The full programme is still under wraps until Wed 18 Mar but new director Fergus Linehan has revealed the Concerts and Recitals strand of Edinburgh International Festival's 2015 programme. ‘Launching the classical music concerts ahead of the full programme,’ he says, ‘allows us to shine a light on the scale of work and quality of artistry these musicians will bring to Edinburgh this year.’

Appearing at EIF 2015 are several established festival favourites, including Iván Fischer, William Christie, Valery Gergiev, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Andrew Davis and Donald Runnicles.

But several major international soloists will also make their EIF debut this year, including Lang Lang, Yuja Wang, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Rudolf Buchbinder and Colin Currie.

The Usher Hall hosts performances of Mozart's Requiem with Budapest Festival Orchestra and Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring with London Symphony Orchestra. Other orchestras performing at the festival include BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and ensembles Le Concert Spirituel and St. Lawrence String Quartet.

This year, Edinburgh Festival Chorus celebrates its 50th anniversary, having performed each year with internationally renowned orchestras and conductors since 1965. Beethoven’s Missa solemnis and Berlioz’s Grande messe des morts are among the acclaimed chorus' performances for their 50th appearance.

The classical music programme is a particular delight for fans of Beethoven, who can hear Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder perform all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas over nine concerts, a staggering ten hours of music.

The full Edinburgh International programme is announced on Wed 18 Mar. Friends and Patrons can book tickets from Thu 19 Mar; public tickets go on sale on Sat 28 Mar.

Edinburgh International Festival, Fri 7–Mon 31 Aug.

Edinburgh International Festival 2015 | Concerts and Recitals