Thaxted Festival, described as "a timeless musical experience", returns to its full four-weekend offering this summer.

With its origins in Gustav Holst’s 1916 Whitsun Festival in Thaxted Church, Thaxted Festival attracts the very best of British and international musicians, in genres ranging from orchestral, chamber and vocal music to jazz, folk, big band and swing, from early music to contemporary styles.

This year's event will take place in Essex on Fridays to Sundays from June 17 to July 10.

During this time, organisers will present 15 concerts from leading artists including:

  • Howard Shelley and the London Mozart Players, performing Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concerto and Schubert’s 5th Symphony
  • Internationally renowned baritone Roderick Williams with Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel
  • Armonico Consort with Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas
  • 50th anniversary recital of the Brodsky Quartet, with pianist Martin Roscoe joining for the Elgar Piano Quintet
  • Jazz pianist Jason Rebello
  • The Pasadena Roof Orchestra led by Duncan Ballantyne
  • Jazz vocal favourite Claire Martin and her trio
  • 2018 winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition, Eric Lu
  • The English Chamber Orchestra and the Choir of King’s College London performing Holst’s The Cloud Messenger.

Other 2022 events include organist Anna Lapwood, a family concert with Zeb Soanes and David Owen Norris, guitar duo The Katona Twins, Redbridge Brass, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience from Charles Court Opera, and an afternoon of Sondheim.

Taking place in Thaxted’s magnificently spacious Parish Church, Thaxted Festival offers a relaxed atmosphere, the highest standards of performance from renowned professional artists, the superb natural acoustics of the church, and a warm welcome in beautiful historic surroundings.

Distinguished pianist and conductor Howard Shelley returns to Thaxted to open the 2022 season on Friday, June 17 with a wonderfully varied programme spanning nearly 200 years of music.

Directed from the keyboard by Howard Shelley, the dynamic London Mozart Players will provide an evening of outstanding performances.

This concert will be followed by Redbridge Brass on Saturday, June 18.

Katona Twins – guitar duo Peter Katona and Zoltán Katona – will close the opening weekend of the festival on Sunday, June 19.

Their wide repertoire extends from Bach to Piazzolla's Tango music and from pop, rock and jazz standards to their own compositions.

A firm Thaxted favourite, Claire Martin and her trio return to the festival with silky jazz vocals for a summer evening on Friday, June 24.

Tickets are on sale now and full details of all concerts can be found at www.thaxtedfestival.co.uk/concerts