THIS year's Chipping Campden Music Festival, which opens on Saturday, June 4, and runs until Wednesday, June 15, has some of the world's greatest pianists lined up including solo recitals from three major artists.

On Sunday, June 5, John Lill is in concert at 3pm. Since winning the Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow in 1970 Lill has been widely acknowledged as one of the world's finest pianists. His massive programme, chosen exclusively for the festival, includes Schumann C major fantasy op 17, Brahms' 24 variations and fugue on a theme by Handel op 24 and Beethoven sonata op 106 the Hammerklavier.

Mark Bebbington's recital on Wednesday, June 8, at 7.30pm includes some beautiful preludes by Gloucestershire composer Ivor Gurney. He is also master of French piano music as will be revealed in the Ravel and the recital closes with Mussorgsky's show-stopping Pictures at an Exhibition.

Richard Meyrick, appearing Friday June 10 at 7.30pm, is one of the most exciting pianists performing anywhere today. He gave the world premier of the Khachaturian Piano Sonata in the USA, Europe and the Antipodes. He ends his programme, which includes Beethoven, Khachaturian, Chopin and Rachmaninov, with the almost unplayable Horowitz transcription of the of the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

Other pianists appearing include Paul Lewis, who joins the Leopold trio and Graham Mitchell, for a performance of Schubert's Trout Quintet on June 9, Julius Drake, who performs Schubert's Die Winterreise with Christopher Maltman on June 12 and Howard Shelley who plays, and directs the London Mozart Players from the keyboard, two Mozart concertos on June 13.

For ticket inquiries phone 01386 849018, email festival@bennettsfinewines.com, or visit the web site www.campdenmusicfestival.co.uk.