BBC Radio 3’s 25 for 25: Sounds of the Century, introducing 25 new commissions, is to run from 25 January to 12 July. Inspired by 25 significant events 'which have defined the first quarter of the 2000s', the 25 works have been written by a host of important contemporary composers.
Recorded by BBC Performing Groups and Radio 3 New Generation Artists, the new commissions have their first broadcast on Saturday Morning with Tom Service each week and are then presented across the Radio 3 schedule throughout the week following their premiere, including plays on Breakfast, Essential Classics and In Tune. The series launches this Saturday 25 January with the premiere of Anna Clyne’s The Eye, performed by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Ben Gernon, taking The London Eye as a starting point for a reflection on the new millennium.
25 key moments from the first quarter of the century
Inspiration for the new works 'range from key moments in the first quarter of the century, where the nation came together in celebration or mourning, to innovations in science and technology and themes of nature and climate,' according to a BBC statement.
Among the new works: Master of the King’s Music Errollyn Wallen’s Remembering 2012 looks back at the London 2012 Olympics with music for string quartet (performed by New Generation Artists, the Chaos Quartet); Stephen Hough reflects on the atrocity of the 9/11 terrorist attacks with Nocturne for September 10th 2001 (performed by former New Generation Artist Elisabeth Brauß); and Thea Musgrave’s In memoriam 2022 (performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra led by Nil Venditti, with oboist Nicholas Daniel and violinist Johan Dalene) commemorates the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Sam Jackson, Controller, BBC Radio 3 & BBC Proms says: 'With a quarter of the 21st century already behind us, this significant set of commissions offers a wonderful opportunity to tell the story of our recent history, through the lens of music. The BBC is this country’s biggest commissioner of new works and on Radio 3, we are proud to champion this brilliant range of composers and performers, joining us to mark a series of extraordinary moments across the last 25 years.'
Read on for the full list of broadcast dates, composers, themes and performers:
25/01/2025: Anna Clyne, New Millennium/The London Eye, 2000 (BBC Philharmonic)
01/02/2025: Stephen Hough, 09/11 terrorist attacks, 2001 (Elisabeth Brauß)
08/02/2025: Erland Cooper, David Attenborough tribute, 2002 (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra)
15/02/2025: Arowah, Peace rally, 15th February, 2003 (BBC Concert O/Emma Rawicz/Lorenz Okello-Osengor)
22/02/2025: Jasdeep Singh Degun, Vilayat Khan tribute, 2004 (BBC Philharmonic)
01/03/2025: Sauli Zinovjev, Trial of Saddam Hussein, 2005 (Santiago Cañón-Valencia)
08/03/2025: Kieran Brunt, Music streaming services, 2006 (BBC Singers)
15/03/2025: Jasper Dommett, Smartphones, 2007 (BBC National Orchestra of Wales)
22/03/2025: Nkeiru Okoye, First African-American President, Barack Obama, 2008 (BBC CO/Paterson Joseph, narrator)
29/03/2025: Donnacha Dennehy, Miracle on the Hudson, 2009 (BBC NOW)
05/04/2025: Natalie Holt, Eyjafjallajökull eruption, 2010 (Richard Harwood/Ben Hancox/ Esther Kim/ Garfield Jackson/ David Arch)
12/04/2025: Karen Tanaka, Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, 2011 (BBC CO)
19/04/2025: Errollyn Wallen, London 2012 Olympics, 2012 (Chaos Quartet)
26/042025: Elena Kats-Chernin, Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, 2013 (BBC SSO)
03/05/2025: Aileen Sweeney, Unveiling of The Kelpies, 2014 (BBC SSO)
10/05/2025: Gavin Higgins, End of UK deep-pit coal mining (Kellingley), 2015 (BBC Symphony Orchestra)
17/05/2025: Anselm McDonnell, Paris Climate Agreement, 2016 (BBC Singers)
24/05/2025: Rakhi Singh (in collaboration with music producer Sebastian Gainsborough), Manchester bombing, 2017 (BBC Philharmonic)
31/05/2025: Gerald Barry, First recorded sound on Mars, 2018 (BBC SSO)
07/06/2025: Héloïse Werner, First image of a black hole, 2019 (BBC Singers)
14/06/2025: Karl Jenkins, Covid pandemic, 2020 (BBC SO/BBC Singers)
21/062025: Cassie Kinoshi, Record sightings of humpback whales, 2021 (Kleio Quartet)
28/06/2025: Thea Musgrave, Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2022 (BBC SO/Nicholas Daniel/Johan Dalene)
05/072025: Øyvind Torvund, AI, 2023 (BBC SO/BBC Singers)
12/07/2025: Kristina Arakelyan, Northern lights, 2024 (BBC Philharmonic/Kristina Arakelyan)