The full programme for the 2017 Presteigne Festival is launched this week with online booking opening on Tuesday, May 2.

This year's festival celebrates a number of landmarks with its 35th anniversary, artistic director George Vass's 25th anniversary in post and his 60th birthday.

The concert programme features a rare insight into Danish music, special birthday celebrations for John Joubert and Hugh Wood and the chance to enjoy a number of successful commissions from previous Festivals.

One of the UK's major supporters of new music for many years, the Festival has commissioned several new works for its 2017 season: a string quartet from composer-in-residence Edward Gregson, an ‘a cappella’ choral work from Cecilia McDowall and a piece for cello and piano from Herefordshire-based composer Robert Peate.

Celebrated for its fresh, stylish mix of contemporary music, balanced with 20th century classics and great works from the standard repertoire, the Festival’s 2017 music programme also embraces a particularly wide range of works from J S Bach, Beethoven, Berg, Lennox Berkeley, Brahms, Frank Bridge, Duruflé, De Falla, Haydn, Nielsen, Poulenc, Vaughan Williams and Walton.

A varied collection of supporting events include a centenary celebration of the work of founder Presteigne Festival President Sidney Nolan, anthropologist Stephen Hugh-Jones talking about the music of the Amazonian Indians and Meurig Bowen’s delightfully witty salute to the music and writings of Erik Satie, ‘Memoirs of a Pear-Shaped Life’.

Brochures are now available from Presteigne Festival, PO Box 30, Presteigne, Powys LD8 2WF, or call 01544 267800.

Online booking opens on Tuesday, May 2 at presteignefestival.com