Inside Classical - Season 1

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales perform from their home, Hoddinott Hall in the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, under the baton of one of the world's most exciting young conductors, Marta Gardolinska.

The concert opens fittingly with Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz's Overture for orchestra. Bacewicz was a trailblazer in early 20th-century music, a celebrated female composer who wrote the work in 1943 when her country was under Nazi occupation. The sense of struggle and combat is heard within the piece with the opening rumble of the timpani, the beat of the snare drum and the brass instruments playing fanfares. The work also contains a musical message of hope, with the Morse code for the letter V, dot-dot-dot-dash, beaten out on the timpani, symbolising victory.

The orchestra then welcomes BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Johan Dalene to perform Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor. Swedish-born Johan, who is 20 years old, began playing the violin when he was four and made his concerto debut three years later. Mendelssohn wrote the work for his friend Ferdinand David, and the piece has become treasured by soloists and audiences worldwide for its lyrical melodies, fine craftsmanship and charm.

The concert ends with the orchestra performing Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony in F minor. Tchaikovsky began this work after his catastrophic marriage, which lasted just two months, to his former student Antonina Miliukova. Emerging from a profound period of writer's block, struggling with his sexuality, and battling against a heavy bout of depression, it is perhaps unsurprising that the music is urgent, supercharged and, at points, violent.

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales performs from its home at Hoddinott Concert Hall in the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, under the baton of one of the world's most exciting young conductors, Marta Gardolinska.

The concert fittingly opens with the Overture by Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz. Bacewicz was a trailblazer in early 20th-century music, a celebrated female composer who wrote this work in 1943 when her country was under Nazi occupation. The sense of struggle and combat is heard within the piece with the opening rumble of the timpani, the beat of the snare drum and the brass section playing fanfares. The work also contains a musical message of hope, with the Morse code for ‘V' (dot dot dot dash), beaten out on the timpani during the piece, symbolising victory.

Following Bacewicz's Overture, the orchestra welcomes BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Johan Dalene to perform Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor. Swedish-born Johan, who is 20 years old, began playing the violin when he was four and made his concerto debut three years later. Mendelssohn wrote the Violin Concerto in E minor for his friend Ferdinand David, and the piece has become treasured by soloists and audiences worldwide for its lyrical melodies, fine craftsmanship and charm.

The concert ends with the orchestra performing Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony in F minor. Tchaikovsky made a start to his work on the symphony following his catastrophic marriage, which lasted just two months, to his former student Antonina Miliukova. Emerging from a profound period of writer's block, struggling with his sexuality and battling with a heavy bout of depression, it's perhaps unsurprising that the music is urgent, supercharged and, at points, violent.

A showcase of music and spoken word celebrating Birmingham and the West Midlands. Featuring the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Dalia Stasevska, the concert is an emotional and energetic fusion of world-class musicians alongside some of the most exciting vocal talent from the city and area.

From the splendour of Birmingham Symphony Hall, with more than 100 musicians and arrangements and orchestrations by Jules Buckley, this special one-off event explores the city's musical heritage and spirit, alongside an honest telling of the people's love for Brum.

It is introduced by Casey Bailey, alongside a cast of performers including rapper SANITY, poet John Bernard, slam champion Jasmine Gardosi, artist TrueMendous, singer-producer Agaama and Birmingham vocal ensemble Black Voices.

Titled Beyond the Bricks of Brum, the concert is split into three parts:

Create the City is about the creation of Birmingham - its heritage, its people, its architecture and its spirit

Interrogate the City is an exploration of people's love for what is known as England's Second City, told honestly without glossing over its imperfections and showcasing the real Birmingham.

Celebrate the City is a round of applause to Birmingham as an important UK city and the home of the performers.

Recorded in June in the run-up to Birmingham's successful Commonwealth Games.

Some of the hottest Afrobeats artists in the world join forces with the BBC Philharmonic for this special one-off concert from BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Presented by 1Xtra's Remi Burgz, Eddie Kadi and DJ Edu, the concert will feature exclusive live performances by Nigerian singer-songwriter CKay, London-born and double Mobo nominee Maleek Berry, Kenyan singer-songwriter Nikita Kering, plus one of the biggest hip-hop acts on the African continent, Sarkodie.

This will be the first time a full orchestra in the UK has staged a dedicated concert to Afrobeats, which has seen a sharp rise in popularity, crossing over into music charts across the globe and enjoying worldwide commercial success. Filmed at the BBC Philharmonic's recording home in Salford, and also featuring The Compozers, this first-of-its-kind concert marks 20 years of 1Xtra, the BBC's radio network dedicated to amplifying Black music and culture.

From St David's Hall in Cardiff, Ryan Bancroft conducts the BBC National Orchestra of Wales to kick off their recent season with a pair of works from the turn of the 20th century. Starting with Sergey Rachmaninov's vivaciously virtuosic Third Piano Concerto, with its melancholic but dignified opening theme and rhythmically ferocious and hammering finale, you cannot fail to fall in love with the lush orchestral texture and variety of emotional intensities. Originally premiered in 1909 with the composer at the piano, this great and challenging work is played by the versatile and thrilling young pianist, Yeol Eum Son.

Whilst Rachmaninov was in full swing as a much-sought-after concert pianist of the Romantic style, fellow countryman Igor Stravinsky had recently emerged as a great avant-garde composer, well on the road to forging a long creative partnership with ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev.

Controversial from the outset, Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring still has the power to shock and surprise, as it did at its notorious premiere in Paris. Epic in scale and ferocity, the ballet depicts a pagan ritual in which a chosen sacrificial virgin dances herself to death - the angular contortions and tortured motions are countered by moments of beauty and stillness, reflective of spring and new life.

Tonight's programme is presented by Josie d'Arby.

A performance of Ravel's choreographic symphony, Daphnis et Chloé, by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Dalia Stasevska conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Elgar's Cello Concerto, with Sol Gabetta, Sibelius's First Symphony and Iain Farrington's musical celebration of the BBC, A Party with Auntie.

Vaughan Williams' pastoral masterpiece is stunningly performed by the BBC Philharmonic and soloist Zoë Beyers, alongside works by Elgar and Wagner.

The BBC Symphony Orchestra perform a live soundtrack in this premier stage adaptation of Conan Doyle's thriller, starring Mark Gatiss as Holmes and Sanjeev Bhaskar as Dr Watson.