The 2021-22 Cheltenham Concert Series opens at Cheltenham Town Hall in October with a performance by the Worcester-based English Symphony Orchestra.

Cheltenham Town Hall proudly presents some of the finest British and international musicians in this new eight-concert series which runs from October 2021 to June 2022.

Not only do these concerts offer exciting and memorable programmes, they are also great value for money.

The series features popular UK orchestras, plus a prestigious visiting orchestra from China. At the podium will be familiar Cheltenham favourites such as Kenneth Woods and Marios Papadopoulos, alongside homegrown and international maestros, including Michael Collins and Rimma Sushanskaya.

An array of soloists will bring some of the most popular favourites from the concerto repertoire, including John Lenehan (Beethoven's Emperor), Peter Donohoe (Ravel's only solo piano concerto) and Vadim Repin (Sibelius' Violin Concerto).

As well as these highlights, there's also our annual New Year Strauss Gala, plus such favourites as Beethoven's Pastoral, the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, Dvorak's New World Symphony, Mahler's First and Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet, Mendelssohn's The Hebrides and the Bruch Violin Concerto No.1.

All in all, it's a heady and exciting blend of orchestral favourites and virtuosic performances...not to be missed!

The first concert, featuring the ESO, takes place on Monday, October 25, at 7.30pm under conductor Kenneth Woods.

Worcester-based ESO open with the lush tones of Philip Sawyers' compositional style, while British pianist Sarah Beth Briggs (appropriately an International Mozart Competition winner in Salzburg aged just 15) performs the Austrian's 22nd concerto - a sparkling and magnificent late Viennese work.

The second half features one of the best-loved of all symphonies; crammed with evocative melodies, and depicting the countryside Beethoven knew and loved, the Pastoral is a symphony like no other. It foregoes the usual dramatic key structures and opts for an expansive five-movement construct, bringing woods, streams and animals to life through the language of early 19th century music - a truly amazing feat!

There will be a pre-concert talk (6.30pm to 7pm) to which entry is free entry using your ticket for the evening's concert.

To book tickets online, visit English Symphony Orchestra 2021 | Cheltenham Town Hall and Pittville Pump Room  . The box office is now located at Leisure at Cheltenham's reception point.