A piano recital inspired by the sea will start the first full week of concerts in the Fishguard Festival of Music 2023.

The Welsh pianist Iwan Llewelyn-Jones presents a programme inspired by seascapes drawn from the French repertoire by composers including Chopin, Ravel and Liszt.

His recital will also explore Welsh art songs with maritime themes which he has transcribed for solo piano.

Iwan’s recital takes place in Rhosygilwen on Friday, August 18 at 7.30pm.

Bethel Chapel in Brodog Lane, Fishguard will be a new concert location for the festival this year and the Dudok String Quartet from Amsterdam will give the first of three festival concerts at the venue on Saturday, August 19.

Further events during the first week include concerts by the Young Music Makers of Dyfed in conjunction with the Newport Music Society and the Enigma Duo in Fishguard.

Other events will include the ever-popular Saints and Stones Tour and a book event, Hon-Women Artists in Wales at Twr y Felin Hotel in St Davids.

The Welsh National Opera Orchestra will return to the festival at the end of the week to give two concerts.

Their concert at St Davids Cathedral on Friday will feature music by Barber and Dvorak’s ‘New World’ Symphony. The WNO Chamber Ensemble will also give a recital at Rhosygilwen on Thursday, August 24, with music by Martinu, Korngold and Previn.

Both WNO concerts will feature soprano Elizabeth Atherton.

Seventeen events will be staged at seven venues across Pembrokeshire until September 3 in this year’s Fishguard Festival of Music.

Gillian Green MBE, Artistic Director of the Festival, said: “A feast of world class music covering six centuries awaits audiences over the next couple of weeks in one of the most beautiful parts of Wales.

The festival is very excited about the variety of events on offer from now until early September comprising orchestral, choral and chamber music, solo recitals together with folk and world music.”