The 14th annual New Ross Piano Festival featuring today’s most exciting pianists gets under way this evening and continues through until Sunday with a series of concerts and lunchtime jazz .

Festival Director, Finghan Collins, who is a participant in the festival, said the five-day piano festival is jam-packed with concerts featuring today’s most exciting pianists, including Barry Douglas, Gwilym Simcock and Daria van der Bercken.

“We are delighted to welcome Barry Douglas and his Camerata Ireland to New Ross. Barry and the Camarata are outstanding ambassadors for this island. The closing orchestral concert in St. Michael’s Theatre with three piano concertos is bound to end the weekend on a high.”

The festival opens this evening with the Young Pianists Concert, and there are plenty of wonderful concerts to enjoy with pianists from Ireland, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Israel and Korea performing piano music by a huge variety of composers.

Thursday has lunchtime jazz with the Phil Ware Trio and evening jazz with Gwilym Simcock. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will showcase the Main Opening Concert, the Evening Concert and the Closing Concert.

Tickets can be booked by calling St. Michael’s Theatre box office on 051 421255 and for more details and the full programme of events www.newrosspianofestival.com