DETAILS of the Vale of Glamorgan Festival of Music have been announced with a number of performances taking place from May 10-20.

Founded by composer John Metcalf (MBE) the Festival continues to hold a unique place in the UK, being the only celebration of its kind devoted to performing the work of living classical music composers.

Over 10 days, music by living composers from across the world will be showcased by an exceptional line up of home grown and international artists. The 2016 programme will include specific profiles of the work of three major composers, who this year celebrate landmark birthdays.

Work from American composer Steve Reich described as one of only a handful of composers who can claim to have altered the path of musical history, celebrates his 80th birthday; renowned for his powerfully evocative works, Latvian, P?teris Vasks, will be 70 this year. His richly expressive output is deeply rooted in Latvia’s folk tradition and the Festival’s artistic director, John Metcalf also celebrates his 70th birthday. His most recent opera Under Milk Wood (2014) met with great critical acclaim and was shortlisted for both a Royal Philharmonic Society Award and International Opera Award.

Many of the composers whose work is featured will be attending the festival, including P?teris Vasks whose new Viola Concerto will be performed by Maxim Rysanov and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales on Friday, May 20.

Royal Welsh College of Music graduate, Mark David Boden will have two works premiered: Ghyll, a piece for orchestra inspired by Mark’s walks in Lake District (BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thursday, May 12) and a string quartet, Forgotten Time which will be performed from iPads by the Belgium-based Quatuor Tana.

Other international visitors include the world renowned Latvian Radio Choir who open the festival at St Augustine’s Church, Penarth on Tuesday, May 10. Denmark’s Ensemble MidtVest mark artistic director John Metcalf’s 70th year in a concert featuring a range of his chamber works at All Saints Church on Wednesday, May 18.

And from Canada, violinist Parmela Attariwala and tabla player Shawn Matiwetsky bring their unique blend of Western and Indian musical traditions to the Dance House at Wales Millennium Centre on Thursday, May 19.

This year’s festival includes a number of players that will be well known to South Wales audiences. Cellist Alice Neary and Robert Court (organ) join the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and singers from BBC National Chorus of Wales for John Metcalf’s Cello Symphony on Friday, May 20.

Robert will be very much on home territory when he performs organ works by P?teris Vasks at a lunchtime concert at St Augustine’s Church, Penarth on Wednesday, May 18. Violinist Madeleine Mitchell makes a welcome return to the Festival as soloist for Guto Puw’s Violin Concerto with BBC National Orchestra of Wales on Thursday, May 12.

Supplementing the main concerts are a range of pre-concert talks with performers and composers offering further insight and context to the works being featured.

Full details of this year’s programme can be found on the Festival’s website valeofglamorganfestival.org.uk