Music of the Day: 18–24 October 2026
There is another wonderfully varied week ahead on Music of the Day, taking us from nineteenth-century French opera to traditional Persian music, Hollywood film scores, Welsh hymn writing and Japanese ambient music.
This week’s seven musicians demonstrate how composers and performers can create atmosphere, tell stories and communicate emotion in very different ways.
18 October – Charles Gounod
A major figure in French Romantic music, Charles Gounod is particularly remembered for his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette, alongside his famous Ave Maria. His music combines expressive melodies with the dramatic possibilities of the human voice.
19 October – Mahmoud Zoufonoun
An Iranian violinist, composer and teacher whose career was closely connected to traditional Persian music. He worked to preserve and share the musical heritage of Iran, performing and teaching both in his homeland and later in the United States.
20 October – Thomas Newman
One of the most distinctive composers working in modern cinema. His scores for films including The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, Finding Nemo and Skyfall demonstrate the power of music to establish atmosphere and reinforce storytelling.
21 October – Stephen Warbeck
An award-winning British composer whose career includes music for film, television and theatre. His score for Shakespeare in Love won an Academy Award and remains one of his best-known achievements.
22 October – William Penfro Rowlands
A Welsh teacher, conductor and composer best remembered for the hymn tune Blaenwern, written in 1905. The melody is widely associated with Love Divine, All Loves Excelling and remains familiar in churches and hymn collections.
23 October – Hiroshi Yoshimura
A Japanese composer and pioneer of ambient music whose work explored the relationship between sound and the environment. His compositions often use gentle textures, repetition and carefully placed sounds to create a distinctive listening experience.
24 October – Sofia Gubaidulina
A highly influential composer whose music explored spirituality, unusual instrumental combinations and expressive contrasts. Her works frequently challenge conventional expectations, inviting listeners to discover new sounds and musical relationships.
Bring music into your day
One of the aims of Music of the Day is to make discovering different kinds of music simple and accessible.
These seven musicians provide plenty of opportunities for listening and discussion. How does a film score change the atmosphere of a scene? What makes a hymn melody memorable? How might ambient music affect the way we experience our surroundings?
For teachers, even five minutes of focused listening can introduce pupils to something new and encourage them to describe what they hear.
Explore the daily biographies and listening suggestions at MusicOfTheDay.co.uk.
Discover a different composer or musician every day.
