The Ninth Ripon International Festival runs from next Friday to September 17 and opens with an evening concert by the Razumovsky Ensemble in Holy Trinity Church, Ripon.

Violinist Winfried Rademacher and cellist Oleg Kogan are the soloists for the 8pm programme of Schubert's String Quintet and Mozart's Dissonance Quartet on September 8.

Festival jazz is provided by the Renato D'Aiello Quartet, led by Italian saxophonist, Renato D'Aiello, with backing New York drummer Keith Copeland (who has played with Stan Getz and John Dankworth), Nicola Muresu on bass and Italian pianist Andrea Pozza, on September 14 at Helperby Millennium Hall.

Among further highlights, Royal Shakespeare Company actor Bruce Purchase takes the role of Dr Samuel Johnson in the enigmatic drama Johnson Is Leaving, adapted from John Wain's biography of the dictionary wiz, on September 9 at Kirkby Malzeard Mechanics Institute.

The Orchestra of Opera North returns to Ripon Cathedral on September 10 for a Great Romantics programme of Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet, Grieg's Peer Gynt, Borodin's Polovtsian Dances and Sibelius's Symphony No 1, conducted by Janusz Piotrowicz. He also takes the baton for the festival's classical finale, an evening of Mozart and Beethoven performed by Northern Sinfonia and Leeds Philharmonic Chorus at Ripon Cathedral on September 16.

Classical BRIT Award winner Alison Balsom, trumpet, and Thomas Leech, organ, play works by Bach, Handel and Damase at Ripon Cathedral on September 12; young musicians Sally Pryce and Adam Walker give a recital of Bach, Debussy, Saint-Saens and Rossini on harp and flute by candlelight on September 13 at St Nicholas Church, West Tanfield; flamenco guitarist Juan Martin presents his group Quinteto Fabuloso on September 15 at 8pm at Ripon College.

Adding to the variety of the festival, the International Purves Puppets present Aladdin And His Wonderful Lamp in an ultraviolet show wherein large-scale puppets glow in the dark at Ripon Leisure Centre on September 9 at 2.30pm, while F W Murnau's classic silent German film from 1927, Sunrise, will be screened at Bishop Monkton Village Hall on September 11.

In the closing event on September 17 at Bishop Monkton Village Hall, television and radio personality Nicholas Parsons presents How Pleasant To Know Mr Lear, his tribute to the nonsensical genius Edward Lear.

All events start at 7.30pm unless otherwise stated. Box office: Alan Matthews Watercolours, Kirkgate, Ripon, phone 01765 603994. More information: phone 01765 605508 or visit www.riponinternationalfestival.com