Donald Macleod celebrates the programme’s 80th anniversary with highlights from 10 memorable interviews

Composer of the Week is one of the longest-running strands on the BBC, first heard on the airwaves during the Second World War on the 2nd of August 1943. The first to be featured was Mozart – and today, the programme tells the stories of well-known and rediscovered composers across classical music, jazz, contemporary and beyond. Donald Macleod celebrates its 80th anniversary with highlights and behind-the-scenes stories from his encounters with some of our greatest living composers. Across the week, he looks back on 10 memorable interviews from his nearly 25 years in the presenter’s chair, showcasing the range of musical styles and personalities he’s encountered.

Part 1 includes interviews with Stephen Sondheim, Judith Weir, Meredith Monk, Steve Reich & Harrison Birtwistle.

Part 2 includes interviews with Hans Werner Henze, Adolphus Hailstork, Thea Musgrave, Anoushka Shankar & Oliver Knussen.

Music Featured:

Stephen Sondheim: Pretty Little Picture (from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)

Presented by Donald Macleod

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Anniversary Special: Composers in Conversation https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001p28b

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z