Composers Steve Reich, Louis Andriessen, and Philip Glass, and Nonesuch Records President Robert Hurwitz have all contributed to the new BBC Radio 3 documentary 50 Years of Minimalism in Music, which aired this past Saturday night. They and a number of other music pioneers spoke with American conductor Richard Bernas in this look back at five decades of Minimalism, "the musical language of our time."

In the BBC Radio 3 feature, Bernas traces the origins of Minimalism in both the San Francisco and New York underground cultures of the early 1960s, exploring the relationship between music and the visual arts, theater, and dance. The program also looks at how Minimalism evolved during the 1970s and 80s, becoming part of the cultural mainstream. One turning point in this evolution came with the premiere of Reich's seminal 1976 piece Music for 18 Musicians.

"People who came from all walks of life, who came from the pop world, the jazz world, and the modern composition world could not deny its brilliance," says Hurwitz, "and, I have to say, genius. It was a real watershed in this entire movement."

You can listen to the entire program at bbc.co.uk.