Celebrating half a century of showcasing the finest international musicians, Harrogate International Festivals has tickets selling now for its 2016 Sunday Series.

To mark the festival’s 50th anniversary in 2016, the series headlines with one of the major pianists of our time, John Lill.

Opening the series on January 24 is the internationally renowned pianist Cédric Tiberghien, who won the Premier Prix in 1992, aged just 17. An artist in global demand, his programme features Chopin’s poetic 24 Preludes.

On February 7 the festival welcomes the Navarra String Quartet. With an international reputation as one of the most dynamic and poetic string quartets, their emotive programme features Ravel, Beethoven and Haydn.

Marc Dunleavy, Music Festivals Manager, said: "We’re excited to be welcoming such incredible talent to Yorkshire. It’s a unique opportunity to hear in an intimate setting great musicians who play in iconic international venues. We’re incredibly proud to be celebrating half a century of showcasing such global talent here in Harrogate. 2016’s line-up shows that Harrogate is a destination that’s become a landmark festival in the classical calendar."

All concerts take place at the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate at 11am on Sunday mornings.

The series also features clarinet virtuoso Michael Collins, a former BBC Young Musician of the Year who played in the 2010 series. A regarded conductor, Collins will play Brahms and Debussy on March 6.

On March 20, there’s a pairing of two of the most promising musicians of their generation, Hyeyoon Park and Benjamin Grosvenor. The South Korean violinist is one of the most promising talents of her generation, and began her multi-award winning career aged just six. English pianist Grosvenor has scaled fame, after being dubbed 'one in a million – several million.' He became the youngest British musician signed to the Decca Classics label. The pair will play Beethoven, Ravel and Brahms.

Headline act, John Lill closes the series on April 3. Lill first performed with the Festival in 1970 alongside a young Julian Lloyd-Webber. One of the major pianists of our time, his 55 year career has led to acclaim as a leading interpreter of Beethoven. His all-Beethoven programme will feature some of the composer’s greatest and most popular piano sonatas.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary, the festival also presents a one-off evening performance by the by the Simón Bolívar String Quartet on March 12 at the Royal Hall.