This Classical Life

Jess Gillam and cellist Edgar Moreau share some of the music they love, with shimmering piano pieces by Debussy and Rachmaninov, and epic emotion from Serge Reggiani and Dusty Springfield. Abdullah Ibrahim is playing the soprano saxophone and Edgar takes us back to his very first orchestral experience with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Playlist: Debussy - Suite bergamasque for piano: Clair de lune...

In a special show for International Women's Day, Jess sits down with composer Anna Meredith to share some of their favourite tracks by female artists - from lush strings by Bjork and Hildur Guðnadóttir via heartbreakers from FKA Twigs and the Shirelles, to a brand new banger by composer/producer Carmel Smickersgill Playlist Bjork: Stonemilker Meredith Monk: Ellis Island FKA Twigs: cellophane Hildu...

Jess Gillam swaps mixtapes with pianist and composer Joseph Havlat, with tracks by Nick Drake and Mike Oldfield, a Romantic classic by Tchaikovsky and a toe tapping early folk tune. Playlist: Trad - Kathryn Oggie [Baltimore Consort] Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture [Czech Philharmonic, Semyon Bychkov (conductor)] Nigel Westlake - Shards of Jaisalmer [Grigoryan Brothers] Nick Drake -...

Jess swaps favourite tracks with singer, songwriter and cellist Laufey, from silky jazz piano from Bill Evans and virtuosic fireworks in Sibelius Violin Concerto to Joe Cocker covering The Beatles. Playlist: Bill Evans - Like Someone in Love Shara Worden - From the Invisible to the Visible Ravel - Pavane pour un enfant defunte (Louis Lortie (piano)) Joe Cocker - With a Little Help from my Friends...

Jess Gillam talks to Argentinian composer Sebastian Plano about the music they love, including Villa-Lobos and an army of cellos taking on Bach, synth wizard Vangelis conjuring up the sound of Antarctica, the soulful voices of Mercedes Sosa and Lianne La Havas, plus a real tearjerker from Elgar. Playlist: Rossini - William Tell – Overture [Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan] Mercedes Sosa -...

Jess is joined this week by the conductor Jamie Phillips. They share some of their favourite tracks and musical discoveries, including Bach's second Brandenburg Concerto, a jazz arrangement of Holst's The Planets, elegiac piano music by Busoni and a track by Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band.

Jess Gillam talks to recorder player Lucie Horsch about the music they love including the warm vocal tones of Omara Portuondo, some speaker shaking bass from Mark Guiliana, an early choral classic from Faure and masterful film music from Bernstein and Hans Zimmer. Playlist: Bernstein – West Side Story: Overture [Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story Orchestra, Johnny Green] Omara Portuondo – La sitie...

Jess Gillam is joined by the conductor Oliver Zeffman to share some of the music they love. Including a rare and beautiful song by Tchaikovsky, a banging tune by Lizzo, plus possibly THE greatest ending in all of music with Mahler’s 8th Symphony. Playlist: Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 21, in C Major, K. 467; II. Andante [Mitsuko Uchida (piano), English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate] Alex Baranows...

Conductor and composer Eimear Noone is best known for her film and video game scores - she joins Jess Gillam to swap mixtapes and together they get swept away with a vintage Beethoven recording, dream of Orkney with Erland Cooper and get revved up with AC/DC.

Jess Gillam and tenor Nicky Spence don their Christmas jumpers to share their favourite seasonal music, from Jon Vickers singing Handel to Joni Mitchell, and from Vivaldi's Winter to joyful harmonies from Pentatonix. Playlist: Trad. Jingle Bells - Ella Fitzgerald Trad. arr. Ola Gjeilo - The Coventry Carol (Choir of Royal Holloway) Yma Sumac - Malambo No.1 Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker: Overture &am...

Jess Gillam and horn player Felix Klieser share the music they love, with some sumptuous early Prokofiev, Kate Bush, Sidney Bechet, Piazzolla and Sting. Playlist: Mozart - Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat Major, K. 495; III. Rondo, Allegro vivace [Hermann Baumann (horn), Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Pinchas Zukermann] Piazzolla - Four Seasons of Buenos Aires - Verano Porteno The Police - Every Breat...

Jess Gillam chats to composer Erland Cooper about the music they love, with music by Peter Maxwell Davies, The Pixies, Florence Price and Boards of Canada. Playlist: Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin; I. Prelude [Cleveland Orchestra, Pierre Boulez] Boards of Canada - Zoetrope CPE Bach - Sonata In A Minor For Oboe Solo Wq. 132: I Poco Adagio [Branford Marsalis] Ennio Morricone - Se telefonando [Mina]...

Jess Gillam and accordionist Samuele Telari swap mixtapes and chat about the music they love, including accordion music by Piazzolla, Satie on the guitar, traditional Italian song and classic David Bowie.

Jess Gillam and composer Eydís Evensen share the music they love, with music from Rachmaninov, Sigur Rós, Christine Southworth and Minnie Riperton.

Jess Gillam and the French cellist Bruno Philippe share some of their favourite music, including movements from Schubert's final string quartet and Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Sixth Symphony, tracks by Amy Winehouse and Alex Turner, and music by Lera Auerbach and John Ireland. Playlist: Puccini - Overture from Madame Butterfly [Orchestra Dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Alberto Erede] De Vise...

Jess Gillam and violinist Mari Samuelsen share the music they love, including Gershwin, Nick Cave, Hannah Peel, Huw Watkins and Queen! Playlist: Gershwin – Walking the dog (Promenade) from Shall we Dance [Los Angeles Philharmonic, Michael Tilson Thomas] John Bennet – Weep, O Mine Eyes [Attacca Quartet] Nick Cave – Push The Sky Away Hannah Peel – Emergence In Nature Huw Watkins – Flute Concerto; II...

Jess Gillam is joined by composer Carlos Simon to share the music they love including the Philip Glass opera Akhnaten, Quincy Jones' Happy Feet, Gabriela Lena Frank, Earth Wind and Fire and a cracking tune from Sibelius. Playlist: Philip Glass - Funeral of Amenhotep (from Akhnaten) [Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus, Karen Kamensek, Zachary James] Bach - Sonata for Violin and Keyboard No.3...

Jess Gillam and composer Claire M Singer share the music they love, with music from Meredith Monk, Telemann, Lee Scratch Perry, Schnittke and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Playlist: Meredith Monk – The Games: Spaceship (Arr. M Gordon for Chamber Ensemble) [Bang On A Can All-Stars] Telemann – Sonata TWV 41:f1 in F minor; I. Triste [Frans Bruggen (recorder), Anner Bylsma (cello) Gustav Leonhardt (har...

Jess Gillam and cellist Gabriella Swallow share the music they love including Scott Walker's Sleepwalkers Woman, Barbara Hendricks singing Britten, electricity and fire from CPE Bach, love and longing from Carole King and Stravinsky is at The Fair. Playlist: Stravinsky – Petrushka First Tableau: The Shrovetide Fair [Concertgebouw, Riccardo Chailly] Chilly Gonzales - Overnight Benjamin Britten – Le...

Jess Gillam and composer Jacob Mühlrad share the music they love. Jacob introduces us to the music of Sven-David Sandström and a glistening re-mix of Josin by Kiasmos. We have some passionate tango performed by Nicola Benedetti and friends, a landscape of sound from John Cage and Missy Mizzoli tells the story of Isabelle Eberhardt. Plus some early Mahler, unfinished Schubert AND a meeting of music...

Jess Gillam and pianist George Harliono share the music they love. George introduces us to the fascinating world of Soviet composer Mikael Tariverdiev as well as Bobby Hebb's joyous dedication to his brother 'Sunny'. Missy Mazzoli writes a chorus inspired by Sardinian folk music and Itzhak Perlman lovingly performs Elgar's Salut d'amour. Plus we'll hear heart-wrenching music from Anthony and the J...

Ahead of his performance at the 2023 Final Night of the Proms, revisit cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason's chat with Jess Gillam as they share the music they love. First aired August 2021 Mozart takes us to heavenly plains with his Great Mass, Leroy Anderson plays a typewriter, Max Richter sends us to sleep and we'll hear some heart-wrenching cello playing from Jacqueline du Pré in Dvorak's Silent Woods....

Jess Gillam and conductor Jonathan Bloxham share the music they love. With a beautifully pensive tango from Piazzolla, Curtis Mayfield's life-affirming song 'Move on Up' and court jesters and curses from Verdi. Also, Anna Clyne is inspired by Persian poetry, Nick Drake sings about growing up and Haydn keeps to time. Playlist: Haydn - Symphony No. 101 in D major 'The Clock' - finale (Chamber Orches...

Jess Gillam joins up with the Australian violinist Courtenay Cleary to share some of their favourite music, including an iconic work by Richard Strauss, a highly charged Janacek String Quartet, a spellbinding farewell from David Bowie, kaleidoscopic Australian jazz-funk and a special gift from the Aurora Orchestra. Playlist: R. Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (Herbert von Karajan, Berlin...

Jess Gillam joins up with American pianist Tom Weaver to share some of their favourite music, including Dvorak's Eighth Symphony, a virtuosic Vivaldi violin concerto played on the trumpet, an energetic tango by Piazzolla, plus tracks from Aerosmith and Electric Light Orchestra. Playlist: Dvorak – Symphony No.8, 3rd movement (Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) Aerosmith – Sweet Em...