The York Late Music Festival and its 16 concerts of modern-day music at the National Centre For Early Music will have three main themes this June.

Now in its 13th year, the festival is mounting a retrospective of the composer Robert Sherlaw Johnson, a founding member of the University of York music department.

The final piano recital by Ian Pace, on June 9, at 7.30pm, will include two works by the composer, Piano Sonata No 3 and Seven Short Pieces For Piano, in context with the work of founding and contemporary faculty members David Blake, Wilfred Mellers, John Paynter, Edward Caine, Roger Marsh, Nicola LeFanu and Richard Orton. Paynter will give a pre-concert talk about the world premiere of his Five Reflections For Piano, at 6.45pm.

In addition, the Ossian Ensemble will play Sherlaw Johnson's Quintet on June 2, at 1pm, along with a new piece by Edward Caine; Black Hair, the university's music theatre company, will include Sherlaw Johnson's Triptych in its 7.30pm concert with Anna Myatt on June 5.

The Chimera Ensemble, the university's resident contemporary music group, has selected Sherlaw Johnson's Night Songs for its 1pm programme on June 9, when a new work by Robert Turner and Steve Reich's New York Counterpoint, a piece for eight clarinets and three bass clarinets, will be performed too.

This lunchtime concert will be Chimera's first involvement in the festival, as part of a growing partnership with the university.

In another development, a series of lunchtime recitals will showcase talented performers embarking on their fledgling careers in contemporary music, not only the Ossian Ensemble on June 2, but also former University of York baritone Michael Solomon Williams on June 4, singing new works by Karen Wimhurst, Tom Armstrong, festival administrator Steve Crowther and Richard Whalley and Eight Songs by festival director David Power. Cerys Jones will present a solo violin programme spanning Bach to Bruno Maderna to David Cutler's new work, on June 8.

Each concert will start at 1pm.

The 2007 festival continues its commitment to innovative programming by introducing folk music and kalbelia dancing from the deserts of western Rajasthan on June 3 at 7.30pm, and the cutting-edge jazz of the Frank Harrison Trio, led by pianist Harrison, in the festival's opening concert on June 1, at 7.30pm.

Guitar player Louis Stewart has withdrawn from this concert due to illness and will be replaced by former Loose Tubes saxophonist Julian Arguelles.

Further innovations see the festival debuts of Fitkin Wall, on June 4, at 7.30pm, and Eva Zoellner on June 7, at 1pm. Keyboard player and composer Graham Fitkin and harpist Ruth Wall take the beguiling sound of the harp out of its comfort zone in a rhythmic and multi-layered performance of three harps and live and pre-recorded sounds, while Zoellner gives a solo recital on an instrument not usually associated with modern music, the accordion.

Parkinson Saunders with Anton Lukoszevieze will combine cello, improvised instruments and live electronics when performing Laurence Crane's Come Back To The Old Specimen Cabinet John Vigani and Christian Wolff's Crazy Mad Love on June 7, at 7.30pm.

Ticket demand will be at its highest for the Hilliard Ensemble's Arkhangelos concert of music from four different Christian traditions on June 8. In the 7.30pm programme will be traditional Sharakans from Armenia; laude from Italy; the Catholic traditions represented by James MacMillan; the Greek by Ivan Moody; the Russian by Alexander Raskatov and Arvo Part; plus prayers from the English mystical tradition set by Jonathan Wilde. Tickets bought before May 1 will cost £12; afterwards, £15, concessions £13.

As a third theme, the festival will celebrate a series of anniversaries.

The centenary of the birth of both York poet WH Auden and composer Elizabeth Maconchy and the 60th birthday of her daughter Nicola LeFanu will be marked in the June 3 concert by soprano Eleanor Meynell and pianist Christopher Glynn at 1pm. Each piece by the likes of LeFanu, Benjamin Britten, John Fowland, David Power, Benjamin Wallfisch and Matthew Taylor is a musical setting of Auden's texts.

The festival also will toast the 70th birthday of Philip Glass and 60th birthday of John Adams with a 7.30pm performance of their minimalist work by American pianist Matthew McCright on June 2.

The festival is working in tandem with the City of York Council's music consultant Tim Brooks and composer Barry Russell on an education outreach programme, divided into two parts, composition and performance. The results of both parts will be showcased in 1pm and 7.30pm concerts on June 10.

* York Late Music Festival runs from June 1 to 10 at National Centre For Early Music, Walmgate, York. Box office: 01904 658338 or on line at www. ncem. co. uk