THE Fishguard and West Wales Music Festival will return next month with the staging of the county’s first live classical music concerts since the end of social gathering restrictions.

Twelve concerts and events will be available to attend in person at venues across Pembrokeshire, commencing at Rhosygilwen Mansion on Sunday, August 22, with a piano and cello recital by Jocelyn Freeman and Jamal Aliyev.

The line up of musicians for this year’s festival include mezzo soprano Anghard Lyddon, Royal Harpist Alis Huws, the Marmen Quartet, London Tango Quintet, Meraki Duo, Palisander Recorder Ensemble, and Radio 3 regulars Kabantu.

The Festival is especially pleased to be welcoming back the acclaimed Welsh National Opera Orchestra to St. David’s Cathedral for two concerts on Friday, August 27; an afternoon matinee of works by Bach, Strauss and Haydn, and an evening performance of works by Beethoven and Strauss with soloist Isabelle Peters. This will be the first occasion that many of the musicians and soloists will have performed in front of a live audience since before the pandemic.

"After many months of uncertainty, we are pleased to confirm that the Fishguard and West Wales International Music Festival 2021 will go ahead and that tickets are now on sale," said Gillian Green MBE, artistic director of the Fishguard and West Wales Music Festival.

"We have a thrilling programme of young musicians and performers booked to appear after the regretful postponement of last year’s Festival due to the Pandemic.

"The number of seats available is reduced by the current Welsh Government and local authority regulations relating to Covid. If these restrictions are relaxed, or lifted completely, we will release as many seats for sale as the new circumstances allow.

"Our small team of volunteers have been working very hard to ensure that this year’s Festival goes ahead and we have had discussions with our fantastic network of venues to ensure that we can deliver the highest standards of Covid safety within Welsh Government guidelines.

"We hope people will be able to join us in celebrating the return of live music of which we’ve been deprived of for so long. It will be a very special occasion for musicians and audiences alike. We look forward to seeing you during the Festival."

Tickets went on sale this week and can be booked via the Festival website at www.fishguardmusicfestival.com.