The West Meon Music Festival will celebrate notable anniversaries this year, including the anniversary of Jane Austen's birthday.

The renowned Primrose Piano Quartet, which founded the festival, will perform in Meon Valley churches from Thursday, September 11 to Sunday, September 14.

The opening concert will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Dmitri Shostakovich, a popular 20th-century composer, with a performance of his Second Piano Trio.

The piece, completed in 1944, reflects on the horrors of the Second World War.

On Friday, September 12, the festival will shift focus to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth.

Upcoming pianist Clara Siegle, who made her orchestral debut at the age of nine, will play some of Ravel’s solo piano pieces.

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Clara Siegle will play some of Ravel’s solo piano pieces.Clara Siegle will play some of Ravel’s solo piano pieces. (Image: West Meon Music Festival) The late-night concert that evening will feature Ravel’s violin and cello sonata, written in the 1920s and dedicated to Debussy, along with his Tzigane for violin and piano, which will be played at the Coffee Concert on Sunday morning.

The festival will conclude on the afternoon of Sunday, September 14, marking the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth.

The finale will include performances of some of Austen’s favourite works and readings from her notebooks and letters.

Renowned tenor James Gilchrist will return to the festival and will join the Primrose Piano Quartet for the premiere of a new work by Peter Salem, known for his work in TV, film and theatre music, including Call the Midwife.

Tenor James Gilchrist will return to the festival.Tenor James Gilchrist will return to the festival. (Image: West Meon Music Festival) Other highlights of the festival include a morning of Viennese string quartets in East Meon church and a programme of early French harpsichord music at Warnford church on Saturday afternoon.

All other concerts will be held in West Meon church.

For full details of all eight festival concerts, visit westmeonmusic.co.uk.

Ticket prices start at £15 and will be available via the festival website from the week ending Friday, June 13.

The West Meon Music Festival, now in its 15th year, continues to bring together renowned and upcoming musicians to celebrate the rich history of classical music and the enduring legacy of composers and cultural figures such as Jane Austen.