In this programme

Ivan Fischer

Hungarian conductor Ivan Fischer has transformed the musical life of Budapest. He set up the Budapest Festival Orchestra in the early 80s and now it's one of the world's most exciting bands. Fischer is its undisputed leader, but he insists that each musician plays as an individual. He says that performances should sound like chamber music. The Budapest players do just that, whether it's Beethoven or Bartok. They've recently moved into a new concert hall and as this new chapter in their history begins, Tom asks Fischer why he felt he needed to set up the orchestra in the first place.


Choral Societies

When the film Les Choristes came out in France, it heralded a revival in choral singing. You might think that British choral societies don't need any positive PR. That they're an indelible part of our musical lives. But things aren't really that rosy: choirs struggle to recruit young singers, and many are in danger of dying out. Tom's been talking to Members the Huddersfield Choral Society, Bedford Choral Society, and the Crouch End Festival Chorus to find out all how are hoping that Les Choristes, or The Chorus, as it is called here, will have the same effect here as it did in France.
The Chorus is on general release.


Fanny Waterman

For thousands of players, Fanny Waterman is synonymous with the piano. Her books and tutors have accompanied the progress of budding pianists the world over. But she's also an impresario: she set up the Leeds international Piano Competition in 1963, and hundreds of virtuosi - including Mitsuko Uchida, Murray Perahia and Radu Lupu - owe their careers to the prizes they won at Leeds. The ethos of the competition has come under fire recently, but Fanny is undeterred. She turns 85 this year and she's appearing on juries world wide. Tom met her at home in Leeds where she gave him an impromptu piano lesson.


Martinu

Bohuslav Martinu was born and brought up in a tower, high above the Bohemian countryside. His music took him from Czech folk tunes to cosmopolitan sophistication, when he moved to Paris in the early 20s, and later to America, after his music was black-listed by the Nazis. For some, he's the greatest Czech composer since Janacek, for others, he wrote too much too quickly. Tom talked with conductors Charles Mackerras, Christopher Hogwood, Jiri Belohlavek, and Czech music specialist Paula Kennedy, on the quirky fantasy and imagination of Martinu's musical world.

The BBC Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Jiri Belohlavek in Martinu's Sixth Symphony on Performance on 3 on BBC Radio 3, Sunday at 6.30pm.