Julie Walters to present a new Saturday night series on Classic FM

14 February 2018, 08:59 | Updated: 15 February 2018, 10:45

The British actress will host a brand new series exploring the biggest moments and changes in the history of classical music, beginning Saturday 17th February.

Julie Walters, one of Britain’s best-loved and most successful actresses, is joining Classic FM to host a new series exploring the biggest moments and changes in the history of classical music.

Walters will make her presenting debut on Turning Points this Saturday 17 February at 9pm.

From Franz Liszt, whose radical approach made him the first true classical music ‘superstar’; to the invention of the printing press; to the revolutionary female composer Hildegard of Bingen, Walters will tell the stories of extraordinary people – and the music that accompanied the most exciting moments in classical music over the past 600 years. The series launches with some musical ‘firsts’: among them, the introduction of music notation almost 2,000 years ago and the story of Joseph Haydn, the so-called ‘Father of the Symphony’.

With a weekly audience of 5.7 million listeners, Classic FM has created the series in partnership with the Honda Jazz, who will also sponsor Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 3^rd April, hosted by Bill Turnbull and Margherita Taylor.

> Purchase tickets for Classic FM Live here

Julie Walters said: “I’m thrilled to be part of the Classic FM team and to present the new Turning Points series. It’s going to be fascinating to uncover the stories behind the biggest moments in classical music history, so I can’t wait to join all the listeners as we embark on this journey of discovery together.”

Sam Jackson, Classic FM’s managing editor, said: “In a recent piece of audience research, Classic FM listeners chose Julie Walters as their favourite actress. I’m therefore particularly pleased to welcome her to the Classic FM family. Her warmth and wit make her the perfect host for our new series and we know that she is excited, along with our listeners, to learn more about classical music.” 

> Find out more about Turning Points here