Radio 3 & BBC 2 tells the Story of Music

BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, BBC Learning and the BBC Philharmonic have teamed up for a special project inspired by a new television programme airing on BBC Two.


On TV, Howard Goodall’s Story of Music will be an overview of the development of western music, produced by Tiger Aspect. It presents Howard’s personal view of musical invention from the Stone Age to the Digital Age, including the influence of classical music on the growth of popular music as well as the evolution of blues, jazz and world music.

Howard will also join BBC Radio 3 presenter Suzy Klein for the Story of Music in 50 pieces. Broadcast on weekdays in Essential Classics and In Tune, Howard and Suzy will discuss how 50 key works, chosen personally by Howard, contributed to the development of music. The features will be made available as free collectible downloads from the BBC Radio 3 website.

And an In Tune Special will broadcast live from Salford featuring Howard Goodall and an audience of young people with a passion for classical music where the BBC Philharmonic will perform works by Bach, Monteverdi, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saens, Stravinsky and John Adams which have inspired the young composers.

BBC Learning will be filming the students’ progress from the first session, to the final performance of their work in the Philharmonic Studio, as part of a Learning Zone special for BBC Two – designed to inspire all music students with their compositions. The films will give top tips for writing original music as well as specific points about style, technique, textures, instrumental ranges, compositional devices and patterns that will help them to create their own pieces.

Roger Wright, Controller BBC Radio 3 and Director, Proms said; “We are delighted to reach out to our audiences on-air, and online with our downloads of key works chosen by Howard, providing further context and discussion to BBC Two’s remarkable series. As the home of classical music, Radio 3 looks forward to exploring many great works and discussing their place in history.