THE last time Nigel Kennedy was in concert at Malvern Theatres was for the celebration marking its reopening after a multi-million revamp.

So it's fitting that, as the complex celebrates its fifth birthday in its revitalised form, the virtuoso violinist - who has homes in West Malvern, London and Poland - is back with two concerts on May 8 and 9.

Malvern's musical public has clearly been missing him. When the concerts were announced in the Malvern Gazette last Friday, the box office was inundated with calls.

Kennedy too is clearly looking forward to the concert.

"I've got a home in Krakow in southern Poland and I've made a lot of musical developments there," he said. "I met this great klezmer band called Kroke, who play fantastic spiritual music.

"I've been working with a fantastic jazz band and we've just done a few nights at Ronnie Scott's in London.

"I've also got two orchestras of my own in Poland, so I've been contributing a lot to musical life over there.

"And then I thought, wait a moment, I haven't been contributing anything much to music in Malvern for the last five years, apart from the occasional gig in the pub. I've had a wonderful time here in Malvern."

Over the two evenings, he will be playing Bach's Chaconne from Solo Violin Partita No 2 in D minor, described by Kennedy as "a sublime piece of music", and music by Miles Davis, one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 20th Century.

For the Davis - which will be interpretations of music from his Kind of Blue period - Kennedy will be joined by his Polish jazz friends, led by Jarek Smietana.

Further projects this year include an album with Kroke. Kennedy will also be embarking on a massive project to record a selection of Vivaldi's concertos with the Berlin Philharmonic.

"The Four Seasons was very important to my early career, so it's great to be returning to him," he said.

"Vivaldi wrote about 500 concertos, but if we get to record 100 of them we'll be doing well."

Those who want to attend the concerts in May should hurry, as tickets, at £15, are going fast.