Available to stream beginning Friday, Oct. 9, 2026
GREAT MUSICIANS OF OUR TIME is a tribute to the work of filmmaker Christopher Nupen, who emerged in the 1960s as a pioneer of a new genre of classical music film. Using the first lightweight, silent 16mm film camera, he recorded musicians in close quarters — both backstage and in concert — for the first time. The effects were dramatic, providing new and intimate insights into the workings of great artists and their music-making. Along with the exploding popularity of public television, his films brought music to many people for the first time in their lives.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: “Itzhak Perlman: Virtuoso Violinist” - Shot over three years (1975-77), this remastered feature-length documentary shows Perlman at home in New York with his family; on tour in Europe with Pinchas Zukerman; playing Sarasate’s “Zigeunerweisen” with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, conducted by Lawrence Foster; in the studio with Vladimir Ashkenazy, recording Beethoven sonatas; playing Scott Joplin in Wuppertal with Bruno Canino; solo Bach at a BBC Lunchtime Concert in St. John’s, Smith Square, London and rehearsing, performing and teaching at the Aspen Music School in Colorado.
Episode 2: “Pinchas Zukerman: Here to Make Music” - Remastered from 16mm film to create a definitive feature-length documentary, this episode showcases the early development and charisma of the Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor, whose celebrated career has endured over five decades.
Shot over a period of seven years (1967-1974) on location in Italy, Israel, Denmark, Germany, London and New York, the film documents the development of his talent, from its beginnings to early maturity.
It includes sound recordings of Zukerman’s playing from the age of nine and filmed performances from the age of 19. It also traces the development of Zukerman’s relationship with the English Chamber Orchestra, which led him to conduct for the first time in 1970.
Additional episodes of the series premiere in 2027 as follows:
Episode 3: “Vladimir Ashkenazy: The Vital Juices are Russian” airs Sunday, January 10 - A remastered documentary of the celebrated Russian pianist, Vladimir Ashkenazy, using archival footage shot between 1966 and 1987. Ashkenazy, who left the Soviet Union in 1963 for a new life in the West, is captured in riveting rehearsal and concert performances across Europe. The film also includes insightful interviews with the pianist reflecting on his life and career.
Episode 4: “Evgeny Kissin: The Gift of Music” airs Sunday, January 17 - With dazzling virtuosity and unmistakable star appeal, Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin had a meteoric rise to the top of the international concert circuit. Filmed when Kissin was 26 years old, Episode 4 culminates in his now-legendary Promenade concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1997, the first Prom in the event’s 103-year history to be given by a solo recitalist. The audience’s enthusiasm resulted in Kissin playing the longest succession of encores in the entire history of the Proms.
Episode 5: “Andrés Segovia: The Song of the Guitar” airs Sunday, January 24 - Andalusian maestro Andrés Segovia taught himself how to play the guitar, revolutionized the technique, and won acceptance for the instrument on concert platforms all over the world. During a career that lasted 78 years, he performed over 5,000 concerts and championed dozens of new compositions on a tireless quest to expand the guitar’s repertoire — a unique achievement in the history of Western music.
Episode 6: “Daniil Trifonov: The Magics of Music” airs Sunday, January 31 - Established as perhaps the finest pianist of his generation, Russian virtuoso Daniil Trifonov has musical gifts that must be seen and heard to be believed. Born in 1991, Trifonov is a superbly talented musician for whom composing, improvising, and performing flow seamlessly together. The film includes complete live performances of several Chopin preludes, extracts of works by Ravel, Scriabin, Strauss and the rarely heard Rachmaninov’s Variations on a Theme of Chopin, Opus 22.
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Credits: A production of Allegro Films for PBS. Christopher Nupen is director, writer and narrator. Caroline Nupen is executive producer and Matthew Percival is series producer.
