her composing her first symphony for performance by the Musical Society of London - musicologists have argued that Smith was the first women in Britain to compose a symphony. Each programme throughout the week will include recordings of music by Smith, specially made by the BBC.
Symphony in C minor (excerpt)
London Mozart Players
Howard Shelley, conductor
Weep no more!
Emily Gray, mezzo soprano
Timothy Salter, piano
Rondo: The Vale of Tempe
Hiroaki Takenouchi, piano
Symphony in C minor (excerpt)
London Mozart Players
Howard Shelley, conductor
Lover’s melancholy
BBC Singers
Gabriella Teychenne, conductor
Symphony in C minor (excerpt)
London Mozart Players
Howard Shelley, conductor
Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Audio Wales & West
MON 17:00 In Tune (m002z6mt)
Live music from pianist Rustem Hayroudinoff
Pianist Rustem Hayroudinoff plays live on In Tune ahead of his performance at the Oxford Piano Festival.
Katie also chats to conductor Omer Meir Wellber about his BBC Prom.
MON 19:00 BBC Proms (m002z6mw)
2026
From the Alps to the Auvergne
Live at the BBC Proms: the London Philharmonic Orchestra & conductor Edward Gardner are joined by soprano Louise Alder in a programme of Tjøgersen, Canteloube & Richard Strauss
Presented by Hannah French, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Kristine Tjøgersen: Between Trees - UK premiere
Joseph Canteloube: Songs of the Auvergne - La pastoura als camps; La delaïssádo; Deux bourrées; Baïlèro
c.
7.30pm
Interval: Hannah talks to the composer Graham Fitkin about the influence of mountains and natural landscapes on music. Graham Fitkin recently cycled 2,500 miles through Europe, from the Carpathian Mountains to the UK, and his works are often inspired by landscapes and the natural environment.
c.
7.50pm
Richard Strauss: An Alpine Symphony
Louise Alder, soprano
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Edward Gardner, conductor
Step into the great outdoors with Edward Gardner and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Kristine Tjøgersen’s 'Between Trees' plunges listeners into the mossy shade of a Nordic forest. Childhood walks with his father through the mountains and villages of his native Auvergne inspired Joseph Canteloube’s much-loved orchestral songs. ‘Glorious’ soprano Louise Alder – soloist at last year’s Last Night of the Proms – returns, performing these luscious miniatures, not heard at the Proms since 2010. These sonic strolls limber us up for Richard Strauss’s epic journey up to a mountain summit. Listeners must traverse glaciers, thickets and pastures, survive storms and cross streams to gain the triumphant orchestral vistas that are the climax to the composer’s mighty 'An Alpine Symphony'.
MON 21:30 Classical Mixtape (m002pshw)
A 30-minute prescription for calm
An engaging mix of classical music for half an hour, featuring the dance by the daughter of a Bedouin tribe as depicted in Grieg’s incidental music to Peer Gynt, and a lullaby from Vivaldi’s setting of Psalm 127 performed on the chalumeau (the predecessor of the modern-day clarinet), plus pianist Vikingur Ólafsson delves into Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier.
MON 22:00 Night Tracks (m002z6my)
A meditative moonlight soundtrack
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 (m002z6n0)
Highlights from Jazzahead
From Monday to Thursday this week, we will be hearing from some of the exciting artists who performed at this year's Jazzahead in Bremen, Germany, which took place in April. Founded in 2006, it is the world’s largest annual jazz trade fair, showcasing some of the best contemporary jazz from across Europe.
Tonight, we will hear from Belgian trombonist and composer Nabou Claerhout as well as a concert highlight from her performance with her band N∆BOU.
Also in the programme, there’s music from The Lightmen Plus One, Mark de Clive-Lowe and Plumm.
‘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".
TUESDAY 28 JULY 2026
TUE 00:30 Through the Night (m002z6n2)
Trumpet Concerto Double Bill
Ole Edvard Antonsen delivers virtuoso performances of the Trumpet Concertos by Haydn and Tartini. He's accompanied by the Argovia Philharmonic conducted by Rune Bergmann. The orchestra also performs Debussy's Petite Suite and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. John Shea presents.
12:31 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Henri Büsser (arranger)
Petite Suite
Argovia Philharmonic, Rune Bergmann (conductor)
12:45 AM
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Trumpet Concerto in E flat major
Ole Edvard Antonsen (trumpet), Argovia Philharmonic, Rune Bergmann (conductor)
01:01 AM
Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770), Øivind Westby (arranger)
Trumpet Concerto in D major
Ole Edvard Antonsen (trumpet), Argovia Philharmonic, Rune Bergmann (conductor)
01:12 AM
Leif Strand (1942-2021), Øivind Westby (arranger)
Men går jag över engarna (But I Walk Across the Meadows)
Ole Edvard Antonsen (trumpet), Argovia Philharmonic, Rune Bergmann (conductor)
01:18 AM
Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881), Maurice Ravel (orchestrator)
Pictures at an Exhibition
Argovia Philharmonic, Rune Bergmann (conductor)
01:53 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Brandenburg Concerto No 2 in F major, BWV.1047
Ole Edvard Antonsen (trumpet), Alexis Kossenko (recorder), Erik Niord Larsen (oboe), Elise Båtnes (violin), Risør Festival Strings, Knut Johannessen (harpsichord)
02:04 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Nancy Allen (arranger)
Arabesque No 2
Mojca Zlobko (harp)
02:08 AM
Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Trio élégiaque No 1 in G minor
Esther Hoppe (violin), Christian Poltéra (cello), Hiroko Sakagami (piano)
02:22 AM
Leonel Power (1370-1445)
Salve Regina
Hilliard Ensemble
02:31 AM
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), Ann Kuppens (arranger)
Variations on a rococo theme for cello and string orchestra, Op 33
Gavriel Lipkind (cello), Brussels Chamber Orchestra
02:53 AM
Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745)
Sinfonia concertante a 8, ZWV.189
Katharina Heutjer (violin), Xenia Löffler (oboe), Gabriele Gombi (bassoon), La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, Maurice Steger (conductor)
03:16 AM
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594), Francesco Soriano (arranger)
Missa Papae Marcelli arr. Soriano for double choir (orig. 6 vv)
BBC Singers, Bo Holten (conductor)
03:42 AM
Ivo Parac (1890-1954)
Andante amoroso for string quartet
Zagreb Quartet
03:49 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Largo from 5 Klavierstücke, Op 3 No 3
Ludmil Angelov (piano)
03:58 AM
Andreas Schencker (18th C)
Symphony No 5 in B flat major
Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra, Horia Andreescu (conductor)
04:06 AM
Marcel Tournier (1879-1951)
Au Matin - etude de concert
Mojca Zlobko (harp)
04:10 AM
Stanisław Moniuszko (1819-1872)
Ballet Music for the Merry Wives of Windsor by Otto Nicolai
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Łukasz Borowicz (conductor)
04:20 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
12 Variations on 'Ein Madchen oder Weibchen' for cello and piano, Op 66
Danjulo Ishizaka (cello), José Gallardo (piano)
04:31 AM
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
Overture to Candide
Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, Richard Dufallo (conductor)
04:36 AM
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
Lied (Lenau): Larghetto; Wanderlied: Presto Op 8 No 3 & 4
Sylviane Deferne (piano)
04:42 AM
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Duet: Tardo per gli anni, e tremulo (Attila & Ezio) from the prologue to Attila
Nicola Ghiuselev (bass), Vladimir Stoyanov (baritone), Sofia Symphony Orchestra, Boris Hinchev (conductor)
04:49 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto in A major, RV 335, 'The Cuckoo'
Elizabeth Wallfisch (baroque violin), Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer (director)
04:59 AM
Giulio Schiavetto (fl.1562–5, Croatian), Dr Lovro Zupanovic (transcriber)
Canzon
Slovenian Chamber Choir, Vladimir Kranjčević (director)
05:08 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Symphony No 23 in D major, K.181
RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Marko Munih (conductor)
05:20 AM
Leokadiya Kashperova (1872-1940)
Piano Trio in A minor, Op posth
Gould Piano Trio
05:48 AM
Ivan Zajc (1832-1914)
Symphonic Picture in C minor, Op 394
Croatian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra, Niksha Bareza (conductor)
06:09 AM
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Grand Motet "Deus judicium tuum regi da" (Psalm 71)
Veronika Winter (soprano), Andrea Stenzel (soprano), Patrick Van Goethem (alto), Markus Schäfer (tenor), Ekkehard Abele (bass), Rheinische Kantorei, Das Kleine Konzert, Hermann Max (conductor)
TUE 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002z81c)
Ease into the day with classical music
Al Ryan 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’.
TUE 09:30 Essential Classics (m002z81f)
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 a masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”
TUE 13:00 Classical Live (m002z81h)
Mahler's 6th Symphony from the BBC Proms
Linton Stephens introduces highlights from this year's Proms, including Mahler's dramatic 6th Symphony from the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sakari Oramo; plus exclusive recordings from the recent 2026 Aldeburgh Festival; and from Spain, chamber music from the Pau Casals International Music Festival, honouring the great Catalan cellist.
BBC Proms:
Giuseppe Verdi
Force of Destiny - Overture
Sinfonia of London
John Wilson (conductor)
Aldeburgh Festival:
‘Marriage & Babies’
Henry Purcell
Epithalamium (from 'The Fairy Queen')
Richard Strauss
Zueignung Op. 10 No.1
Libby Larsen
The Birth Project – No. 1 Pregnant
Victoria Wood
Litter Bin
Benjamin Britten
Winter Words, Op. 52 No.6 Proud Songsters (‘Thrushes, finches and nightingales’ )
Nicky Spence (tenor)
Julius Drake (piano)
Pau Casals International Music Festival:
Joseph Haydn
String Quartet in C, Op. 20/2, Hob. III:32
Hanson Quartet
BBC Proms:
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 6 in A minor
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sakari Oramo (conductor)
BBC Proms:
Hubert Parry
Songs of Farewell: No. 6 - Lord, let me know mine end
BBC Singers
Sofi Jeannin (conductor)
Pau Casals International Music Festival :
Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Trio No. 5 in D, Op. 70/1 ('Ghost')
Noa Wildschut (violin)
Daniel Müller-Schott (cello)
Annika Treutler (piano)
To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers), just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live".
TUE 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002z81k)
Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884)
Marriage on the horizon
Donald Macleod explores the early years of Smith’s marriage to a lawyer, Frederick Meadows White. With guests Ian Graham-Jones and Leanne Langley, Macleod delves into the impact this marriage had upon Smith’s creativity, and how her husband supported his wife’s artistic endeavours whilst Smith continued to compose outside conventional boundaries for the time.
The First Snowfall
Emily Gray, mezzo soprano
Timothy Salter, piano
Out of the Deep (Psalm 130)
Andrew Rupp, baritone
BBC Singers
Richard Pearce, organ
Gabriella Teychenne, conductor
Overture ‘Lalla Rookh’
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Emilie Godden, conductor
String Quartet ‘Tubal-Cain’ (Andante)
Kleio Quartet
Six Short Pieces (No 5 in A flat)
Hiroaki Takenouchi, piano
Overture ‘Endymion No 2’
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Emilie Godden, conductor
Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Audio Wales & West
TUE 17:00 In Tune (m002z81m)
Classical music live from violinist Carolin Widmann
Katie chats to Phelim McDermott, director of Tao of Glass, ahead of the production's West End premiere in July.
Katie also introduces live music from German violinist Carolin Widmann, who performs with pianist Dina Duisen, ahead of Carolin's Wigmore Hall recital.
TUE 19:00 BBC Proms (m002z81p)
2026
Sibelius’s Second Symphony
Live at the BBC Proms: the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo in Sibelius's Symphony No.2, Turnage's Festen Suite, and, with Guy Johnston, Britten's Cello Symphony.
Presented by Hannah French, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London
Mark‐Anthony Turnage: Festen Suite (BBC co-commission: UK premiere)
Benjamin Britten: Cello Symphony
c.
8.00pm
Interval: Mark Anthony Turnage talks to Hannah French about his award-winning opera Festen, and adapting the suite for orchestra. Plus, Daniel Grimely talks about Sibelius's Symphony No. 2.
c.
08.20
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D major
Guy Johnston (Cello)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sakari Oramo (Conductor)
Fifty years since Benjamin Britten’s death, former BBC Young Musician winner Guy Johnston brings the composer’s Cello Symphony to the Proms. Originally written for Mstislav Rostropovich, it’s the composer at his most intense: a tour de force for the soloist, set against a brooding, often eerie orchestral backdrop. There’s darkness in Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2 as well – gloriously thrown aside in the glowing finale – but is it the weight of Russian political oppression or of personal loss? The concert opens with the UK premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Festen Suite, adapted from the composer’s multi-Olivier-Award-winning 2025 opera.
TUE 22:00 Night Tracks (m002z81r)
Music for the darkling hour
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 (m002z81t)
A classic from Don Cherry
Tonight, Soweto hears from his next guest of the week, Ghanaian trumpeter Peter Somuah, who is now based in the Netherlands, recorded at Jazzahead in Bremen earlier this year. Speaking backstage, Peter shared a bit about his work and music, and we hear a live track from his set.
There’s also music to enjoy from David Mitcham, corto.alto and Maysa.
‘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".
WEDNESDAY 29 JULY 2026
WED 00:30 Through the Night (m002z81w)
Mahler 5 from Budapest
The Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Budapest plays Mahler's tumultuous fifth symphony, with its distinctive military trumpet fanfare at the opening and the stunning Adagietto movement. Ágnes Langer plays Mozart's fourth violin concerto in a contrasting first half of the concert. John Shea presents.
12:31 AM
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Siegfried Idyll
Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Budapest, Riccardo Frizza (conductor)
12:50 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Violin Concerto No 4 in D, K.218
Ágnes Langer (violin), Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Budapest, Riccardo Frizza (conductor)
01:13 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Gavotte en rondeau, from Partita No 3 in E, BWV.1006
Ágnes Langer (violin)
01:17 AM
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Symphony No 5 in C sharp minor
Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Budapest, Riccardo Frizza (conductor)
02:26 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Sinfonia from Cantata 'Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis', BWV.21
Prospero Consort, Lukas Stamm (conductor)
02:31 AM
Archduke Rudolf of Austria (1788-1831)
Trio for clarinet, cello and piano
Amici Chamber Ensemble
02:51 AM
Lou Harrison (1917-2003)
Harp Suite
David Tanenbaum (guitar), William Winant (percussion), Scott Evans (percussion), Joel Davel (drums)
03:07 AM
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Cello Concerto in A minor, Wq.170
Sergey Malov (cello), Soundeum Chamber Ensemble, Yacin Elbay (conductor)
03:32 AM
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594)
Missa sine nomine
Silvia Piccollo (soprano), Annemieke Cantor (alto), Marco Beasley (tenor), Daniele Carnovich (bass), Diego Fasolis (conductor)
03:47 AM
Arnold Bax (1883-1953)
Legend for viola and piano
Steven Dann (viola), Bruce Vogt (piano)
03:57 AM
Charles Avison (1709-1770)
Concerto Grosso No 4 in A minor (after Domenico Scarlatti)
Tafelmusik, Jeanne Lamon (director)
04:10 AM
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Capriccio d'après Le Bal Masqué for Two Pianos
Antra Viksne (piano), Normunds Viksne (piano)
04:15 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
"Where'er you walk" Jupiter's air from Act II, Scene 3 of the opera "Semele"
Matthew White (counter tenor), Arte dei Suonatori, Eduardo Lopez Banzo (conductor)
04:20 AM
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
Overture in C major
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Katowice, Lionel Bringuier (conductor)
04:31 AM
Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)
Alma Redemptoris Mater & Ave Maria, O auctrix vite
Sequentia, Elizabeth Gaver (medieval fiddle), Elisabetta de Mircovich (medieval fiddle)
04:42 AM
Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)
Nocturne for flute and piano
Valentinas Gelgotas (flute), Audrone Kisieliute (piano)
04:45 AM
William Walton (1902-1983)
Two Pieces for Strings (from Henry V)
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Roy Goodman (conductor)
04:50 AM
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (1665-1734)
Missa Rorate Caeli
Matthew Venner (counter tenor), Maciej Gocman (tenor), Tomáš Král (bass), Jaromír Nosek (bass), Andrzej Kosendiak (director)
05:01 AM
Johan Wagenaar (1862-1941)
"Frithjof's Meerfahrt" - Concert piece for orchestra, Op 5
Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jac van Steen (conductor)
05:13 AM
Hubert Parry (1848-1918)
Lord, let me know mine end (No 6 from Songs of farewell for mixed voices)
Gabrieli Consort, Paul McCreesh (director)
05:25 AM
Anna Þorvaldsdóttir (b.1977)
Aeriality
St Gallen Symphony Orchestra, Modestas Pitrėnas (conductor)
05:38 AM
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Kol Nidrei, Op 47
Adam Krzeszowiec (cello), Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Łukasz Borowicz (conductor)
05:51 AM
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Nisi Dominus (Psalm 127) for voice and orchestra, RV.608
Matthew White (counter tenor), Arte dei Suonatori, Eduardo Lopez Banzo (conductor)
06:11 AM
Erik Satie (1866-1925)
Trois morceaux en forme de poire
Pianoduo Kolacny (piano duo), Steven Kolacny (piano), Stijn Kolacny (piano)
WED 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002z7jc)
Wake up with classical music
Al Ryan 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’.
WED 09:30 Essential Classics (m002z7jf)
Your perfect classical playlist
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 a masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”
WED 13:00 Classical Live (m002z7jh)
Richard Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration from the BBC Proms
Linton Stephens introduces highlights from this year's BBC Proms, including Strauss’ tone-poem Death and Transfiguration and music by John Adams from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Ryan Bancroft; plus song inspired by 'The Swan of Avon' and other bards, from Nicky Spence and Julius Drake at the Aldeburgh Festival. Also in today's programme, a rare chance to catch a short choral work from French prodigy Lili Boulanger, a setting of a Buddhist "prayer for the whole universe".
BBC Proms:
Richard Strauss
Death and Transfiguration
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Ryan Bancroft (conductor)
BBC Proms:
Christian Forshaw
My Soul There Is A Country
Jess Gillam (saxophone)
BBC Singers
Sofi Jeannin (conductor)
Aldeburgh Festival:
Sergei Prokofiev
3 Pensées for piano, Op. 62
Julius Asal (piano)
Aldeburgh Festival:
‘The Bards’
Franz Schubert
An Silvia, D. 891
Maurice Ravel
Chants populaire – No. 5 Chanson écossaise
Robert Schumann
Myrthen Op. 25 No. 13 - Hochländers Abschied
Benjamin Britten
O can ye sew cushions?
Fancy
Francis Poulenc
Fancie
John Dankworth
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Dunsinane blues
Nicky Spence (tenor)
Julius Drake (piano)
BBC Proms:
John Adams
Harmonium
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Kazuki Yamada (conductor)
BBC Proms:
Lili Boulanger
Vieille prière bouddhique
James Way (tenor)
BBC National Chorus of Wales
London Philharmonic Choir
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Ryan Bancroft (conductor)
To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers), just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live".
WED 15:00 Choral Evensong (m002z7jk)
Gloucester Cathedral
Live from Gloucester Cathedral during the Three Choirs Festival.
Introit: Praise ye the Lord (Hurd)
Responses: Janet Wheeler
Psalm 142, 143 (Barnby, Pye)
First Lesson: Isaiah 55 vv8-13
Canticles: Gloucester Service (Gavin Higgins) (world premiere)
Second Lesson: 2 Timothy 2 vv8-19
Anthem: In exitu Israel (Wesley)
Voluntary: Praeludium (Bliss)
Adrian Partington (Conductor)
Jonathan Hope (Organist)
To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Choral Evensong”.
WED 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002z7jm)
Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884)
Collaborations and Concertos
Donald Macleod surveys some of Alice Mary Smith’s compositional collaborations, including with the famed clarinettist Henry Lazarus. With guests Ian Graham-Jones and Leanne Langley, Macleod explores Smith’s popular Clarinet Sonata, the first ever written by a British composer, which might have also been fully adapted by Smith into a concerto. They also discuss Smith composing an operetta and church music, and how the publishing industry at the time were keen to promote choral music more than orchestral works.
Impromptu in D minor
Hiroaki Takenouchi, piano
Overture ‘Vivien’
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Emilie Godden, conductor
By the Waters of Babylon
Emma Tring, soprano
Katherine Nicholson, alto
Benjamin Durrant, tenor
Jamie W. Hall, bass
BBC Singers
Richard Pearce, organ
Gabriella Teychenne, conductor
Andante for Clarinet and Orchestra
Angela Malsbury, clarinet
London Mozart Players
Howard Shelley, conductor
String Quartet ‘Tubal-Cain’ (excerpt)
Kleio Quartet
Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Audio Wales & West
WED 17:00 In Tune (m002z7jp)
Live jazz from Tomorrow's Warriors
Dr Gary Crosby and members of Tomorrow’s Warriors play live on In Tune on their 35th anniversary. Co-founder Janine Irons OBE also joins Gary to tell Katie all about tomorrow's Warriors' ‘Big Summer of Music’ celebrations.
Katie also chats to Alena Baeva ahead of performing Korngold's Violin Concerto at the BBC Proms.
WED 19:00 BBC Proms (m002z7jr)
2026
Elgar’s First Symphony
Live at the BBC Proms: the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performs music by Elgar, Judith Weir and Brett Dean with chief conductor Ryan Wigglesworth, soprano Claire Booth and the BBC Singers.
Presented by Tom Service, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Judith Weir: Moon and Star
Brett Dean: The World’s Wife (BBC co-commission: world premiere)
c.
8.15pm
Interval: Brett Dean talks to Tom Service about his BBC co-commission and world premiere of The World's Wife. Plus, David Owen Norris talks about Elgar's relationship with his wife, Alice, who was also his his muse, manager and critic.
c.
8.35pm
Edward Elgar: Symphony No. 1 in A flat major
Claire Booth, soprano
BBC Singers
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Wigglesworth, conductor
‘Human life … and a massive hope in the future’: this – no less – is Elgar’s sweeping subject for his First Symphony – a work once nicknamed ‘Brahms’s Fifth’ for its close relationship with the German tradition. Exuberant and filled with orchestral colour, an ‘immediate and phenomenal success’ at its premiere, it’s the work of a composer steeped in musical history but looking to the future. Two contemporary works open this concert by Ryan Wigglesworth and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: the world premiere of The World’s Wife by Brett Dean – setting words by Carol Ann Duffy – and Judith Weir’s Moon and Star – capturing the vastness and strangeness of space through the eyes of New England poet Emily Dickinson.
WED 22:00 Night Tracks (m002z7jt)
Immersive music for late night listening
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 (m002z7jw)
New music from Greg Spero
Tonight Soweto hears from his third guest of the week, Estonian pianist Britta Virves, recorded backstage at Jazzahead in Bremen this spring. There will also be a live music highlight from her performance.
Also in the programme, there is music from Lô Borges, John Martyn and Alice Leggett.
‘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 30 JULY 2026
THU 00:30 Through the Night (m002z7jy)
BBC Proms 2025: Arvo Pärt at 90
Tõnu Kaljuste and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir celebrate the music of Avro Pärt at a Late Night Prom from the Royal Albert Hall. John Shea presents.
12:31 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Da pacem Domine
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tõnu Kaljuste (conductor)
12:35 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Veni creator
Yena Choi (soprano)
12:38 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Magnificat
Annika Lõhmus (soprano)
12:44 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
The Deer's Cry
12:49 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Für Jan van Eyck
Kadri Toomoja (organ)
12:52 AM
Galina Grigorjeva (b.1962)
Svyatki - Spring is Coming
Yena Choi (soprano)
12:56 AM
Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Excerpts from Vespers, All Night Vigil
01:02 AM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn, BWV.Anh159
Kadri Toomoja (organ)
01:06 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Peace upon you, Jerusalem
01:12 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
De Profundis
Kadri Toomoja (organ)
01:19 AM
Veljo Tormis (1930-2017)
Curse Upon Iron
Toomas Tohert (tenor), Geir Luht (bass baritone)
01:29 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Vater unser
Yena Choi (soprano), Kadri Toomoja (piano)
01:33 AM
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Estonian Lullaby
Kadri Toomoja (piano)
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tõnu Kaljuste (conductor)
01:35 AM
Nicolaes a Kempis (1600-1675)
Symphonia No 1 a 5, Op 2
Concordia, Mark Levy (conductor)
01:41 AM
Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Symphony No 2 in E minor, Op 27
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin (conductor)
02:31 AM
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
Piano Sonata in C minor
Sylviane Deferne (piano)
02:45 AM
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (c.1739-1799)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op 3 No 1
Linda Melsted (violin), Tafelmusik Orchestra, Jeanne Lamon (conductor)
03:06 AM
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
Chichester psalms arranged for treble, chorus, organ, harp & percussion
Choeur de Radio France, Unknown (treble), Yves Castagnet (organ), Unknown (harp), Unknown (percussion), Vladislav Chernuchenko (conductor)
03:27 AM
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Variations for flute and piano in E minor, D.802
Emmanuel Pahud (flute), Bruno Robilliard (piano)
03:42 AM
Dmitry Shostakovich (1906-1975)
2 Pieces (Prelude and scherzo) for string octet or orchestra, Op 11
Korean Chamber Orchestra
03:52 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Horn Concerto No 1 in D major, K412
Premysl Vojta (horn), Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Łukasz Borowicz (conductor)
04:01 AM
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
"Si l'infida consorte" & "Confusa si miri"
Matthew White (counter tenor), Arte dei Suonatori, Eduardo Lopez Banzo (conductor)
04:06 AM
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Die Eiserne Brigade (The Iron Brigade)
Esbjerg Ensemble, Jorgen Lauritsen (director)
04:13 AM
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Symphonic dance No 2 (Allegro grazioso) Op 64 No 2
Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Ingar Bergby (conductor)
04:20 AM
Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909), Manuel Barrueco (arranger)
Cádiz, from Suite española, Op 47
Xavier Díaz-Latorre (guitar)
04:25 AM
Chick Corea (1941-2021)
Got a Match
Sandu Sura (cimbalom), Django Club Trio
04:31 AM
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
La forza del destino (Overture)
KBS Symphony Orchestra, Chi-Yong Chung (conductor)
04:39 AM
Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki (1665-1734)
Qui habitat
Olga Pasiecznik (soprano), Piotr Lykowski (counter tenor), Wojciech Parchem (tenor), Mirosław Borczyński (bass), Sine Nomine Chamber Choir, Concerto Polacco, Marek Toporowski (conductor)
04:44 AM
Ton Bruynèl (1934-1998)
Serene for flute solo
Harrie Starreveld (flute)
04:50 AM
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
Ave Maria (Hail Mary)
Chamber Choir AVE, Andraž Hauptman (conductor)
04:56 AM
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941)
Nocturne in B flat, Op 16 No 4
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (piano)
05:01 AM
Benjamin Godard (1849-1895)
Oh! Ne t'eveille pas encore (Jocelyn, Act 1)
Benjamin Butterfield (tenor), Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Richard Bradshaw (conductor)
05:06 AM
Hendrik Andriessen (1892-1981)
Premier Choral
Johan van Dommele (organ)
05:15 AM
John Field (1782-1837)
Nocturne in B flat (H.37); Nocturne in E minor (H.46)
Barry Douglas (piano), Camerata Ireland
05:23 AM
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Sinfonia in E minor, Wq.177; Poco Adagio for flute
Arte dei Suonatori, Marcin Świątkiewicz (harpsichord)
05:39 AM
Steve Reich (b.1936)
Eight Lines
Ricercata Ensemble
05:56 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
String Quartet No 1 in C minor, Op 51 No 1
Casals Quartet
THU 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002z6t8)
Start your day with classical music
Al Ryan 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’.
THU 09:30 Essential Classics (m002z6tb)
Great classical music 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 a masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”
THU 13:00 Classical Live (m002z6td)
Szymanowski's Stabat mater from the BBC Proms
Linton Stephens introduces highlights from the BBC Proms, including Karol Szymanowski's choral masterpiece, his Stabat mater, inspired by Mary's words at the Cross, with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Ryan Bancroft; plus chamber music from the recent Aldeburgh Festival from tenor Nicky Spence and pianist Julius Drake, and Schubert's affecting Quintet for Strings recorded two weeks ago at the Pau Casals International Music Festival in Spain.
BBC Proms:
Francis Poulenc
Concerto for two pianos in D minor
Lucas and Arthur Jussen (pianos)
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Kazuki Yamada (conductor)
Aldeburgh Festival:
Gustav Faure
La bonne chanson Op. 61
Nicky Spence (tenor)
Julius Drake (piano)
Piatti Quartet
BBC Proms:
Karol Szymanowski
Stabat mater
Mari Eriksmoen (soprano)
Paula Murrihy (mezzo-soprano)
James Way (tenor)
Szymon Mechliński (baritone)
BBC National Chorus of Wales
London Philharmonic Choir
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Ryan Bancroft (conductor)
Pau Casals International Music Festival :
Franz Schubert
Quintet in C major, D. 956
Hanson Quartet
Miklos Perényi (cello)
To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers), just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live".
THU 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002z6tg)
Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884)
A Second Symphony
Donald Macleod traces Smith’s writing of her Second Symphony for a competition at the Alexandra Palace. Smith decided not to submit her work by the deadline, and in conversation with guests Ian Graham-Jones and Leanne Langley, Macleod surveys the composer’s symphonic development, and explores why the Alexandra Palace launched this competition. This was the 1870s, a time when the composer had also gained popularity and financial success with her vocal duet O that we two were maying.
Six Short Pieces (No 1 in G minor)
Hiroaki Takenouchi, piano
Melody and Scherzo
Leo Popplewell, cello
Dominic Degavino, piano
O that we two were maying
Members of the Purcell Consort of Voices
Jennifer Partridge, piano
Queen of love
BBC Singers
Gabriella Teychenne, conductor
Symphony in A minor (excerpt)
London Mozart Players
Howard Shelley, conductor
Six Short Pieces (No 4 in A major)
Hiroaki Takenouchi, piano
Symphony in A minor (excerpt)
London Mozart Players
Howard Shelley, conductor
Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Audio Wales & West
THU 17:00 In Tune (m002z6tj)
Pianists Connor Hęnrýk Fogel and Dr Leslie Howard, tenor Brenden Gunnell
Connor Fogel plays live from his new Album Rediscovering Liszt. He is also joined by Dr Leslie Howard to discuss how Liszt may have sounded in his groundbreaking recitals from the 1840s.
Tenor Brenden Gunnell chats to Katie about his new recording of Andrew Downes' The Marshes of Glynn.
THU 19:00 BBC Proms (m002z6tl)
2026
Korngold’s Violin Concerto
Live at the BBC Proms: the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performs Korngold, Prokofiev and Tabakova with principal guest conductor Delyana Lazarova and violinist Alena Baeva.
Presented by Tom Service, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Dobrinka Tabakova: Orpheus’ Comet
Korngold: Violin Concerto in D major
c.
8.15pm
Interval: Tom Service talks to musicologist Marina Frolova-Walker to explore 1940s film music, and the connections between Prokofiev, Korngold and the world of cinema during that decade, including Hollywood.
c.
8.35pm
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 in B flat major
Alena Baeva, violin
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Delyana Lazarova, conductor
A symphony ‘on the greatness of the human soul’ and a cinematic concerto collide in a concert of widescreen orchestral soundscapes. ‘Utterly captivating’ violinist Alena Baeva is the soloist in Korngold’s Violin Concerto – a work imbued with all the sweeping romance and passion of the composer’s many film scores. Delyana Lazarova conducts the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, a musical homecoming featuring one of the composer’s most darkly lyrical slow movements. Dobrinka Tabakova’s exhilarating fanfare Orpheus’ Comet launches the evening with a buzzing, fizzing homage to Monteverdi.
THU 22:00 Night Tracks (m002z6tn)
Dissolve into a nocturnal soundworld
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 (m002z6tq)
One from Rachel Cohen
All this week, Soweto has been hearing from some of the musicians who performed at this year's Jazzahead in Bremen, and a live track from each of their performances. Tonight, his fourth and final guest is Hungarian producer and multi-instrumentalist Àbasé.
There is also music from Paddy Fitzgerald, Josef Leimberg and Demae.
‘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".
FRIDAY 31 JULY 2026
FRI 00:30 Through the Night (m002z6ts)
20 Years of the Amaryllis Quartet
The Amaryllis Quartet has been performing in major concert halls from Hamburg to Tokyo for 20 years. In this birthday concert at Solothurn in Switzerland, chamber music classics by Beethoven and Brahms are performed alongside a new work by the Swiss oboist, composer and conductor Heinz Holliger. John Shea presents.
12:31 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
String Quartet No 5 in A major, Op 18 No 5
Amaryllis Quartett
01:00 AM
Heinz Holliger (b.1939)
nicht Ichts – nicht Nichts, 10 Monodisticha after Angelus Silesius
Amaryllis Quartett
01:19 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
String Quintet No 2 in G major, Op 111
Amaryllis Quartett, Lena Eckels (viola)
01:49 AM
Heinz Holliger (b.1939)
(S)irató for Orchestra
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thierry Fischer (conductor)
02:05 AM
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Oboe Concerto in C major, K.285d/314a
Heinz Holliger (oboe), ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam (conductor)
02:26 AM
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), Glenn Gould (arranger)
Cadenza for Piano Concerto No 1 in C major, Op 15
Lukas Geniušas (piano)
02:31 AM
Francesco Corteccia (1502-1571)
Musica della commedia di Francesco Corteccia recitata al secondo convito
Ensemble Weser-Renaissance Bremen, Manfred Cordes (conductor)
02:49 AM
Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957)
Sommernacht (Summer Night): pastoral intermezzo for string orchestra, Op 58
Camerata Bern
03:00 AM
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Violin Sonata in E flat major, Op 18
Minami Yoshida (violin), Jean Desmarais (piano)
03:28 AM
Mirko Krajči (b.1968)
Four Dances from the ballet 'Don Juan' (2007)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mirko Krajči (conductor)
03:36 AM
Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773)
Trio Sonata in E flat major
Atrium Musicium Chamber Ensemble
03:44 AM
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
2 chorale-preludes on 'Herzlich tut mich verlangen', Op 122 No 9 and 10
Jan Bokszczanin (organ)
03:50 AM
Muzio Clementi (1752-1832)
Piano Sonata in B minor, Op 40 No 2
Beatrice Rana (piano)
04:08 AM
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Première rapsodie arr. for clarinet and orchestra
Kari Kriikku (clarinet), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste (conductor)
04:16 AM
Annibale Gregori (?-c.1633)
Ciaccona a 2 soprani, from 'Ariosi concenti, Op 9'
Andrea Inghisciano (cornet), Gawain Glenton (cornet), Giulia Genini (soloist), Guido Morini (harpsichord), María González (organ)
04:22 AM
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Suite for chamber orchestra
Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jan Krenz (conductor)
04:31 AM
John Wilbye (1574-1638)
Draw on sweet night for 6 voices (1609)
BBC Singers, Bo Holten (director)
04:36 AM
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), Zóltan Kocsis (transcriber)
Pavane pour une infante defunte
Zsolt Szatmári (clarinet), Zóltan Kocsis (piano)
04:42 AM
Unico Wilhelm Van Wassenaer (1692-1766)
Concerto No 5 in F minor (from Sei Concerti Armonici 1740)
Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, Jan Willem de Vriend (conductor)
04:53 AM
Roger Quilter (1877-1953)
7 Elizabethan Lyrics, Op 12
Kathryn Rudge (mezzo soprano), James Baillieu (piano)
05:07 AM
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Meeresstille und gluckliche Fahrt - overture, Op 27
Orchestre National de France, Riccardo Muti (conductor)
05:21 AM
Heinz Holliger (b.1939)
From 5 Little pieces for solo oboe: No 2, 4 & 5
Vera Flurina Gassmann (oboe)
05:26 AM
Erkki Melartin (1875-1937)
Violin Concerto in D minor, Op 60
John Storgårds (violin), Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu (conductor)
05:55 AM
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
Piano Sonata No 3 in B minor, Op 58
Jakub Kuszlik (piano)
06:23 AM
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Romance for viola and piano
Steven Dann (viola), Bruce Vogt (piano)
FRI 06:30 Radio 3 Breakfast (m002z7q6)
Brighten your day with classical music
Al Ryan 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’.
FRI 09:30 Essential Classics (m002z7q8)
The best classical morning 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 a masterpiece.
To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”
FRI 13:00 Classical Live (m002z7qb)
Elgar's 1st Symphony from the BBC Proms
Linton Stephens introduces highlights from the BBC Proms, including Elgar's stirring 1st Symphony from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Ryan Wigglesworth; plus song from the recent Aldeburgh Festival from Nicky Spence and Julius Drake, offering a variety of reflections on the theme of music and love; and one of Dvorak's most popular chamber works, recorded at this year's Paul Casals International Music Festival in Spain.
BBC Proms:
Edward Elgar
Symphony No. 1 in A flat major
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor)
Pau Casals International Music Festival:
Antonin Dvorak
Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 (“Dumky”)
Antje Weithaas (violin)
Marie Elisabeth Hecker (cello)
Martin Helmchen (piano)
BBC Proms:
Judith Bingham
Moon and Stars
BBC Singers
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor)
Aldeburgh Festival:
‘Love & Music’
Noël Peirce Coward
If love were all (from ‘Bittersweet’)
Tom Lehrer
The Masochism Tango
Stephen Sondheim
The Girls of Summer
Love is in the air (from ‘A Funny thing happened on the way to the Forum’)
Franz Schubert
An die Musik D547
Nicky Spence (tenor)
Julius Drake (piano)
William Walton
Cello Concerto
Jonathan Aasgaard (cello)
Sinfonia of London
John Wilson (conductor)
To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers), just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live".
FRI 16:00 Composer of the Week (m002z7qd)
Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884)
An Unexpected Passing
Donald Macleod dives into Smith’s final years and explores her last orchestral works, with guests Ian Graham-Jones and Leanne Langley. In conversation Macleod also discusses Smith’s standing in British music during her lifetime, her impact upon other composers, and her significance today. As Alice Mary Smith is cited as the first British women to compose a symphony, and frequently composed outside the conventions of her time, is it time for her output to be reassessed in the light of these many new recordings heard throughout the week?
Rock them, rock them
BBC Singers
Gabriella Teychenne, conductor
Six Short Pieces (No. 3, 2 & 6)
Hiroaki Takenouchi, piano
Overture ‘The Masque of Pandora’
BBC Concert Orchestra
Barry Wordsworth, conductor
Two Intermezzi from ‘The Masque of Pandora’
BBC Philharmonic
Ben Gernon, conductor
L’ange et l’enfant
Emily Gray, mezzo soprano
Timothy Salter, piano
Overture ‘Jason, or the Argonauts and the Sirens’
BBC Philharmonic
Ben Gernon, conductor
Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Audio Wales & West
FRI 17:00 In Tune (m002z7qg)
Composer Dani Howard
Composer Dani Howard chats to Katie about her piece Concerto for Brass, ‘SIGNAL’, receiving its world premiere at this year's BBC Proms.
FRI 19:00 Classical Mixtape (m002z7qj)
Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical favourites.
FRI 19:30 BBC Proms (m002z7ql)
2026
Bruch’s Violin Concerto
Live at the BBC Proms: Omer Meir Wellber conducts the Bremen orchestra playing Haydn & Robert Schumann, with Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich joining them for Bruch's concerto.
Presented by Georgia Mann, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 44 in E minor, ‘Trauer’
Max Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor
c.
8.15pm
Interval: Jessica Duchen looks at the artistic profile of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen as it approaches its fourth decade. She also compares Schumann's two versions of his Fourth Symphony.
c.
8.35pm
Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 4 in D minor (rev. version, 1851)
Daniel Lozakovich, violin
The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Omer Meir Wellber, conductor
Haydn’s Symphony No. 44, written at the height of his fame in Europe, embodies the bracing rhythms, lyrical melodies and dramatic silences typical of the ‘Storm and Stress’ movement, with its nickname – ‘Trauer’ or ‘Mourning’ – arising from the suggestion that he requested its serene slow movement be played at his funeral. Max Bruch evoked the heyday of Romanticism in his lush, ever-popular First Violin Concerto; young Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich returns following his acclaimed Proms debut in 2022. Sketched out in less than a week during a period of white-hot inspiration in 1841, Schumann’s Fourth Symphony is the outgoing, extrovert complement to his calmer, recently completed ‘Spring’ Symphony. Omer Meir Wellber, a former Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, conducts one of Europe’s leading orchestras.
FRI 22:00 Late Junction (m002z7qn)
Makoto Kubota’s Mixtape
Jennifer Lucy Allan shares a mixtape crafted exclusively for Late Junction by the cult musician, film-maker and producer, Makoto Kubota, who shares the songs and sounds that he has treasured most over the years.
Born in Kyoto, Japan in 1949, Makoto Kubota is one of Japan’s true musical innovators. Over his long career, he began leading a musician’s life initially in the ‘60s as a central part of the mystery-riddled, cult underground Japanese psychedelic rock band, Les Rallizes Dénudés. As students responding to the post-war occupation of their country, from the beginning Les Rallizes were pioneering in their commitment to the Japanese-language in their work. Under the leadership of the enigmatic Takashi Mizutani, they spent decades making deep, hypnotic psychedelia and playing high volume concerts, a sonic assault - according to Kubota - loud enough to “send your consciousness flying”. While still in LRD, Makoto formed The Sunset Gang with Haruomi Hosono, Minako Yoshida and Taeko Ohnuki, a group whose sound met somewhere between Japanese folk, Okinawan rock and New Orleans jazz, with a healthy dose of cool Hawaiian surfer vibes. Kuboata's mixtape offers a snapshot of his vivid musical universe.
Elsewhere in the show: slow-motion saxophone workouts courtesy of former Late Junction session guest Michaela Turcerová; time-shifting minimalist piano inspired by a moment of silence held by an orchestra from American Daoist composer Michael F Hunt; and music conjured from the foundations of the 13th Century songs of Cantiguas de Santa Maria performed by violinist Clara Levy & violist Victor Guaita Igual.
Produced by Cat Gough
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3
To listen on most smart speakers, just say “ask BBC Sounds to play Late Junction”.
FRI 23:30 'Round Midnight (m002z7qq)
Jon Batiste in conversation
This Friday night, Soweto is joined by the multi award-winning multi-instrumentalist and composer Jon Batiste. A highly prolific composer and performer, his genre-defying work spans jazz, soul, R&B, classical and pop. A New Orleans native from the renowned Batiste family of musicians, he rose to prominence as bandleader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and has since won five Grammy Awards for his musically expansive compositions.
Jon's recording and performance credits include with Stevie Wonder, Prince, Lenny Kravitz, and Roy Hargrove, and his film credits include as the co-composer of Pixar’s animated film "Soul".
Sitting down for a conversation around Jon's three brand new albums - Black Mozart, Monk Meditations and Monk Movements - Jon and Soweto discuss everything from the lesser-known tradition of improvisation in classic music, New Orleans, some of their biggest inspirations, writing for film, and much more.
‘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".