THE 17th annual Roman River Music Festival for Colchester and surrounding villages begins next Friday and continues its ambitious programming with a range of international highly acclaimed musicians in now trademark unique venues, ranging from the comfort of the recently-refurbished Mercury Studio to the former bus depot on Queen Street.

There really is something for everyone at our local festival which to be honest rivals many others. Go to www.romanrivermusic.org.uk and checkout next week's paper for further details.

Back to this weekend and tomorrow afternoon at 3pm, there is a chance to hear the winner of the Paris Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition 2015. Young violinist Laure Chan performs Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Paganini, Ravel and Ysaÿe with Dimitris Daskalakis, piano. It takes place at St Mary’s Parish Church, Frinton. Tickets are £10 including refreshments, available on 01255 679164.

Tomorrow evening in St Botolph’s Church, Colchester, John Lill makes a welcome return to our town to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4 with the highly-regarded Colchester Symphony Orchestra. The concert, which starts at 7.30pm, also includes Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4. Tickets are £14 from 01206 271128.

The last time I heard Tim Carey, he was performing Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto with the Colchester Symphony Orchestra. This Sunday he will be celebrating his 60th birthday by playing Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto with the Essex Chamber Orchestra. Tim is a true Essex boy, educated at King Edward VI Grammar School and still based in Chelmsford. On Sunday, September 11 at 7pm he's in Anglo-European School, Ingatestone. Tickets are £10 on the door.

If you have a concert of classical music you would like previewed, contact Liz Leatherdale on 0800 999 6994.

CD REVIEW

An introduction to Beethoven – Piano Concerto No.5 – ‘Emperor’, Symphony No.5, The Creatures of Prometheus. John Lill, City of Birmingham Orchestra, Walter Weller.

THIS introductory CD couples Beethoven’s most famous symphony with the Fifth Piano Concerto plus a few other works. John Lill is well-known for his performances of Beethoven’s music and his playing in the second movement of this concerto will simply make you melt. This is the only recording currently available of John Lill performing any Beethoven Piano Concerto.

LIZ LEATHERDALE, COLCHESTER CLASSICS