Sara Mohr-Pietsch meets the Norwegian composer Rolf Wallin in his garden hut, at the Rochester home he shares with Tansy Davies (already featured in this series). Rolf explains how his purpose-built, clean white space provides the perfect inspiration for creating music.

Sara Mohr-Pietsch visits the Glasgow home of James MacMillan, where he has a purpose-built studio in his courtyard garden. MacMillan talks about the need for a quiet retreat from daily life, and the religious paintings on the walls which provide inspiration for his music.

Sara Mohr-Pietsch talks to Hanna Tuulikki in her tenement flat in Glasgow. Hanna's practice is a seamless combination of visual artist, vocal improvisor, multi-instrumentalist and composer, and she tells Sara how she brings her passion for birdsong and outdoor landscapes into her urban studio

Sara Mohr-Pietsch takes a trip to the North Kent coast, home to electronic music pioneer Matthew Herbert. Sara catches Matthew trying to decide where to move his studio to next, and in his current office-like space as well as a potential new building, a fishing hut on the beach, they talk about the impact the immediate environment has on his music.

Sara Mohr-Pietsch takes a tour of Tansy Davies' Georgian townhouse in Rochester, Kent. From her spiral staircase, and what Tansy calls her Minstrel's Gallery, Sara finds out how Tansy organises her studio and keeps a sense of clarity about her working day, and how that feeds into the music she writes.

Sara Mohr-Pietsch talks to composer Dai Fujikura in his studio, which he shares with the visual artist Tomoya Yamaguchi in a converted East London fire station. Dai tells Sara what makes it an uniquely creative space, how he draws inspiration from Yamaguchi's paintings, and about music as multi-sensory experience.

Sara Mohr-Pietsch visits the Leicestershire home of Gavin Bryars, where he composes in a converted garage in his garden. Bryars talks about the interaction between his work and family life, how he finds the mental space he needs to write music, and the inspiration he draws into his studio from places around the world.

Sara Mohr-Pietsch visits the East London studio of sound artist and electronic composer Kaffe Matthews. Kaffe shows Sara the bikes she uses for her bicycle operas, demonstrates the cube of speakers where she plays with sharks, and talks about the creative process in her constantly changing workspace.

Sara Mohr-Pietsch launches her Composers' Rooms series with an interview at the Suffolk home of Oliver Knussen, one of the most celebrated figures in contemporary music. Knussen explains why he works in the corner of his cottage kitchen, and talks to Sara about his fascination for miniature objects and how that translates into the music he writes.