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Your perfect classical playlist

Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.

Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.

1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.

1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.

1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.

1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.

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3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Tue 30 Jun 2026 09:30

Music Played

  • Leo拧 Jan谩膷ek

    Sokol Fanfare (Sinfonietta)

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.
    • Janacek: Sinfonietta/Taras Bulba: Wiener Philharmoniker/Mackerras.
    • Decca.
    • 1.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Trio in C minor Op.1`3 (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: Sitkovetsky Trio.
    • Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 1.
    • BIS.
    • 101.
  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Violin Concerto (1st mvt)

    Performer: Hilary Hahn. Orchestra: Frankfurt Radio Symphony. Conductor: Andr茅s Orozco鈥怑strada.
    • DG.
  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Tarantelle in A minor Op.6

    Performer: Sharon Bezaly. Performer: Harri M盲ki. Orchestra: Tapiola Sinfonietta. Conductor: Jean鈥怞acques Kantorow.
    • BIS.
  • Barbara Strozzi

    Le tre grazie a Venrere

    Choir: TENET.
    • AVIE.
  • Jan V谩clav Hugo Vo艡铆拧ek

    Symphony in D major, Op 24 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne. Conductor: Reinhard Goebel.
    • Sony.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Toccata in C minor BWV.911

    Performer: Martha Argerich.
    • Bach: Toccata BWV 911, Partita BWV 826, English Suite No. 2.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
    • 1.
  • John Stanley

    Trumpet Voluntary

    Performer: Wynton Marsalis. Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Anthony Newman.
    • Sony Classical.
  • Carl Orff

    Carmina Burana: In trutina; Tempus est iocundum; Dulcissime

    Singer: Chen Reiss. Choir: Audivi. Choir: Detroit Opera Youth Chorus. Orchestra: Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Jader Bignamini.
    • Orff: Carmina Burana.
    • Pentatone.
    • 123.
  • 脡lisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre

    C茅phale et Procris (Overture)

    Orchestra: Concerto K枚ln.
    • Coviello Classics.
  • Joseph Haydn

    String Quartet in D major Op.20`4 (4th mvt)

    Ensemble: Chiaroscuro Quartet.
    • Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 20 Nos. 4-6.
    • BIS.
    • 4.
  • Jorge Cardoso

    Milonga for guitar

    Performer: Zs贸fia Boros.
    • ECM.
  • Jean Sibelius

    Symphony No 5 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Collon.
    • Sibelius: Orchestral Works.
    • Ondine.
    • 103.
  • Francis Poulenc

    Hotel (Banalites)

    Performer: Gary Beecher. Singer: Niamh O'Sullivan.
  • Henri Vieuxtemps

    Capriccio in C minor Op.55 'Hommage 脿 Paganini'

    Performer: Antoine Tamestit.
    • Bel Canto.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 10.
  • Igor Stravinsky

    Apollon musag猫te, Tableau II: Pas d'action

    Orchestra: Tapiola Sinfonietta. Conductor: Masaaki Suzuki.
    • Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite, Apollon musag猫te & Concerto for Strings in D Major.
    • BIS.
    • 302.
  • William Bolcom

    3 Ghost Rags: No. 1, Graceful Ghost Rag

    Performer: Marc鈥怉ndr茅 Hamelin.
    • Bolcom: The Complete Rags.
    • Hyperion.
    • 1.
  • Anon.

    Amazing Grace

    Music Arranger: Armand Rabot. Singer: Jennifer Johnston. Choir: Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir.
    • A Love Letter to Liverpool.
    • Rubicon.
    • 2.
  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Libiamo ne' lieti calici "Brindisi" (La traviata)

    Singer: Angela Gheorghiu. Singer: Frank Lopardo. Choir: Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Conductor: Georg Solti.
    • Verdi: La Traviata.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 3.
  • H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult

    脡tude no.55 in F minor

    Performer: Clare Hammond.
    • H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult: 脡tudes.
    • BIS.
    • 112.
  • Randy Newman

    Toy Story 5: Bonnie and Blaze; Happy Landing

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Randy Newman.
    • Toy Story 5 - Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 Only In Theaters (Original Score).
    • Walt Disney Records.
    • 26.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25: II. Intermezzo. Allegro ma non troppo -

    Performer: Baiba Skride. Performer: Lise Berthaud. Performer: Harriet Krijgh. Performer: Lauma Skride. Ensemble: Skride Piano Quartet.
    • Mozart, Brahms & Mahler: Piano Quartets.
    • Orfeo.
    • 6.
  • Charles Villiers Stanford

    Justorum animae (3 Motets Op.38)

    Choir: Choir of Merton College, Oxford. Conductor: Benjamin Nicholas.
    • The Merton Collection: Merton College at 750.
    • Delphian.
    • 13.
  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony No 8 in B minor 'Unfinished' (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: Pygmalion. Conductor: Rapha毛l Pichon.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Silete venti

    Singer: Sylvia McNair. Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate / Handel: Silete venti; Laudate pueri Dominum.
    • DECCA.
  • John Williams

    Theme from Schindler's List

    Performer: Itzhak Perlman. Orchestra: Boston Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: John Williams.
    • MCA.
  • Louise Farrenc

    Symphony no.1 in C minor, Op.32 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: European Soloists, Luxembourg. Conductor: Christoph K枚nig.
    • Naxos.
  • Henry Balfour Gardiner

    Evening Hymn

    Performer: Andrew Lucas. Choir: St Paul's Cathedral Choir. Conductor: John Scott.
    • HYPERION.
  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Symphony no.4 in F minor Op.36 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vasily Petrenko.
    • Symphonies Vol. 2.
    • ONYX.
    • 4.

Broadcast

  • Tue 30 Jun 2026 09:30