THE opening notes of the 12-day Lake District Summer Music festival will ripple around the Lakes Hall, at Troutbeck Bridge, on Saturday, August 4 (8pm), when the enormously talented pianist Alexander Melnikov takes the stage.

Aged 16, he won the prestigious Robert Schumann International Music Competition.

Now, the

27-year-old pianist is in great demand both for his outstanding concert appearances and regular BBC broadcasts.

His LDSM concert includes Beethoven, Prokofiev, Schumann and Brahms.

In addition to Alexander's solo recital he will team-up with the all-female Sorrel String Quartet, again at the Lakes Hall, on Tuesday, August 7 (8pm).

On Sunday, August 5, Ambleside Parish Church hosts the Festival Service (11am) and the Summer Music Exhibition at Ambleside's St Martin's College is opened at 4pm, by Patrick Gordon Duff-Pennington featuring paintings by members of Ambleside Art Society.

Later on Sunday (8pm) the Sorrel String Quartet perform with Endellion String Quartet viola player, Garfield Jackson, at the Lakes Hall, and on Monday, August 6 (5pm) at St Martin's College, Denis McCaldin talks about Haydn the Innovator.

President of the Haydn Society and former director of music at Lancaster University, Denis is a fountain of knowledge as regards the great composer and makes a fascinating speaker.

Top cellist Robert Cohen also graces this year's LDSM with his musical presence in a recital at Ambleside Parish Church accompanied by pianist Carole Presland on Wednesday, August 8 (11.30am), and in the evening (8pm) the renowned national youth ensemble of the combined Nordic countries, the Norden Orchestra, appear at Kendal's Westmorland Hall.

Kendal Parish Church gets in on the act on Saturday, August 11 (8pm) with LDSM favourites the Chilingirian String Quartet and Garfield Jackson.

And on Sunday, August 12 (8pm) Keswick's Theatre by the Lake hosts Verdi and Others: an evening of Italian opera, presented by Opera Europe.

The Menuhin Concert this year is at the Lakes Hall, on August 10 (8pm) featuring the LDSM String Orchestra, the Johnston Quartet and cellist Guy Johnston.

Proceedings come to a delightful conclusion on Wednesday, August 15 (8pm) in Serenade by Candlelight at Ambleside Parish Church, when students of LDSM present a varied programme of solos, ensembles and the LDSM String Orchestra directed by Garry Walker.

With other events such as the Rossetti Piano Trio at Hawkshead Parish Church on Tuesday, August 14 (8pm) and former editor of the European, now Miller Howe hotel owner, Charles Garside, examining his transition from editor to epicure in Soundbites at St Martin's College on Friday, August 10 (5pm), the festival looks set to be another huge success.

This year the festival has more than 30 events on offer.

For full details contact the box office on 01539-724441.