Organisers of this year's Budleigh Music Festival have announced who will be heading to the town to perform on Friday June 28 to July 7.

Performers include opera legend Dame Sarah Connolly and the internationally acclaimed concert pianist Benjamin Grosvenor. 

The Festival will also feature a family concert, in partnership with Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival, bringing Michael Morpurgo and cellist Clare O’Connell together in his version of The Carnival of the Animals.

The Festival is centred around St Peter’s Church. Tickets go on sale to Friends of the Festival on March 27.

Kate Somerby, chair of Budleigh Music Festival, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome such an impressive line-up of internationally recognised artists to Budleigh Salterton. Although we are a relatively small festival, I really feel that we punch above our weight when it comes to the quality of our concerts.

“Part of our mission is to make classical music as accessible as possible to people, and our artistic director, Jason Thornton has excelled himself in this year’s selection. It’s a programme that will attract a huge diversity of music tastes, from classical music aficionados to those who are just dipping their toe in the water for the first time.”

There will be opportunities for locals with an event for the elderly and vulnerable, a concert for schools, lunchtime concerts featuring younger musicians and a community choral workshop, culminating in a performance on the opening day, which will also feature local schools.

The choral workshop will be led by Bob Chilcott, who returns to Budleigh Salterton after his successful event last year. The singers will work together on his hugely popular A Little Jazz Mass, in its 20th anniversary year. Tickets for this event go on sale on February 19.

This year’s evening concert series begins with the award-winning choir Tenebrae under the direction of Nigel Short. There are piano recitals by Benjamin Grosvenor, and Rising Star Ethan Loch, the BBC Young Musician piano finalist, blind since birth.

The final Saturday night will see the BBC Big Band raise the roof of St Peter’s in a celebration of classics and jazz, with special guest appearance by singer Elaine Delmar, guaranteed to give a feel-good night out.

There will be lunchtime concerts every day and other events throughout the week. 

Booking for Friends of the Festival opens on March 27 and tickets go on general sale on April 5.