Rachmaninoff, Rossini, young artists and John Casken's The Shackled King: the 2023 Newbury Spring Festival

Sheepdrove, one of the venues for this year's Newbury Spring Festival

The Newbury Spring Festival has been running since 1979 and this year runs from 6 to 20 May 2023, and there is a fine classical music line-up. Rachmaninoff makes a big showing this year, thanks to the 150th anniversary - pianist Steven Osborne makes his festival debut with an all-Rachmaninoff programme, pianist Barry Douglas joins the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, conductor Olari Elts for Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 1, as part of the Young Artist Recital series Maciej Kułakowski cello and Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula piano perform Rachaninoff's Cello Sonata, and Rachmaninoff is the featured composer for the Sheepdrove Piano Competition, which is open candidates aged 26 and under from the eight major UK music colleges.

Soprano Lucy Crow will be appearing twice at the festival. She and pianist Anna Tilbrook will be giving a recital that features Strauss' Four Last Songs whilst Crow will join soloists Claire Barnett-Jones mezzo soprano, Andres Presno tenor, Ashley Riches bass, and the Newbury Spring Festival Chorus, conductor Tom Primrose, for a performance of Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle in its original version with accompaniment from two pianos and harmonium.

Bass Sir John Tomlinson, soprano Rozanna Madylus, pianist Anna Tilbrook and Counterpoise will bringing John Casken's The Shackled King. Written for John Tomlinson, the parallels between the roles of Shakespeare’s Lear and Wagner’s Wotan are explored in Casken’s work, which begins towards the end of Shakespeare’s play and evokes the story through the medium of flashbacks.

Other visitors include the Symphonic Brass of London Quintet, the Tallis Scholars (who are celebrating their 50th anniversary), the Doric String Quartet, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conductor Emilia Hoving. Clarinettist Julian Bliss brings his jazz septet, whilst horn player Ben Goldscheider and his trio will be performing a programme of Mozart, Brahms and Huw Watkins. The Young Artist Recital series includes Ensemble Augeletti, and trumpeter Matilda Lloyd. The festival is opened by saxophonist Jess Gilham and her ensemble.

Sheepdrove, pictured above, is one of the venues for this year's festival. It is an organic mixed farm with an operationally net zero carbon "green building" powered entirely by 100% renewable energy (solar, wind and geo) which was opened by HM King Charles, III, then HRH Prince of Wales, in 2004.

Full details from the festival website.