Composer of the Week

BBC Radio 3's Composer Of The Week is a guide to composers and their music. The podcast is compiled from the week's programmes and published on Friday, it is only available in the UK.

Last refreshed: July 27th, 2025 at 10:20 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

Janacek

Donald looks at Janacek's life through his instrumental and small-scale compositions.

Aug 19, 2016•59 min

Villa Lobos

Donald explores the music and life of Villa-Lobos with musicologist Manoel Correa do Lago

Aug 12, 2016•1 hr 30 min

Butterworth

Donald Macleod explores the music of George Butterworth and four of his contemporaries

Aug 05, 2016•1 hr 14 min

Brahms

Looking at the life and work of Johannes Brahms and some of his larger orchestral works

Jul 29, 2016•54 min

Mozart

Donald explores Mozart's relationship with his home city of Salzburg.

Jul 15, 2016•1 hr 7 min

Bernard Stevens

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of neglected British composer Bernard Stevens

Jul 08, 2016•1 hr 8 min

Stravinsky and the Symphony

Donald Macleod explores Igor Stravinsky's life through his symphonies.

Jul 01, 2016•54 min

Johann Strauss I and II

Donald Macleod explores the lives of and music of Johann Strauss I and his son, Johann

Jun 17, 2016•1 hr 23 min

Gershwin

Donald explores the colourful life and music of George Gershwin, a pianist and composer.

Jun 03, 2016•1 hr 10 min

Clara Schumann and Her Circle

Donald Macleod explores the lives and music of Clara Schumann and the extraordinary circle of composers and musicians she moved in

May 27, 2016•1 hr 22 min

Satie

Satie the Onion: his surreal life viewed in reverse.

May 20, 2016•1 hr 22 min

Dussek

Donald Macleod explores Dussek’s early years traveling through Europe.

May 13, 2016•1 hr 9 min

Purcell

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Henry Purcell, a musical revolutionary remembered as Britain's 'musical Shakespeare'

Apr 29, 2016•1 hr 18 min

Byrd

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of William Byrd.

Apr 22, 2016•1 hr 22 min

Sterndale Bennett

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of William Sterndale Bennett.

Apr 15, 2016•1 hr 23 min

Vaughan Williams

Donald Macleod charts the long life and career of Vaughan Williams.

Apr 08, 2016•1 hr 7 min

Telemann

Donald Macleod explores who the real Telemann was.

Apr 01, 2016•1 hr 9 min

Granados

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Spanish composer-pianist Enrique Granados.

Mar 25, 2016•1 hr 2 min

Women of the MacDowell Colony

Donald Macleod explores the work of the many female composers who have visited the Edward MacDowell artists' colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire

Mar 18, 2016•1 hr 22 min

Strozzi

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Barbara Strozzi, with Dr Sara Pecknold

Mar 11, 2016•1 hr 25 min

Haydn

Donald Macleod explores Haydn's final works.

Mar 04, 2016•58 min

Debussy

Donald Macleod discusses the fruits of a number of Debussy's important friendships

Feb 26, 2016•1 hr 7 min

Cimarosa

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Domenico Cimarosa

Feb 19, 2016•1 hr 1 min

Ponce

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Mexican composer Manuel Ponce.

Feb 12, 2016•1 hr 17 min

Rubinstein

Anton Rubinstein was called the Michelangelo of music and was one of the most prolific and charismatic musical figures of the 19th century.

Feb 05, 2016•1 hr 3 min

Dvorak

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Dvorak

Jan 29, 2016•58 min

Dutilleux

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of French composer Henri Dutilleux

Jan 26, 2016•1 hr 3 min

Coulthard

Donald Macleod explores the life and work of Canadian composer Jean Coulthard

Jan 15, 2016•54 min

Stockhausen

Donald Macleod and Robert Worby explore the life and music of Karlheinz Stockhausen

Jan 08, 2016•1 hr 14 min

Berwald

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Franz Berwald,

Dec 25, 2015•1 hr 8 min

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