HEREFORDSHIRE music lover Richard Wilson, founder of Outback Records, is pulling out all the stops.

This year, the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, he has single-handedly organised for his complete series of piano sonatas to be performed in Hereford.

As with the Beethoven cycle 2000, celebrated pianist Martino Tirimo will perform.

"Join me in a creating a miracle, by actively asking family, friends and colleagues to subscribe to the series...so as to have a full house each time," Richard said in his invitation.

His aim is to ensure no music lover in the vicinity misses out on Martino's "majestic, mesmeric, mellifluous Mozart".

These days a farm worker, who cycles the seven miles to and from work every day, Richard's enthusiasm for bringing quality music to Hereford is unrelenting.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was improvising at four and composing at five. By the age of eight he was already writing piano pieces containing the seeds of his great masterpieces.

From the beginning, there was a personal confidence in his abilities and his music is an expression of an emotional range coupled with sharp intellect.

"In so many of Mozart's piano works I invariably hear strains of a Figaro, a Papageno and several of his other major opera characters," Martino says.

"The writing is always marvellously pianistic and its naturalness most remarkable. Any sculptor would envy his beautifully proportioned lines and his elegance.

"For me, though, behind all this musical perfection there is an underlying sense of deeper expression."

Martino was born into a musical family in Cyprus and began music lessons with his father, a conductor and violinist.

He gave his first concert at the age of six and when only 12 he conducted seven performances of Verdi's La Traviata, including soloists from La Scala, Milan.

He moved to London aged 13, winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at 16 after which he finished his studies in Vienna.

In 1971 and 1972 victories at the International Piano Competitions in Munich and Geneva launched his international career.

He has appeared with many of the world's leading orchestras and his repertoire is enormous.

Tirimo will also perform a complete series of Mozart piano concertos at London's Cadogan Hall.

The recital series at Hereford Shirehall runs on May 17, June 3, September 29, October 14, November 3 and November 10.

For a booking form call Richard on 01981 580453.