John Humphrys, one of Britain’s best-known broadcasters, joins the Classic FM team to share his own stories and reflections of his favourite composers and their music, every Sunday, 4pm to 7pm.
With a successful career spanning six decades, John has presented on both radio and TV, and has anchored many of the country’s flagship news programmes, including the Today Programme.
John features two celebrated soloists, teaming up for the music of Mozart. The pianist and conductor André Previn and the Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha perform a piece that Mozart originally wrote to play with his sister Nannerl, his Concerto for Two Pianos.
Then, John includes a new recording of Louise Farrenc’s final symphony, performed by Insula Orchestra.
Sunday 5 September
John marks the 60th birthday of a virtuoso Canadian pianist who has eleven Grammy nominations to his name: Marc-Andre Hamelin plays one of the toughest pieces in the piano repertoire, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3.
Then, John features a new recording from one of Britain’s finest vocal ensembles. Voces8’s album Infinity is space-inspired and includes both new compositions and rearrangements of film, electronic, and alternative classical music.
Sunday 12 September
John marks the birthday of one of the world’s greatest film composers. Hans Zimmer has won four Grammies, three Classical BRITs, two Golden Globes and an Oscar, as well as being nominated for eleven Academy Awards in total. As Zimmer celebrates his 64th birthday, John plays music from one of those nominated scores; the Ridley Scott epic Gladiator.
Then, he turns to the French pianist Jean Yves Thibaudet whose new album marks his own birthday. John features a track from Carte Blanche, Thibaudet’s newly released selection of personal favourites.
