Composers of the Year (Radio 3) and The Birth of British Music (BBC Two) is a celebration of the lives of four magnificent composers throughout 2009. The year marks the 350th anniversary of Purcell's birth, the 250th anniversary of Handel's death, the 200th anniversary of Haydn's death and 200th anniversary of Mendelssohn's birth.

Most people know Joseph Haydn as Austria’s great master of Classical style, and the man who taught Mozart and Beethoven. As the composer of some of the world’s best-loved symphonies, oratorios, concertos and chamber music, his fame was truly international. Haydn arrived in England on New Year’s Day, 1791 – it was the first time ever that he’d been allowed to leave his noble masters at Esterhazy, near the Hungarian border, and it was Britain that he chose to make his destination. Right from the start, he enjoyed a level of fame and adulation here that was unprecedented for a composer of ‘classical music’ – his presence here marked a turning point not only in musical culture, but also in his music.

You can watch special extra video and interview footage from BBC 2 TV's Birth of British Music, Episode 3 (Haydn) here.

Beginning with EBU Haydn Day on May 31 and running through June and July, a special season of programming on Radio 3 includes performances, documentaries, discussions and drama which celebrate Haydn the composer - the father of the symphony and the string quartet - and Haydn the man, a popular individual whose appeal has been unfairly diminished due, in part, to his genial character ...

Highlights at-a-glance

■ EBU HAYDN DAY
■ Complete Symphonies in BBC Radio 3’s Classical Collection
■ The Piano Sonatas in BBC Radio 3’s Breakfast 
■ The great Quartets in Afternoon on 3
■ At the Proms – July 18
■ Alfred Brendel, Roger Norrington, Sir Robert Winston, Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Peter Cropper are among those talking about Haydn
■ A week of concerts on Performance on 3 including a rare performance of the oratorio The Return of Tobias.

Composers of the Year offers you the chance to receive text alerts giving details of forthcoming broadcasts and events. It's simple to sign up and once you've done so, your text alerts will be free. Click on the link below for full details.

Composer of the Week: Haydn
Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Joseph Haydn, the bicentenary of whose death is marked in 2009. This episode is an edited compilation of the entire week's programmes, broadcast earlier this year, and is only available within the UK.

Download Composer of the Week - Joseph Haydn

Help with downloading