2012 Festival dates: 4 - 15 July

 Just days before the Olympics start

...and hot on the heels of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Cheltenham Music Festival celebrates the richness of Britain's musical heritage.

From Elgar, Delius, Holst and Vaughan Williams to today's leading composers, join us to celebrate this fabulous legacy.

The Festival programme is still to be confirmed, but be sure to save the Festival dates in your diary now.

Other Festival highlights will include...

• Jean Efflam-Bavouzet performing a Debussy spectacular in the 150th anniversary of his birth
• The return of Cheltenham favourite Milos Karadaglic, this year playing with the Carducci Quartet
• Singapore’s stunning Orchestra of the Music Makers with pianist Melvyn Tan
• Early music gems from Florilegium's Bolivian Baroque project

Tickets go on sale to the public from 20 Feb.

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Directors' Picks

View our Directors' Picks for first details of the 2012 Festival line-ups, behind the scenes interviews and Festival Director Meurig Bowen's picks of the programme. Find out how you can discover more with Membership - from priority booking, ticket discounts and exclusive events...

Read Music Directors' Picks

Watch our exclusive Festival preview Video

Music samples courtesy of Chandos http://www.chandos.net/ (CHAN8760, 6570, 9894, 10467) and Decca http://www.deccaclassics.com/ (DECCA 4783206)

Preview The Cheltenham Music Festival 2012 and take a sneak peak at some of the confirmed line up including superstar violinist Nigel Kennedy joining cellist Steven Isserlis and friends to perform Elgar's Piano Quintet; a focus on Debussy featuring 'The essential Debussy' courtesy of outstanding French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet; chart-topping guitarist Milos in a special performance with the Carducci Quartet and a celebration of all things British to mark the Diamond Jubilee - featuring coronation pomp and majesty from Handel, Elgar, Parry and Walton.

Book early and receive ticket discounts with Cheltenham Festivals Membership.

Listen to sample tracks from Music 2012 artists

Listen to more audio clips at soundcloud.com/cheltenhamfestivals

Reviews of the 'Not in Our Time' event, Music 2011

On September 11 2011, Cheltenham Music Festival presented the world premiere of a major new oratorio, Not in Our Time by Richard Blackford - commissioned by the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus to mark its centenary year.

The date was not incidental: Not in Our Time was a serious and profound contemplation on the misunderstandings, both historical and current, between major religions. Blackford created a score that is searing, heartfelt, strongly emotional, and above all, powerfully dramatic.

"Fiercely paced and vividly dramatic, it's a huge sing and a grateful one. It's perfectly designed to stretch the chorus without asking the impossible. …..Out of this melting-pot comes something that speaks for itself, and with tremendous force….And that's the only test: the whole thing worked. Against the odds. Writing this piece was like walking into a minefield, and too hesitant a step – in the interests of subtlety, good taste or whatever – could have been the end of it. But Blackford has proceeded fearlessly, intuitively, maybe rashly, but with confidence in his own craft. Which is considerable. Not in Our Time is a terrific piece whose textual content may cause choirs and audiences to think: is this for us? Emphatically it is."

Michael White The Telegraph

Brochure Archives

One of the oldest running annual music festivals in Britain, The Cheltenham Music Festival began in 1945. Relive the highlights and line ups of recent Festivals in our brochure archive. Here you'll also find brochures from our other Festivals, Music, Science and Literature.

Browse our brochure archive