A NEW Youth Orchestra for the North Cotswolds, Warwickshire and Worcestershire has been formed.

The Chipping Campden International Music Festival, currently involved in running two orchestras, is in the process of launching a third.

The festival's original orchestra, the Chipping Campden Festival Academy Orchestra (CCFAO), was formed in 2008, and it has performed with top soloists including Nicola Benedetti, Paul Lewis,

Imogen Cooper, Alison Balsom, Steven Isserlis and Julian Lloyd Webber.

Last year, the the Festival Youth Academy was formed, and now its the turn of the North Cotswold Youth Orchestra, which will be made up solely of local young players.

A spokesman said: "The new orchestra will, to some extent, act as a feeder orchestra for the Festival Youth Academy, but will also give as many local students as possible the opportunity to perform to a high standard under expert tutelage.

"Rather than asking students to commit to rehearsals every week, the orchestra will meet on six Monday evenings for a two hour rehearsal at Chipping Campden School, and on the Saturday following the last rehearsal they will perform a concert in St James’ church Chipping Campden."

The first course will start on Monday January 30 and the final concert will be on the evening of Saturday March 18."

The spokesman added: "The Festival is delighted to announce that the conductor will be Peter Adams, who will be well known to many musicians and students in the area. Peter is already one of the distinguished professional tutors for the Festival Youth Academy.

"At the age of 21 he became Professor of viola da gamba and baroque

cello at the Royal Academy of Music – the youngest ever professor in the Academy’s history."

Further details on 01386 849018.