BBC Radio 3’s 70th Season

Seventy days of special commissions, initiatives, broadcasts and an ‘Embedded Composer’ mark the 70th anniversary of the Third Programme, the predecessor of BBC Radio 3.

Published: 23 September 2016

Seventy days of special commissions, initiatives, broadcasts and an ‘Embedded Composer’ mark the 70th anniversary of the Third Programme, the predecessor of BBC Radio 3.

Launching on the 70th anniversary of the Third Programme (Thursday 29 September), BBC Radio 3’s 70th Season will see a series of experiments in music and culture commissioned to reflect the anniversary on air. The season showcases and explores the Third Programme and Radio 3’s joint and ongoing mission of bringing the most remarkable music and culture to audiences, as part of the station’s role as a cultural patron.

Part of the 70th celebrations is Sound Frontiers: Radio 3 Live at Southbank Centre, which launches today (Friday 23 September).

Embedded: Composer in 3

In partnership with Sound and Music, BBC Radio 3’s Embedded: Composer in 3 is the biggest commission for a young composer that the station has ever made. Matthew Kaner will work day-to-day with the station for the entire 70 days, establishing his voice with Radio 3’s listeners via a diverse portfolio of short pieces which introduce the station’s audience to a wide range of new music, among them a premiere every Monday morning for Radio 3’s Breakfast programme (6.30-9am).

He will also create other short works for a whole range of Radio 3 programmes and talk about the process of composing classical music today, encouraging audiences to discuss and engage with contemporary music. His role will also be to contribute to programmes such as Hear and Now and influence the sound of the station with specially written on-air pieces.

Power of Three

Media historian David Hendy curates and introduces a series of daily three-minute features celebrating seminal moments in the history of Radio 3 and the Third Programme. From astro-physicist Sir Fred Hoyle’s unveiling of his theory of ‘Continuous Creation’ in 1949, to the premiere of Britten’s War Requiem in 1962, and the first jazz orchestra at the BBC Proms in 1987. Power of 3 will feature throughout the 70th Season at 10:30am and 5:30pm on weekdays and 8:55am at weekends.

Investing in the future

Radio 3’s 70th Season showcases the station’s ongoing commitment to commissioning new works, with a series of music commissions reflecting musical trends in the lifetime of the Third Programme and Radio 3.

Commissions include:

  • Seven composers, including Laura Jurd and three announced today, Laurent Durupt, Jane Harbour and Kate Whitley, are given their first Radio 3 commission to write a ten minute work, to be performed by a BBC Performing Group or Radio 3 New Generation Artist.
  • Three innovative newly composed music projects conceived specifically for radio, celebrating the broadcasting medium. Matthew Herbert’s ‘Requiem’ explores the deconstructing of a string quartet and Florian Hecker will create a site specific sound installation for BBC Maida Vale Studios.
  • Three established composers commissioned to write a significant work marking the 70th anniversary for future premier in 2017/18, including a piano concerto from Ryan Wigglesworth and a new work from Tansy Davies for the BBC Philharmonic.
  • Winners of the BBC Proms Inspire Young Composers’ Competition 2016 commissioned to write pieces inspired by the musical trends in the lifetime of the Third Programme and Radio 3 - from serialism to musique concrète – filtered through the imaginations of these composers, born in the 21st century.

Notes to Editors

In 2016, Radio 3 celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Third Programme with a host of new programmes, collaborations, events and partnerships.

Since it launched in 1946, the Third Programme/Radio 3 has been one of the world’s foremost presenters, creators, commissioners and curators across classical, folk, world, jazz and contemporary music as well as drama, philosophy and ideas. It is also the most significant commissioner of new and contemporary music in the UK, with 35 new works commissioned annually.

The station broadcasts over 600 concerts a year, including live broadcasts from the greatest classical music festival in the world (BBC Proms).

Radio 3’s In Concert programme along reaches the equivalent of 250 packed concert halls a week, and the BBC Performing Groups give around 400 concerts a year in over 60 UK locations. The station has always nurtured extraordinary artistic talents, provided a platform for important scientific and political debates/announcements, and broadcast ground-breaking experimental drama – always while delivering its core aim of connecting audiences with remarkable music and culture. Join Radio 3 at London’s Southbank Centre between 23 September and 7 October for Sound Frontiers, a celebration of seven decades of pioneering music and culture.

MC4

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