CUMBRIA'S flagship music festival begins this weekend celebrating its 30th year with more than 40 events staged across 14 venues.

Lake District Summer Music opens on Saturday (August 2, 8pm) with leading chamber orchestra Manchester Camerata at the Lakes Hall, Troutbeck Bridge.

Sunday, August 3 (8pm) includes a Celebrity Evening Recital by outstanding pianist Andrew Brownell at Ambleside Parish Church; Tuesday (August 5) features the charismatic brilliance of organist Jonathan Scott at Kendal Parish Church (11am), and later the same day the combination of prizewinning mezzo-soprano, Kathryn Rudge, pianist, Duncan Glenday and viola player, Garfield Jackson, promises a memorable performance at Ambleside Parish Church (8pm).

Wednesday, August 6 (11am), has a Japanese strand, which concludes with multi-media chamber opera Tokaido Road at the Lakes Hall (8pm).

Wednesday also sees eminent cellist Robert Cohen stage a cello masterclass at Brathay Hall, near Ambleside (2.30pm).

Robert is also a member of the Fine Arts Quartet, which stars alongside the Chilingirian and Vogler foursomes in the festival’s Quartets Plus series, which plays a major part of this year’s LDSM gathering.

Festival themes in this special year range from commemoration of the start of World War One in music and poetry, to Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, and anniversaries of composers CPE Bach and Richard Strauss; Poems from the Front Line courtesy of David Hunt brings Blackwell Arts and Crafts House at Bowness into the festival on Monday, August 4 (5pm).

As well as masterclasses and poetry, LDSM’s fortnight of concerts are complemented by opera and drama on film at Ambleside’s Fellinis; pre-concert talks and jazz; with artists ranging from the thrilling Stile Antico, which stages O Radiant Dawn at Kendal Parish Church on Friday, August 8 (8pm), to renowned author Louis de Bernières, whose among those involved in ViewPoints: The Music of Poetry at Blackwell on Monday, August 11 (5pm).

LDSM’s highly regarded artistic director Renna Kellaway says her highlights for the first week definitely include the three masters of the keyboard - pianist Andrew Brownell, organist Jonathan Scott, and the virtuoso harpsichordist, Mahan Esfahani; Mahan performs on the Friday at Ambleside Parish Centre (11am).

“Oh, and don't overlook the recital with mezzo-soprano Kathryn Rudge,” adds Renna, “which includes a new commission for this young star with viola and piano.”

For further information telephone 01539-742621, visit www.ldsm.org.uk, or call at the Festival Office at Stricklandgate House, Kendal.