Some of the leading musicians in the country are to perform at this year’s Tetbury Music Festival.

The annual festival, which gets underway on Saturday 29th September, will be welcoming acclaimed pianists, clarinettists, cellists and violinists for a week-long celebration of classical music held at St Marys’ Church in Tetbury. “We’re absolutely thrilled with the quality of performers that will appearing at this year’s festival,” said Festival Director Caz Weller Knight. “We’ve leading figures from the world of classical music who will be playing, it’s very exciting to welcome so many acclaimed musicians for what promises to be a fantastic week,” she added.

Celebrated pianist Benjamin Grosvenor is among the leading names to appear at this year’s festival as he plays a selection of piano masterpieces that span three centuries. The clarinettist Julian Bliss and his Septet will open the 2018 festival with a special improvisatory programme that bridges classical and jazz. Other highlights from the 2018 line-up include violin and piano duo Matthew Trusler and Ashley Wass’ welcome return to Tetbury as they perform an exploration of Beethoven’s musical journey with The Dante Quartet and actor Kevin West.

The festival is held inside St Marys’ Church in the charming Cotswold town of Tetbury. An early and fine example of Georgian Gothic architecture, the church enjoys fantastic acoustics. Caz continued: “We’re very lucky to be based in such a beautiful setting. The acoustics are magnificent, so many of our performers tell us it’s one of their favourite places to play. There’s just over 400 seats inside the church and some of the shows have sold out already which is very encouraging.

The Festival is run and organised by a team of dedicated volunteers whose work is essential in both booking the artists and running the event. Caz explained: “Everyone involved in organising and running the festival is a volunteer. From our board members right through to people who help out on the day, everyone does it because they love the festival.

“From the very first festival in 2003 we’ve been able to welcome some of the best classical musicians to Tetbury. The support we get from people in Gloucestershire is fantastic and we’re also pleased to welcome visitors who travel from all over the country to enjoy the music. The sizes of the audiences have increased every year which is pleasing. We’re always keen to welcome new faces, tickets are available to purchase on our website or in person at the Tetbury Visitor Centre.”