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Conductor Cristian Macelaru tells his amazing musical life story

Tom Service talks to conductor Cristian Macelaru, composer Dai Fujikura, and as Artemis II prepares to launch, he looks at the music that has been taken to the moon.

Tom Service with guests, stories and the perfect classical soundtrack for the weekend!

The Romanian conductor Cristian M膬celaru is the embodiment of the old school American dream: growing up in Soviet Romania a hugely talented violinist and getting a scholarship to study in the USA as a boy. Now he's the music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and known for his exciting and inclusive music making. He chats to Tom about his journey to Cincinnati and a new album with the Orchestra de Paris of the unknown music of French composer Elsa Barraine.

This week it's the first in a brand new series for Saturday Mornings: The Creators. Each week we'll meet a musical guest who has made something game-changing in music or audio - from the smallest ringtone to the biggest concert hall.

Today we start off with a splash - quite literally! - as Japanese composer Dai Fujikura talks about his new opera inspired by one of the most iconic images in all visual art - The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai. We all know the image of the Great Wave, but very few know anything about Hokusai. Dai helps tell both Hokusai's story and the story behind his genre-spanning operatic collaboration between Scottish Opera and Japanese instrumentalists.

And as Artemis II prepares to launch, Tom looks at the music that has actually been taken to the moon over the years, with the help of 麻豆社 Sky at Night writer Mary McIntyre.

To listen on most smart speakers, just say "ask 麻豆社 Sounds to play Saturday Morning鈥�.

3 hours

Last on

Sat 7 Feb 2026 09:00
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Serenade no.9 in D major K.320 'Posthorn' (7th mvt)

    Orchestra: M眉nchener Kammerorchester. Conductor: Enrico Onofri.
    • Mozart: Serenata (Eine kleine Nachtmusik - Posthorn - Haffner).
    • Harmonia Mundi UK Limited.
    • 8.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Le Tombeau de Couperin (Pr茅lude)

    Performer: Bertrand Chamayou.
    • Ravel: Complete Works for Solo Piano.
    • Erato/Warner Classics.
    • 22.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Violin Concerto in F minor RV.297 'Winter'

    Performer: Janine Jansen. Performer: Candida Thompson. Performer: Henk Rubingh. Performer: Julian Rachlin. Performer: Maarten Jansen. Performer: Stacey Watton. Performer: Elizabeth Kenny. Performer: Jan Jansen.
    • Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; Janine Jansen.
    • Decca.
    • 10.

  • Peteris Vasks

    The Fruit of Silence

    Music Arranger: George Morton. Performer: Ksenija Sidorova. Orchestra: Estonian Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Paavo J盲rvi.
    • Alpha.

  • Carter Pann

    Slalom

    Orchestra: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Paavo J盲rvi.
    • CSO.

  • Eva S忙ther

    贵补蝉迟盲苍

    Ensemble: Danish String Quartet.
    • ECM.

  • Dilys Elwyn-Edwards

    Hydref [Autumn] (Caneuon y Tymhorau [Songs of the Seasons])

    Singer: Elin Manahan Thomas. Performer: Jocelyn Freeman.
    • Mae Hiraeth yn y M么r.
    • T欧 Cerdd Records.
    • 20.

  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Piano concerto no.2 in G minor Op.22 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Alexandre Kantorow. Orchestra: Tapiola Sinfonietta. Conductor: Jean鈥怞acques Kantorow.
    • Saint-Sa毛ns: Works for Piano & Orchestra.
    • BIS.
    • 3.

  • Edward Elgar

    The Dream of Gerontius Op.38 (Praise to the Holiest)

    Choir: Huddersfield Choral Society. Orchestra: Orchestra of Opera North. Conductor: Martyn Brabbins.
    • Hyperion.

  • Marin Marais

    Les Voix humaines (Suite - book 2 no. 3 in D major)

    Music Arranger: Thomas Dunford. Performer: Thomas Dunford.
    • ERATO.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    2 Symphonic Dances Op.45 (no.1)

    Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductor: Yannick N茅zet鈥怱茅guin.
    • Rachmaninoff: Symphony 1 + Symphonic Dances.
    • DG.
    • 5.

  • George Enescu

    Romanian rhapsody no.1 in A major Op.11 no.1 (extract)

    Orchestra: Orchestre national de France. Conductor: Cristian M膬celaru.
    • Enescu: Symphonies Nos. 1-3; 2 Romanian Rhapsodies.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 1.

  • George Enescu

    Romanian rhapsody no.2 in D major Op.11 no.2

    Orchestra: Orchestre national de France. Conductor: Cristian M膬celaru.
    • Enescu: Symphonies Nos. 1-3; 2 Romanian Rhapsodies.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 2.

  • Wynton Marsalis

    Symphony no.2 'Blues symphony' (Born in hope)

    Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductor: Cristian M膬celaru.
    • Blues Symphony.
    • Blue Engine Records.
    • 1.

  • Elsa Barraine

    Les tziganes

    Orchestra: Orchestra National de France. Conductor: Cristian M膬celaru.
    • Warner.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Mass in B minor BWV.232 (Pt.4; Sanctus....Pleni sunt coeli)

    Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Rapha毛l Pichon.
    • J. S. Bach: Mass in B Minor.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 22.

  • Marc Perrone

    Esperanza

    Performer: Ballak茅 Sissoko. Performer: Vincent S茅gal. Performer: Vincent Peirani. Performer: 脡mile Parisien.
    • ACT Music.

  • Franz Schubert

    Impromptu in E flat major (4 Impromptus D.899)

    Performer: Radu Lupu.
    • Schubert: Four Impromptus, D899 & D935: Radu Lupu.
    • Decca.
    • 2.

  • Leo拧 Jan谩膷ek

    Moon Waltz (The Excursions of Mr Broucek - Suite)

    Music Arranger: Jaroslav Smolka. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ilan Volkov.
    • Janacek: The Eternal Gospel; The Excursions of Mr Broucek.
    • Hyperion.
    • 8.

  • William Grant Still

    Wood Notes (Moon Dusk)

    Orchestra: Fort Smith Symphony. Conductor: John Jeter.
    • Still: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 - Wood Notes.
    • Naxos.
    • 3.

  • Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman

    Lunar Rhapsody

    • Music out of the Moon.
    • Supreme Media.
    • 1.

  • Richard Wagner

    The Ride of the Valkyries - extract (Die Walkure)

    Orchestra: Sim贸n Bol铆var Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • Wagner - Dudamel.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 1.

  • Richard Strauss

    Also Sprach Zarathustra Op.30 (Introduction)

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andris Nelsons.
    • Orfeo.

  • Hector Berlioz

    Symphonie fantastique Op.14 (Un bal)

    Orchestra: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Daniel Harding.
    • Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 11.

  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Symphony no.9 'From the New World' (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic. Conductor: Rafael Kubel铆k.
    • Centenary Edition 1913 - 2013 Berliner Philharmoniker (Vol. 2).
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 6.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Symphony no.3 in C major Op.52 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Santtu鈥怣atias Rouvali.
    • Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5 Pohjola's Daughter.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 3.

  • Christopher Tye

    In nomine a 5 'Follow Me'

    Ensemble: Hesp猫rion XXI. Director: Jordi Savall.
    • Christopher Tye: Lawdes Deo (Consort Music).
    • Astr茅e Auvidis.
    • 12.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Dite spera, e son contento (Ariodante)

    Singer: Elena Villal贸n. Singer: Ed Lyon. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Conductor: Stefano Montanari.
    • 麻豆社 recording.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Phantasy Quintet (Prelude)

    Ensemble: Piatti Quartet. Performer: Zahra Benyounes.
    • Vaughan Williams: Phantasy Quintet: I. Prelude.
    • Rubicon.
    • 1.

  • Claude Debussy

    Danse de la poup茅e (La boite a joujoux)

    Orchestrator: Andr茅 Caplet. Orchestra: Orchestre national de Lyon. Conductor: Jun M盲rkl.
    • Debussy: Orchestral Works, Vol. 5; Markl.
    • Naxos.
    • 3.

  • Dai Fujikura

    The Great Wave (extract)

    Orchestra: Scottish Opera.
    • Private recording.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Egmont Overture

    Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
    • Decca.

  • Domenico Scarlatti

    Sonata in B flat major Kk.551

    Performer: Jeremy Denk.
    • c.1300-c.2000.
    • Nonesuch.
    • 11.

  • Judith Weir

    Still, Glowing

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Dalia Stasevska.
    • Dalia's Mixtape.
    • Platoon.
    • 3.

Broadcast

  • Sat 7 Feb 2026 09:00
    麻豆社 Radio 3