News - Composed with Devonté Hynes

Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer Devonté Hynes presents a new 12-part series, Composed with Devonté Hynes, launching today on BBC Radio 3, with the first three episodes available on BBC Sounds... 

Press Release

Celebrating all aspects of classical music, and exploring the wider musical world from electronic through to Soundtracks, the mind behind Blood Orange and close collaborator with the likes of Caroline Polachek, Haim, FKA Twigs and A$AP Rocky explores music that has inspired his career and showcases how classical music is constantly evolving. From shining a light on overlooked composers through to navigating the beauty and tension of modern music, the series will be an intimate glimpse into the mind and influences of one of the most exciting and boundary-pushing artists of the last decade.

Informed by Devonté’s love of classical music, each episode will focus on a different theme, from 20th and 21st century opera, music for cello and contrabass, to piano music and escapism. Featuring works by the likes of Alice Coltrane, Olafur Arnalds, Missy Mazzoli, Hiroshi Yoshimura and Arthur Russell, Composed with Devonté Hynes is a deep dive into a kaleidoscope of musical heavy-hitters, providing audiences with the chance to unpack and unravel preconceptions as to what counts as “classical” and listen to Devonté ’s own insights on a genre that continues to defy expectations.

The twelve-part series will be available to listen to on BBC Sounds with the first 3 episodes available now. All episodes will be broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 3. Alongside this, Devonté plays two dates at the Barbican. On 18th and 19th March, Devonté will be joined by the world-famous London Symphony Orchestra, to perform contemporary classical music that confronts the complexities of 21st century identity and defies the expectations of orchestral music.

Devonté Hynes, said, “I am honoured to present this series dedicated to my influences within the classical world. 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.”

You can listen to the first 3 episodes of Composed with Devonté Hynes here.

Composed with Devonté Hynes is produced by Ali Gardiner from Spiritland Productions.

Image - BBC