Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin has been named as one of 25 composers commissioned for BBC Radio 3’s 25 for 25: Sounds of the Century.

Elena Kats-Chernin. Photo © Vicki Lauren

Marking the quarter-century, the initiative asks composers to write a work inspired by a significant event that has occurred since 2000 – moments of mourning or celebration, and innovation in the fields of technology, science or culture.

Kats-Chernin’s work, entitled Rainbow Promise, celebrates the passing of the UK’s Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. It will be performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Pianist Stephen Hough has also been named among the commissioned composers. He will write a piece for German pianist Elisabeth Brauß about the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Other commissioned composers include Karl Jenkins writing about the COVID pandemic, Nkeiru Okoye about Barack Obama’s inauguration as the first African-American president, Errollyn Wallen about the 2012 London Olympics, Thea Musgrave about Queen Elizabeth II’s death and Héloïse Werner, inspired by the first image of a black hole.

The compositions will be premiered on the show Saturday Morning with Tom Service from 25 January – 12 July and will feature across...