Composer of the Week


Composer of the Week is a long-running biographical music programme produced by BBC Cymru Wales and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Originally This Week's Composer, it was first broadcast on 2 August 1943 on the BBC Home Service, transferring to the BBC Third Programme in 1964 and changing title to Composer of the Week in 1988. In terms of longevity, it is only surpassed by Desert Island Discs.
The programme is broadcast daily from Monday to Friday, each week being a series of five programmes dedicated to a particular composer or a group of related composers. With the "great composers", weeks dedicated to them tend to focus on a particular aspect of their life or works.
The series has been written and presented by Donald Macleod since 1999. Sometimes the programme is recorded on location with Macleod visiting composers such as Harrison Birtwistle at home.