It's an opportunity of a lifetime for music lovers across the South West: a year of exceptional concerts played up close and personal in the award-winning performance venue in Wells, Cedars Hall. With a seating capacity of just 250 it serves as a magical acoustic space providing an unparalleled level of intimacy that is often absent in larger venues.

 "The Maestro series is really about enabling visitors and young musicians to hear some of the most talented and widely acclaimed international artists right here in rural Somerset," says Bill Lloyd, Wells Cathedral School's Head of Programming and Outreach.

Maestro has something for everyone, with solo recitals, duos, string quartets and song. The programme is classical at its core but with a little world-class jazz and a remarkable fingerstyle pop guitarist: the key element in all of them is excellence.

The timing is perfect: research by both the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC has found that more people are listening to orchestral music as part of their daily lives than before the pandemic, with young people in particular increasingly seeking out classical music online.

But nothing beats the experience of a live performance. The monthly series begins on 9 January with the great British cellist, Steven Isserlis, followed by the legendary pianist, Mitsuko Uchida, on 13 February. "This is such a coup for Cedars Hall," continues Bill. "Mitsuko plays in Vienna, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, London, New York, Tokyo….and now Wells!"

But the concerts are only half the story: each musician performing as part of the Maestro series will also give masterclasses and workshops for the most talented musicians on the specialist music scheme at Wells Cathedral School and beyond. "These high-profile artists are very generous with their time when it comes to 'giving back'," says Alex Laing, Wells Cathedral School's Director of Music. "They recognise it's an opportunity to nurture the next generation, and to acknowledge the help that they received themselves on their musical journey."

It's not just a case of access for the privileged few. "Our specialist music school is one of just such schools in the country," he continues. "The criteria is talent, not the ability to pay school fees and as such, a significant proportion of these students are funded either by the Department for Education through the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) or through other forms of funding including scholarships, bursaries or support from trusts and charities. Essentially, we educate high level musicians who would be unable to attend without financial support."

Despite the huge generosity on fees and time from the artists themselves, bringing this talent to Wells is an expensive undertaking. "As a way of helping to bridge the gap, we are launching a series of initiatives," explains Bill. These range from the Maestro Season Ticket - which represents a saving of over 25% on full ticket prices for the season's programme - through to becoming a Maestro Sponsor, which helps Somerset's young musicians to attend concerts free of charge.

Tickets are available now. They start from £25 and are free for 18s and under. To find out more about more about the Maestro series, tickets and the membership scheme, visit https://wells.cathedral.school/maestro