Julian Joseph at Kings Place in 2016

ALAN DAVEY, controller of BBC Radio 3 gave a speech today at the Association of British Orchestras announcing various new appointments and commissions, and the full programme for the station for Internaional Womens Day, 8th March 2017. The following consists of quotes from an outline of his speech made available to us by the BBC:

– JULIAN JOSEPH has been commissioned by BBC Radio 3 for the BBC Concert Orchestra for a contemporary Oratorio in Autumn 2018 at Southbank Centre. The cast will be diverse and the story is based on Tristan and Isolde. It’s a huge commission. (Review of an earlier 2013 version)

-The BBC Concert Orchestra and Radio 3 are also commissioning jazz artist, composer, former New Generation Artist and festival director, TRISH CLOWES to create a piece for a family concert later in the year.

– The BBC has commissioned a setting to music by Kate Whitley of Malala Yousafzai’s 2013 UN speech.

– DOBRINKA TABAKOVA will be joining the BBC Concert Orchestra as Composer in Residence this year.

BBC Radio 3 International Women’s Day Schedule (8th March 2017)

0030 THROUGH THE NIGHT

Music composed by women

0630 BREAKFAST presented by Clemency Burton-Hill, curated by Alissa Firsova

0900 ESSENTIAL CLASSICS presented by Sarah Walker, curated by Sally Beamish

1200 COMPOSER OF THE WEEK presented by Donald MacLeod

Exploring the music composed by, performed by and written for women in sixteenth-century Ferrara – the place most encouraging to female musicianship before the 20th century

1300 RADIO 3 LUNCHTIME CONCERT presented by Kate Molleson

Live from the Royal College of Music – a recital of music by women

1400 AFTERNOON ON 3 presented by Katie Derham, curated by Tansy Davies

Specially –recorded performances of music by women from the BBC Orchestras and Choirs, and the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists

1530 CHORAL EVENSONG

From Truro Cathedral – the first live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 of the cathedral’s recently formed girl Choristers. Including world premiere performances of newly commissioned pieces by Sasha Johnson Manning and Dobrinka Tabakova

1630 IN TUNE presented by Sean Rafferty, curated by Errollyn Wallen

Featuring the Inspire Young Composers project for International Women’s Day, led by composer Hannah Kendall

1830 COMPOSER OF THE WEEK (repeat of programme from earlier in the day)

1930 RADIO 3 IN CONCERT presented by Sara Mohr-Pietsch

An ‘Open Ear’ concert recorded in the round at St John-at-Hackney, with performers spaced around the floor, and audience on three sides. Sara Mohr-Pietsch hosts informally, interviewing performers and composers.

Avant-garde ensemble Plus Minus will perform a large-scale piece by Joanna Bailie, and two ‘action’ pieces by German composer Carola Bauckholt, one of which is scored for four performers making rhythmic sounds while wearing parkas.

Also on the bill, pianist Xenia Pestova will play birdsong-inspired music by Arlene Sierra, and a selection of miniatures for amplified toy piano. Virtuoso violinist Aisha Orazbayeva will improvise spontaneously with spoken-word artist Tim Etchells, and there’s also a set of immersive surround-sound electronic music by sound artist and composer Kaffe Matthews.

2130 International Women’s Day commission by Kate Whitley – Speak Out

World premiere of a work specially commissioned by BBC Radio 3 for International Women’s Day by Kate Whitley, setting the text of the 2013 UN speech by Malala Yousafzai about the right of every girl to education, performed earlier in the evening at Hoddinott Hall by the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales and Youth Choir of the Year Cor y Cwm, under Principal Guest Conductor Xian Zhang. Plus interviews with Kate Whitley and performers.

2200 FREE THINKING: FORGOTTEN WOMEN presented by Anne McElvoy

Anne McElvoy and guests discuss important women forgotten from history, including the scientist Margaret Cavendish, poet Lady Mary Wroth, and interior designer Charlotte Robinson, and investigate why women are left out of some accounts.

2245 THE ESSAY: SCREEN GODDESSES

Author and broadcaster Sarah Churchwell describes the spell that female film stars of the 1930’s and 40’s have over her. From Barbara Stanwyck, the ‘tough broad’, to a vision of modernity who is all ‘satin’ and ‘chrome’. The author moves on to consider the original ‘blonde bombshell’, Jean Harlow.

2300 LATE JUNCTION presented by Fiona Talkington, curated by Annette Peacock and Kerry Andrew

Fiona Talkington presents adventurous music by female musicians and composers with the help of two guest selectors. Annette Peacock joins Fiona in the studio and Kerry Andrew shares her Late Junction Mixtape, a 25 minute unbroken mix of music by ‘Vocal Women’.