The Tetbury Music Festival is a chamber music festival that takes place over the first weekend in October every year.  The primary venue is St Mary's Church, a Georgian gothic masterpiece in the heart of Tetbury with an exceptionally fine acoustic, and concerts are also put on at the The Tetbury Goods Shed Arts Centre, and more recently at Westonbirt House.

 

Founded in 2003 by the late Graham Kean, then Director of Music at St Marys’ Church, Tetbury and Elise Smith OBE, a life-long supporter and Patron of the Arts, the festival is now in its third decade.  It brings to Tetbury the finest musicians at work today.  Steven Isserlis was the founding Artistic Adviser 2003-2013, followed by Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen 2013-2025, succeeded by Sir Nicholas Kenyon as Artistic Adviser. His Majesty King Charles III is the Festival's patron. 

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The Festival is planned and run by volunteers:  Chairman Christopher Rose and Festival Director Caz Weller Knight lead a Board of music lovers with a wide range of skills who are committed to supporting the arts in this region. Artistic Adviser Sir Nicholas Kenyon guides both the musical programming and the lecture series.  Necessary administative support is provided on a free-lance basis, and the festival relies on a team of volunteers during festival week.​

 

From the very beginning, the festival has welcomed the finest classical musicians to the heart of the Cotswolds.  Previous performers include Pavel Kolesnikov, Imogen Cooper, Julian Bliss, Felicity Lott, Thomas Allen, Ben Grosvenor,  Angela Hewitt, Radu Lupu, Mark Padmore, Tenebrae, The Sixteen, Sarah Connolly, Rachel Podger, Voces8 and many more.