An informative and accessible guide to composers' lives and their music.
Radio 3,·23 episodes
Who made Mozart? Kate Molleson on five relationships that shaped the man and his music
05 Aug 2026,·59 mins
Five relationships that shaped Mozart.
04 Aug 2026,·59 mins
Leopold - Father
03 Aug 2026,·59 mins
Symphonist in the making
Donald Macleod journeys through the early years of Alice Mary Smith.
27 Jul 2026,·59 mins
Marriage on the horizon
Donald Macleod explores the early years of Smith’s marriage to Frederick Meadows White
28 Jul 2026,·59 mins
Collaborations and Concertos
Donald Macleod surveys some of Alice Mary Smith’s compositional collaborations
29 Jul 2026,·59 mins
A Second Symphony
Donald Macleod traces Smith’s writing of her Second Symphony
30 Jul 2026,·59 mins
An Unexpected Passing
Donald Macleod dives into Smith’s final years and explores her last orchestral works
31 Jul 2026,·59 mins
The Art of Procuring a Patron
Donald Macleod traces Handel’s early search for patronage.
20 Jul 2026,·59 mins
The Elector and/or the King
Donald Macleod follows Handel as he travels from Hanover to London.
21 Jul 2026,·59 mins
The Rise and Fall of the Duke of Chandos
Donald Macleod explores Handel’s time with the Duke of Chandos.
22 Jul 2026,·59 mins
Fit for a King, Queen, Princess and Prince
Donald Macleod explores Handel's life at the royal court.
23 Jul 2026,·59 mins
All for a Good Cause
Handel turns music into a public good, away from patronage. With Donald Macleod.
24 Jul 2026,·59 mins
Adagio for Strings
Donald Macleod journeys into Samuel Barber’s early career.
17 Jul 2023,·59 mins
Barber joins the Army
Donald Macleod delves into Barber’s time during and after the Second World War.
18 Jul 2023,·59 mins
Barber’s operatic failure
Donald Macleod journeys through the 1960s, when Barber composes an Egyptian opera.
20 Jul 2023,·59 mins
Relationships under strain
Donald Macleod delves into Samuel Barber’s final years of emotional turmoil.
21 Jul 2023,·59 mins
Fela's Quiet Rhythm
Donald Macleod traces Fela Sowande’s early musical life with Alexander Douglas.
07 Jul 2026,·59 mins
The Life and Legacy of Little Ayo Bankole
Donald Macleod explores Ayo Bankole’s life and music with Alexander Douglas.
08 Jul 2026,·59 mins
African Pianism Man
Donald Macleod explores Akin Euba and unpicks African pianism with Alexander Douglas.
09 Jul 2026,·59 mins
Past, Present, Future
Donald Macleod and Alexander Douglas explore Nigerian art music past, present and future.
10 Jul 2026,·59 mins
Mary Lou Williams
Donald Macleod charts the extraordinary life of jazz composer & pianist Mary Lou Williams
22 Nov 2019,·67 mins
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Donald Macleod tells the story of the loss and later rediscovery of CPE Bach’s music
28 Jun 2019,·64 mins
