New music will be at the heart of BBC Radio 3's celebration of the 70th anniversary of its predecessor, the Third Programme, this September.

Three established composers will each produce what's described as 'a significant work' - each of 45 minutes - celebrating radio. Meanwhile, seven composers will receive their first BBC commission, each for a 10-minute work to be performed by one of the BBC's performing groups (its orchestras and the BBC Singers) or by a Radio 3 New Generation Artist.

A composer will also be embedded in Radio 3 during the anniversary period, and winners of this year's BBC Proms Inspire Young Composer’s Competition will write new pieces, taking as their inspiration musical trends from the past 70 years. 

Another key focus will be the relationship between Radio 3/Third Programme and literature, including the broadcast of a play inspired by a newly discovered Joe Orton short story. There will also be new recordings of The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter (who received his first commission from the Third Programme), and of Samuel Beckett radio plays with newly composed musical accompaniment. The latter will be broadcast in binaural sound, an experimental method of recreating a surround sound experience through headphones. 

Alan Davey, Controller of BBC Radio 3, said he hopes the celebrations will convey the 'spirit of the Third Programme in a contemporary way'. 

'BBC Radio 3 is the direct ancestor of a remarkable cultural phenomenon - the Third Programme which began broadcasting on 29 September 1946,' he added. 'That ancestry echoes an unbroken line of ambition: to champion great works of music and culture, innovating in radio, supporting new talent, and connecting audiences all over the country with the joys of distinctive music and culture experiences.'

He also announced yesterday that Radio 3's New Generation Artist scheme - formative in the careers of some of today's leading soloists and ensembles, including artists as diverse as Lisa Batiashvili, Paul Lewis, Alison Balsom and the Pavel Haas Quartet - will now feature, for the first time, a conductor.