A new weekly series exploring turning points in classical music history will launch on BBC Radio 3 next month.
Key Changes: Radio 3’s Essential History of Classical Music will trace pivotal moments that shaped the development of classical music across the past thousand years.
Presented by writer and broadcaster Gillian Moore, the year-long series examines how political, technological and cultural shifts influenced the evolution of music. Each programme begins with a specific historical moment that changed the direction of classical music and explores its lasting impact.
Contributors include historians and commentators Michael Wood, Suzannah Lipscomb, Kate Williams, Bridget Kendall, Rana Mitter and Simon Schama, who join Gillian in conversation to place musical developments within their wider historical context.
The series ranges from the invention of the musical stave in 1026 through major events such as the Protestant Reformation, the French Revolution and the rise of recording technology, continuing to the influence of the internet. It also explores the role music has played in everyday life across different eras, from church and theatre to the home and smartphone.
The first episode airs on Saturday 4 April at 1pm, with new programmes broadcast weekly. The full series will also be available on BBC Sounds.
Sam Jackson said: “This wide-ranging, year-long commission from Radio 3 deepens our commitment to illuminating the stories of those who have shaped the landscape of classical music.”
Alongside the new programme, Radio 3 is adjusting parts of its weekend schedule. Music Matters will move from Saturdays at 1pm to Sundays at 3pm, while the repeat broadcast of Choral Evensong will move to 6pm on Sundays.