Celebration will be at the heart of the 2027 Presteigne Festival, our 45th anniversary edition – a landmark year that also marks the 125th anniversary of William Walton’s birth and our long-serving artistic director, George Vass’ 70th birthday.

We are thrilled to welcome Jonathan Dove as composer-in-residence – his music will be woven throughout the Festival, from song, orchestral, chamber, choral and instrumental works to two delightfully distinctive mini-operas, Seven Angelsand Pig.

As ever, the Festival will provide a vibrant showcase for contemporary music, with new and recent works by an exciting line-up of composers including Richard Blackford, Jingyu Chen, Amelia Clarkson, Jonathan Dove, Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade, Steve Goss, Thomas Hyde, Joseph Phibbs, Ella Roberts, Aileen Sweeney, Matthew Taylor, Freya Waley-Cohen and James B Wilson. Added to the celebratory mix will be David Matthews’ specially commissioned chamber orchestra arrangement of Britten’s Courtly Dances from the opera Gloriana.

Beyond the concert and opera programme, the Festival will again embrace a rich variety of arts events – exhibitions, film screenings and talks, poetry and our continuing collaboration with the Presteigne ‘Open Studios’ weekend. 

Artists performing include:

The Fidelio Trio • Sacconi Quartet • Craig Ogden guitar • Tom Poster, Mary Dullea and Timothy End piano • Rebecca Bottone soprano • Julien Van Mellaerts baritone • Daniel Shao flute • Darragh Morgan violin • Sarah-Jane Bradley viola • Cara Berridge and Tim Gill cello • Bath Camerata with Robert Brooks conductor • Presteigne Festival Orchestra and Presteigne Festival Opera with George Vass conductor

The full programme will be announced at the end of April 2027.