TWO exhilarating orchestral concerts are the cornerstones of Ripon International Festival which starts next weekend with Janusz Piotrowicz conducting the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Works include Dvorak’s much-loved Serenade and Vivaldi’s dazzlingly descriptive The Four Seasons, with the orchestra’s concert master, Bradley Creswick, as soloist. This opening concert takes place on September 5 at Ripon Cathedral.

The Royal Hall is the venue on Saturday, September 19, for a concert by the London Mozart Players performing Mendelsson’s Overture Fingal’s Cave and Violin Concerto and Beethoven’s mighty Eroica Symphony.

Jennifer Pike, who won BBC Young musician of the Year in 2002, aged 12, is the violin soloist. She recently made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Chamber Orchestra to a standing ovation. Janusz Piotrowicz conducts.

Two of flamenco’s most exciting forces, renowned guitarist Juan Martin and guest artist Chaparro de Malaga, present a thrilling programme of authentic flamenco. Martin has played the world’s greatest concert halls, from the Concertgebouw Amsterdam to the Carnegie, Albert, Barbican, Frankfurt’s Alte Oper, Istanbul’s Cemal Resit Rey and Australia’s Melba Hall (Saturday, September 12).

Actress Sunny Ormonde, best-known as Lilian in The Archers, takes part in The Land of Lost Content, an evening of humour, music and lyricism celebrating the life and work of A E Housman, with actors David Timson and Malcolm McKee and soprano Marilyn Cutts (West End musicals, Fascinating Aida, RSC, National Theatre).

As well as classic settings of Housman’s poems, the show features words and music by Gilbert and Sullivan, Sondheim, Oscar Wilde and popular composers of the First World War (Wednesday, September 16).

Prizewinning baroque musicians Duo Dorado bring an exotic programme of 17th century music for violin, viola d’amore and harpsichord to St Mary’s Church, Masham (Thursday, 17th).

The music festival ends on September 21, but there is an additional family show about the Chinese mythical character Monkey by Puppetcraft, written by Michael Rosen, on Sunday, October 4, at Ripon Leisure Centre.

Tickets for Clare Teal and concerts at Markenfield Hall are sold out. For a full programme and online bookings, go to riponinternationalfestival.com, or call the box office on 01765 605508 and 603994.