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From contemporary and classical music or even folk, blues and world music, Aldeburgh Festival (10 – 26 June) has a fantastic range of performances to offer audiences.

Catalogue d’Oiseaux project

19 June from 3.30am until 11.00pm

The centre piece of this year’s Festival is the spectacular 20 hour long Catalogue d’Oiseaux project, which will take place on Sunday 19 June.

Throughout his life, composer Olivier Messiaen was fascinated by birdsong and his works frequently include his interpretations of their calls. The largest of these works was the Catalogue d’Oiseaux, which is 150 minutes long and includes 77 different birdcalls.

In a spectacular day-long event, Aldeburgh Festival presents Messiaen’s work as never before. Using the landscape surrounding Snape Maltings and RSPB Minsmere as a backdrop, the festival will take audiences on a visual and aural journey through the Catalogue d’Oiseaux.

It all starts at 3.30am with a Dawn Chorus ringing out over the nearby River Alde at Snape Maltings, before moving on to performances of work from the Catalogue d’Oixseaux.

The day’s activity then travels 10 miles up the Suffolk coastline to RSPB Minsmere. Here audiences can go for a guided walk around the reserve and enjoy an outdoor performance of works from Catalogue d’Oixseaux on the BBC Springwatch stage.

The day is rounded off with a return to Snape for a talk and the final performance of the day, closing at 11.00pm.

Find out more about Catalogue d’Oiseaux

Festival highlights

But that is just 24 hours in a packed programme that stretches over 17 days. Here’s just a handful of what else you can expect from this year’s Festival:

Grade 1 Challenge

Aldeburgh Music and the Britten–Pears Foundation are inviting people to start learning the piano and take the Grade 1 Challenge at this year's Aldeburgh Festival. It is perfect for all those who always wanted to learn, but never really got around to it.

To help people get ready for the Grade 1 Challenge, Aldeburgh Music has published a series of videos that will challenge, inform and help people prepare. Once people have signed up to the Challenge, they can even book practice rooms at Snape Maltings and the Red House in Aldeburgh.

And for those who really want to take the plunge, Aldeburgh Music is giving them a chance to perform their Grade 1 piece during the Festival!

Find out more about the Grade 1 Challenge.

Illuminations

10, 12 and 13 June, various times

In a spectacular re-staging of Britten’s Les Illuminations, director Struan Leslie will fuse Britten’s cycle of songs with contemporary circus performance.

Soprano Sarah Tynan will join an ensemble of international circus performers and Aurora Orchestra in a programme that includes Britten’s Les Illuminations and Young Apollo, Debussy’sString Quartet and music from John Adams’ Shaker Loops.

Find out more about Illuminations

Bandstand on the beach

Every day at 1pm

Throughout the Festival, Bandstand on the Beach will offer audiences a chance to relax on Aldeburgh beach and enjoy a free performance.

With everything from folk groups to local community choirs, swing bands, school groups, big bands, jazz singers, folk groups and classical ensembles – there is bound to be something for everyone!

The Bandstand on the Beach will be located on Aldeburgh beach, between the North and South Lookout Towers. Performances will take place from 1pm each day.

Find out more about Bandstand on the Beach

The Pumphouse

10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 24 and 25 June

Set in a disused Victorian pumping station built on the Aldeburgh marshes, The Pumphouse will offer audiences something a little different. In place of orchestral performances, it will host hugely varied shows over the three Aldeburgh Festival weekends, ranging from folk, blues and world music to comedy and cabaret.

Find out more about The Pumphouse

Festival Masterclasses

Various dates / timings

Throughout the Festival there will be a chance to hear from participants on the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in a series of public masterclasses. These will feature some of the world’s greatest musicians, including Thomas Quasthoff, Bernada Fink and Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

Find out more about the Masterclasses