BBC Arts is set to explore the extraordinary life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven in Beethoven: Rise of a Genius, a brand-new three-part series coming to BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in 2027, marking 200 years since the composer’s death.
Following the success of previous Rise of a Genius series on Mozart, Shakespeare and Jane Austen, this latest instalment offers a fascinating insight into one of the most influential composers in history, exploring the remarkable relationship between Beethoven’s music, his personal struggles and his progressive hearing loss.
At just 27, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. Yet, as his hearing deteriorated, his musical creativity flourished. By the time of his death in Vienna on 26 March 1827, he had become profoundly deaf and had created some of the most celebrated compositions in classical music.
Combining documentary, drama and immersive sound design, the three-part series brings Beethoven’s story to life, taking viewers on a journey from his early ambitions as a virtuoso pianist to his emergence as a revolutionary musical genius.
The series explores the personal challenges that shaped his life, including his search for a cure for his deafness, his passionate and often difficult relationships, his pursuit of love and his struggles with despair, alongside his extraordinary determination to continue composing.
Audiences will discover more about the people closest to Beethoven, including the mysterious woman he called his “Immortal Beloved”, his troubled relationship with his nephew Karl and his complicated dealings with the Viennese aristocracy.
Through Beethoven’s music, letters and personal writings, the series offers a fresh perspective on the man behind the masterpieces. From the iconic Moonlight Sonata and dramatic Fifth Symphony to the uplifting Ninth Symphony and its celebrated Ode to Joy, viewers will discover how his music continues to resonate across generations and inspire movements for freedom, protest and political change.
A particularly innovative element of the series is its exploration of Beethoven’s changing experience of sound as his hearing declined. Drawing on the expertise and lived experiences of Deaf people, alongside specialists from LumoTV and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), the production aims to bring audiences closer to Beethoven’s world and his experience of music.
The series also features contributions from an impressive line-up of musicians and cultural figures, including musician and songwriter Jon Batiste, actor Sir Simon Russell Beale, percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and composer and conductor Sir George Benjamin. Beethoven’s music will be performed by acclaimed musicians including Jeremy Denk, Isata Kanneh-Mason, Jonathan Biss and Nicky Spence.
Suzy Klein, Head of BBC Arts and Classical Music TV, describes Beethoven as a musician who speaks directly to the human soul, capturing the full spectrum of human experience through his music. She hopes the series will shed new light on his remarkable creativity, resilience and life as a musician living with profound hearing loss.
Alongside Beethoven: Rise of a Genius, the BBC will mark the bicentenary with further special programming. BBC Radio 4, Radio 3, BBC Sounds, BBC Four and BBC iPlayer will feature a Beethoven-themed edition of You’re Dead to Me, recorded at the Southbank Centre, with presenter Greg Jenner, comedian Mike Wozniak, musicologist Laura Tunbridge and conductor Levon Parikian.
Younger audiences can also enjoy Horrible Histories: Banging Beethoven Special on CBBC, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra and James McNicholas. The programme will explore the composer's extraordinary life through the series’ trademark humour, alongside some of his best-loved music.
With further anniversary programming still to be announced, 2027 promises to be a fitting celebration of a composer whose influence continues to shape the musical world 200 years after his death.
Beethoven: Rise of a Genius is produced by 72 Films, a Fremantle company, for BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, ZDF and PBS. The Executive Producers are David Glover and Michael Waldman, the Series Director is Julian Jones, the Series Producer is Joe Fell, the Line Producer is Emma Taylor, the Drama Line Producer is Steffan Boje, the Production Executive is Alex Nicholson, and the Drama Producer is Jenny Craig. It was commissioned for BBC Arts by Suzy Klein and the Commissioning Editor is Mark Bell. With thanks to LumoTV and RNID.
