Devonté Hynes to celebrate classical music in new 12-part BBC Sounds series

Devonté Hynes, the mind behind Blood Orange, will be presenting a new 12-part series about classical music on BBC Sounds.

• READ MORE: Blood Orange – ‘Negro Swan’ review

The first three episodes of Composed with Devonté Hynes will are available to be streamed on BBC Sounds from today here, while all episodes will be broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 3. The series is set to “celebrate all aspects of classical music” while also touching on aspects of the wider musical world from electronic music to soundtracks.

Hynes is also set to explore the music that inspired his career and the ways in which modern classical music is evolving, and he is also set to take the opportunity to shine a light on overlooked composers.

Each episode focuses on a different theme, including 20th and 21st century opera, music for cello and contrabass and piano music for escapism. The series will also see Hynes contemplate what exactly counts as classical music.

To tie in with the series, Hynes will also be performing two concerts at London’s Barbican alongside the London Symphony Orchestra on March 18 and 19. They will perform, per a press release, “contemporary classical music that confronts the complexities of 21st century identity and defies the expectations of orchestral music”.

“I am honoured to present this series dedicated to my influences within the classical world,” Hynes said in a press statement. “I hope people will enjoy how wide a genre it is, and discover artists, lots of whom are still active, who I feel deserve a lot more attention than is given, enjoy.”

Philip Raperport, Commissioning Executive for BBC Radio 3 & BBC Sounds, added: “Too often, classical music is at risk of being pigeon-holed, despite the incredible diversity that the genre offers. We wanted to provide audiences with a new kind of classical listening experience, one that showcases how artists across the musical spectrum have identified with and been inspired by classical. We are so thrilled that Devonté Hynes, one of the most exciting musicians working in the industry today, is leading on this and we can’t wait for listeners to dive into Dev’s world.”

Hynes’ most recent release as Blood Orange, an EP titled ‘Four Songs‘, came out back in September.

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