TETBURY Music Festival has unveiled its 2016 programme, which welcomes some of the finest names in classical music to the Cotswolds from September 29.

A varied and stimulating programme sees the return of the festival’s founding artistic director, Steven Isserlis CBE, this time in a performance role, as well as the launch of a brand new lecture initiative and the Choir of the Age of Enlightenment’s first ever solo festival performance.

Supported by its Patron HRH The Prince of Wales, Tetbury Music Festival is a long-standing musical institution, renowned for its high standards of performance and programming.

Now in its fourteenth year, the festival has attracted numerous world-class artists and ensembles over the years, including Stephen Hough, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Sixteen, Sarah Connolly, Angela Hewitt, Rachel Podger and Mark Padmore.

The festival also works to champion new players and offer a diverse programme combining familiar and less familiar repertoire.

The 2016 festival continues this tradition. The opening concert on September 29 sees the much-loved Schubert Ensemble perform one of Schumann’s rarely heard gems in a brand new arrangement by composers David Matthews and Orlando Jopling.

On September 30, audiences have the chance to hear the trailblazing Chiaroscuro Quartet perform the summation of Haydn’s achievement as ‘Father of the string quartet’, as well as Mozart’s tribute to Haydn’s genius and Schubert’s most famous quartet.

Saturday, October 1 sees The Alison Parkhouse Organ Scholars present a free concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Parkhouse Organ Scholarships, a unique Tetbury institution dedicated to the memory of inspiring musician Alison Parkhouse.

Celebrations continue later in the day, as Steven Isserlis CBE returns to Tetbury to perform works by Schumann, Shostakovich and Kabalevsky alongside Finnish pianist Olli Mustonen.

The festival will close on October 2 with the Choir of the Age of Enlightenment’s first ever solo performance at a festival.

In addition to a diverse and exciting schedule of performances, this year also sees Tetbury Music Festival launch a brand new lecture series designed to complement the artistic programme.

Crispin Woodhead, chief executive of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, will explore the importance of Historically Informed Performance on September 30, and on October1, Stradivari’s Genius author Toby Faber examines the enduring mysteries of these instruments, including the very 1726 Stradivari cello to be played by Steven Isserlis later that evening.

And finally, on October 2 renowned musicians Matthew Trusler, Jennifer Stumm and Joan Rodgers CBE will discuss the challenges and rewards of a life devoted to music.

The panel discussion will be led by BBC Radio 3’s Donald Macleod, who will also present a series of pre-concert interviews throughout the festival.

Speaking about the festival, artistic director Jonathan Cohen said: “We are delighted to be bringing another outstanding group of musicians to Tetbury this autumn, with repertoire spanning five centuries. We look forward to seeing you at the 2016 Festival and sharing this wonderful music with you.”

  •  For full programme details, please visit tetburymusicfestival.org. Tickets are available online and from Tetbury Tourist Information Centre on 01666 503 552.