Explore the history of the Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts books.

The Aldeburgh Festival has been a pilgrimage for lovers of classical music and culture since 1948. Every June it brings together new commissions, world-premieres and international stars on the stretch of Suffolk Coast which so bewitched its founders, the composer Benjamin Britten and his partner singer Peter Pears.


1948 – 1959

1948

Designed by John Lewis

Click to see full book

1949

Designed by John Lewis

Click to see full book

1950

Designed by John Lewis

Click to see full book

1951

Designed by John Lewis and Griselda Lewis

Click to see full book

1952

Victoria and Albert Museum, Crown copyright

Click to see full book

1953

Artwork unknown

Click to see full book

1954

Designed by John Lewis and Griselda Lewis

Click to see full book

1955

Designed by Benham and Company, Drawing and wood-engravings by John O’Connor

Click to see full book

1956

Designed by Benham and Company, Drawings by John Nash, R.A.

Click to see full book

1957

Designed by Benham and Company, Artwork Richard Chopping

Click to see full book

1958

Wood-engravings by Reynolds Stone

Click to see full book

1959

Wood-engravings by Reynolds Stone

Click to see full book


1960 – 1969

1960

Designed by John Lewis

Click to see full book

1961

Designed by Benham and Company, Wood-engravings by Meg Stevens

Click to see full book

1962

Artwork by Mary Potter

Click to see full book

1963

Artwork by John Piper

Click to see full book

1964

Artwork by Sidney Nolan

Click to see full book

1965

Artwork by Jeffrey Camp

Click to see full book

1966

Engravings by Charles Brooking

Click to see full book

1967

Photograph by Brian Cook

Click to see full book

1968

The Duet by J. M. Whistler

Click to see full book

1969

Two Foxhounds in a Landscape by George Stubbs

Click to see full book


1970 – 1979

1970

Snape Maltings by John Piper

Click to see full book

1971

Artwork by Ceri Richards

Click to see full book

1972

Queen Victoria (1893) by William Nicholson

Click to see full book

1973

Palazzo Pesaro, Venice by John Piper

Click to see full book

1974

Norwegian Fjord by Keith Grant

Click to see full book

1975

Photograph by John Donat

Click to see full book

1976

Aldeburgh Beach by Mary Potter

Click to see full book

1977

Photograph by Nigel Luckhurst, Benjamin Britten

Click to see full book

1978

Ivy by John Craske

Click to see full book

1979

Suffolk Miscellany 2 by Richard Chopping

Click to see full book


1980 – 1989

1980

Wiston Harvest by John Nash

Click to see full book

1981

Sunshine and Storm by Joseph Southall

Click to see full book

1982

Walberswick Flower Paintings by Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Click to see full book

1983

Floreate Heads by John Piper

Click to see full book

1984

Palm Tree and Bicycle by Shigeki Kuroda

Click to see full book

1985

The Costume Designs for Clytemnestra and Agamemnon by Robert Medley

Click to see full book

1986

P­hotograph by Angus McBean, Peter Pears as Albert Herring in the 1947 Glyndebourne production

Click to see full book

1987

The Mill, Alderbolt by John Craxton

Click to see full book

1988

The Logging Camp by Homer Dodge Martin

Click to see full book

1989

Quezo, off the coast of Spain by John Thomas

Click to see full book


1990 – 1999

1990

Landscape with figure and fire by Sidney Nolan

Click to see full book

1991

Illustration by David Gentleman

Click to see full book

1992

Illustration by Bernard Cheese

Click to see full book

1993

Looking towards Snape Maltings, Slaughden, Aldeburgh, Suffolk by John Piper

Click to see full book

1994

Deckchair by Peggy Somerville

Click to see full book

1995

Blue Washed Sky by Clement McAleer

Click to see full book

1996

Artwork by Francis Davison

Click to see full book

1997

URC/The Ghost I by Anthony Green R.A

Click to see full book

1998

Designed by Creative Company

Click to see full book

1999

Photograph by Jeremy Young

Click to see full book


2000 – 2009

2000

Photograph by Jeremy Young

Click to see full book

2001

Designed by Silk Pearce. Photograph taken at Liverpool Street Station by Peter Silk

Click to see full book

2002

(Background) NPA Satellite Mapping: False colour satellite image of Suffolk. Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2003

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2004

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2005

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2006

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2007

Designed by Silk Pearce. Photograph by Jeremy Young

Click to see full book

2008

Aldeburgh Music webcams, taken on 27-10-05 at 07.59. Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2009

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book


2010 – 2019

2010

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2011

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2012

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2013

Britten in the sea at Aldeburgh, June 1952. © 1952 Royal Opera House / Roger Wood. Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2014

Orford Ness, 1914 by Anya Gallaccio. Courtesy of the artist and Thomas Dane Gallery London, and courtesy of the National Trust. Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2015

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2016

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2017

Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2018

Artwork by Beki Smith. Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book

2019

Artwork by Brian Grimwood. Designed by Silk Pearce

Click to see full book


Interlude

2020–21

The Sea Interludes (detail) by Keith Grant

Click to see full book


2022 – 2024

2022

Designed by Marcus Roth

Click to see full book

2023

Designed by Marcus Roth

Click to see full book

2024

Designed by Marcus Roth