Born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, he began his career on BBC radio, and interviewed composers and musicians as varied as Francis Poulenc, Count Basie, Oscar Hammerstein and Glenn Gould in 1950s and 60s.
He won two Emmy Awards, first in 1972 for producing and directing Bernstein on Beethoven: A Celebration in Vienna, then in 1988 for the Great Performances episode Celebrating Gershwin.
He also won a Bafta for ITV series Aquarius, which covered theatre, music and art.
In 1978, he co-founded and hosted the first BBC Young Musician of the Year contest, which has gone on to discover soloists such as violinist Nicola Benedetti and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
He was knighted in the 2020 for his services to classical music and the arts.
Speaking to the Telegraph, external the following year, he said: “If I was a controller 1765986309, I would try bringing on new playwrights, not that there is anyone to match someone like Harold Pinter at the moment.
“I would also try to bring on new directors. Talent is what counts. Talent and good storytelling.”