John Evans Hosts 'Performing Britten'

Until he gets to town to take over as executive director of the Oregon Bach Festival, John Evans is keeping busy as producer and host of Performing Britten, a new ten-part series produced by Classic Arts in association with The Britten Estate Ltd for BBC Radio 3.

In each one-hour program Evans will be in conversation with a leading conductor, director or singer, each known for their close association with one of Benajmin Britten's major stage works.

The cast-list is impressive, as you can see:

• Francesca Zambello on Paul Bunyan
• Philip Langridge on Peter Grimes
• Dame Janet Baker on The Rape of Lucretia
• Richard Hickox on Albert Herring
• Simon Keenlyside on Billy Budd
• Dame Josephine Barstow on Gloriana
• Basil Coleman on The Turn of the Screw
• Sir Peter Hall on A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Steuart Bedford on Owen Wingrave
• John Shirley-Quirk on Death in Venice

The series is scheduled weekly on Sunday afternoons at 3pm British time, starting this Sunday, 18 February. Those of us in the States and Canada can access Radio 3 online, as the entire series is streamed on the website: www.bbc.co.uk/radio3.