Radio 3 in Concert

Wednesday 1st April 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Alina Ibragimova Plays Bartók.

Alina Ibragimova is the soloist in Bartók's Violin Concerto No 1, and Edward Gardner conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Presented live, from the Royal Festival Hall in London, by Martin Handley. Mark-Anthony Turnage: Three Screaming Popes. Bartók: Violin Concerto No 1, Sz. 36, BB 48a. Interval. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition. Alina Ibragimova (violin), London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Edward Gardner.
(Live)

Monday 6th April 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Mysteries and Miracles from the Tallis Scholars.

Ian Skelly presents from London's Milton Court Concert Hall as the world-renowned Tallis Scholars explore music inspired by miraculous events in the life of Jesus. The programme begins with a grand motet for double choir by Venetian Giovanni Gabrieli, followed by Tomás Luis de Victoria's Missa O magnum mysterium, which depicts Christ's birth. Other pieces explore miracles, such as De Wert's Egressus Jesus, recounting Christ exorcising a demon, and Judith Weir's Ave Regina Caelorum, which reflects on the mystery of the Virgin birth. The second half highlights Tallis's Videte miraculum and Gallus's Mirabile mysterium, both celebrating the Virgin birth, while Guerrero's Maria Magdalena narrates the discovery of Christ's resurrection. The concert concludes with Arvo Pärt's Tribute to Caesar, inspired by Christ's wisdom, and Virgencita, honouring the Virgin of Guadalupe, written by Pärt as a present to the people of Mexico. Giovanni Gabrieli: O magnum mysterium. Victoria: Missa O magnum mysterium - Kyrie & Gloria. De Wert: Egressus Jesus. Victoria: Missa O magnum mysterium - Credo. Judith Weir: Ave Regina Caelorum. Victoria: Missa O magnum mysterium - Sanctus & Agnus. Interval. Tallis: Videte miraculum. Jacobus Gallus: Mirabile mysterium. Guerrero: Maria Magdalena. Arvo Pärt: Tribute to Caesar: Virgencita. The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillip (conductor).

Thursday 9th April 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.

Take a time-trip with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and conductor Kazuki Yamada as three composers transplant music from the past into new, radical environments. In Hindemith's Metamorphosis, the nineteenth-century sounds of Weber are hurled, kicking and sometimes howling, into the modern era. Rachmaninov riffs on a beautiful melody from the 1800s, examining it from 24 angles, with renowned Argentine pianist Nelson Goerner as the soloist. Bartók's exhilarating Concerto for Orchestra honours the folk music of his native Hungary while giving the spotlight to almost every instrument of the modern orchestra. Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis of themes by Carl Maria von Weber. Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Interval. Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra. Nelson Goerner (piano), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conductor Kazuki Yamada. Broadcast live from Symphony Hall in Birmingham.
(Live)

Monday 13th April 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Four Last Songs.

Mark Forrest presents from Manchester's Bridgewater Hall as Nicholas Carter conducts the BBC Philharmonic and soprano Sarah Weneger in music exploring forbidden love and dramatic landscapes. The dramatic coastline of Cornwall provides compelling inspiration for Bax's overwhelming overture Tintagel, with the impressive castle providing a tangible link back to the legend of unrequited love and unresolved yearning that inspired Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde. The UK premiere of Edmund Finnis's The Landscape Wakes echoes the theme, and the concert ends with the nostalgic Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss, in which the composer reflects on the beauties of nature and the joy of a long life well-lived. Wagner: Tristan and Isolde - Prelude and Liebestod. Edmund Finnis: The Landscape Wakes (UK premiere). 8.10 Interval. Bax: Tintagel. Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs. Sarah Weneger (soprano), BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Nicholas Carter (conductor).

Tuesday 14th April 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:00 (1 hour and 30 minutes long)

Mahler's Symphony No 2.

Sir Donald Runnicles joins forces with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Edinburgh Festival Chorus for Mahler's epic Resurrection Symphony at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. Presented by Kate Molleson and recorded at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. Mahler: Symphony No 2 in C minor, 'Resurrection'. Jennifer Davis (soprano), Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano), Edinburgh Festival Chorus, James Grossmith (chorus director), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor Sir Donald Runnicles.

Tuesday 14th April 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 21:00 to 21:45 (45 minutes long)

The Ayoub Sisters at Celtic Connections.

Glasgow-born multi-instrumental duo The Ayoub Sisters pay homage to their Egyptian heritage in the world premiere of their Arabic Symphony with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Wednesday 15th April 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Jonathan Biss at Wigmore Hall.

American pianist Jonathan Biss plays two of Mozart's mature sonatas alongside pieces from Janácek's On an Overgrown Path. Also, Schumann's monumental Fantasie in C. Recorded at Wigmore Hall in London and presented by Martin Handley. Mozart: Piano Sonata in C minor, K.457. Janácek: On an Overgrown Path (extracts). Mozart: Piano Sonata in F, K.533 / 494. Interval. R Schumann: Fantasie in C, Op 17. Jonathan Biss (piano).

Monday 20th April 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

The BBC Symphony Orchestra from Seoul.

Petroc Trelawny presents from the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Centre as the BBC Symphony Orchestra plays Richard Strauss's Don Juan, Sibelius's Symphony No 2, and Britten's Piano Concerto with soloist Yeol Eum Son. The perfect work to show the scope of Yeol Eum Son's playing, the concerto displays all the brilliant virtuosity and sardonic wit of Britten's precocious early music. Conductor and great Sibelius interpreter Sakari Oramo completes the concert with Sibelius's Symphony No 2, the work that first put the composer on the map and a piece written in the summer climes of Italy. Proceedings launch with the young Strauss's tone poem Don Juan, a tale of the infamous libertine of its title, with its dashing colours and vivid characterisation. R Strauss: Don Juan, Op 20. Britten: Piano Concerto (rev 1945), Op 13*. Interval. Sibelius: Symphony No 2 in D. Yeol Eum Son (piano), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo (conductor).

Thursday 23rd April 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Bartók Bluebeard's Castle.

Duke Bluebeard's castle has seven doors, and his new wife Judith is determined to open them all - but some questions are best left unanswered, and in Bartók's psychological thriller, Bluebeard's Castle, even the darkest secrets possess a terrible beauty. In this performance, soprano Dorottya Láng and baritone Gábor Bretz are the heroine and hero of this sinister fairytale - two world-class singers with an unrivalled sense of theatre, supported by guest conductor Elim Chan and all the glittering colours of the full BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Add Britten's storm-swept portrait of the North Sea and Shostakovich's irreverent encounter with Shakespeare, and this is a pulse-raising concert packed with drama. Presented by Kate Molleson and recorded at Glasgow's City Halls on 16 April 2026. Britten: Four Sea Interludes from 'Peter Grimes'; Shostakovich: Hamlet Suite. Interval. Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle. Dorottya Láng (mezzo), Gábor Bretz (baritone), conductor Elim Chan, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Tuesday 5th May 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique.

The BBC Philharmonic in 'Big, Beautiful, Dark and Scary' by Julia Wolfe and Berlioz's 'Symphonie fantastique'. They are joined by Bomsori Kim for Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. Recorded at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall and presented by Mark Forrest. Julia Wolfe: Big, Beautiful, Dark and Scary. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto. 8.15 Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique. Bomsori Kim (violin), BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Anja Bihlmaier.

Wednesday 6th May 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Mozart's Requiem.

From Edinburgh's Usher Hall, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Minasi plays Mozart's Requiem and Haydn's Mass In Time of War. Kate Molleson presents. Haydn: Missa in Tempore belli, in C, H. 22/9. Interval. Mozart: Requiem in D minor, K626. Louise Alder (soprano), Hanna Hipp (mezzo-soprano), Julien Henric (tenor), Daniel Okulitch (bass-baritone), Scottish Chamber Orchestra, SCO Chorus, chorus director Gregory Batsleer, conductor Riccardo Minasi.

Monday 11th May 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Brahms's Violin Concerto.

Georgia Mann presents a concert recorded on January 31 at the Philharmonie Berlin, with soloist Janine Jansen joining the Berlin Philharmonic to play Brahms's Violin Concerto. The orchestra also performs Scriabin's Symphony No 3, aka The Divine Poem, under chief conductor Kirill Petrenko. Brahms: Violin Concerto in D, Op 77. Interval. Scriabin: Symphony No 3 in C minor, Op 43, The Divine Poem. Janine Jansen (violin), Berlin Philharmonic, Kirill Petrenko (conductor).

Tuesday 12th May 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations.

The French cellist Gautier Capuçon joins the Berlin Philharmonic to play Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme, and the orchestra also performs Beethoven's 2nd Symphony. Recorded at the Haydn Hall, Catle, Esterhazy, and presented by Georgia Mann. Haydn: Overture in D, Hob. 1a:7. Stravinsky: Pulcinella, ballet suite. Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op 33. Beethoven: Symphony No 2 in D, Op 36. Gautier Capuçon (cello), Berlin Philharmonic, conductor Kirill Petrenko.

Wednesday 13th May 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Strauss's Death and Transfiguration.

The Orchestre National de France is joined by American star opera singer Joyce DiDonato in songs by Alma and Gustav Mahler, and it performs Richard Strauss's Transfiguration. Recorded at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, and presented by Georgia Mann. Strauss: Tod und Verklärung, Op 24. Interval. A Mahler; Jorma Panula (orchestra): Five Songs. G Mahler: Rückert-Lieder. Joyce DiDonato (mezzo soprano), Orchestre National de France, conductor Cristian Macelaru.

Thursday 14th May 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Nights in the Gardens of Spain.

The Spanish National Orchestra performs a programme of music by Manuel de Falla, being joined by French pianist Bertrand Chamayou for the Nights in the Gardens of Spain. de Falla: Fantasia betica; Manuel de Falla: Noches en los jardines de España. Interval. de Falla: Homenajes, suite; El amor brujo. Bertrand Chamayou (piano), Spanish National Orchestra, conductor David Afkham. Recorded on 26th April 2026 at Auditorio Nacional, Madrid, and presented by Georgia Mann.

Wednesday 20th May 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Ulster Orchestra.

The Ulster Orchestra is joined by a stellar line-up of soloists for Stravinsky's Pulcinella and a performance of Schubert's Symphony No 9, The Great. Recorded at the Ulster Hall in Belfast and presented by John Toal. Stravinsky: Pulcinella. Schubert: Symphony No 9 in C, D. 944, The Great. Gemma Summerfield (soprano), Toby Spence (tenor), Josef Jeongmeen Ahn (baritone), Ulster Orchestra, conductor Alpesh Chauhan.

Thursday 21st May 2026 (starting this evening)
Time: 19:30 to 21:45 (2 hours and 15 minutes long)

Bruckner Symphony No. 4.

The air shimmers, and a horn calls softly in the distance. Is there a more magical beginning to any symphony than the vista that opens Bruckner's Fourth? There's a reason he called it 'Romantic'. Bruckner imagined a story of knights, forests and castles, but he preferred to let the music speak for itself, and in this closing concert to the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra's 90th anniversary Chief Conductor Ryan Wigglesworth will let it do exactly that. It's a world away from the spiritual intimacy of Bruckner's sacred music - sung tonight by the BBC Singers - and the bridge is a new version of Wigglesworth's own powerful Magnificat. Featuring soprano Sophie Bevan, the BBC Singers and the BBC SSO. Bruckner: Ave Maria (1861 setting). Ryan Wigglesworth: Magnificat - for solo soprano, chorus and orchestra (revised version, world premiere). Interval. Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E flat, 'Romantic'. Sophie Bevan (soprano), conductor Ryan Wigglesworth, BBC Singers, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.