VIRTUOSO musicians Ralph Kirshbaum and Peter Frankl are appearing together at Malvern for the first time in 20 years.

The pair will be renewing an old friendship with Malvern Concert Club at the concert at Malvern Theatres on Thursday, October 24.

The concert is the second in the club's centenary season and will see cellist Kirshbaum and pianist Frankl perform sonatas by Beethoven, Shostakovich and Britten. The pair first visited Malvern in a trio with Gyorgy Pauk in 1979.

Texas-born Kirshbaum has appeared with many of the world's great orchestras and conductors, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Zubin Mehta, the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Andre Previn and the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Davis. In 1988, he founded and became artistic director of Royal Northern College of Music Manchester International Cello Festival. Although resident in London, he remains a US citizen.

Hungarian-born Peter Frankl has appeared on all five continents and has lived in London since the early 1960s. He has made more than 20 appearances at the BBC Proms and and given numerous international recitals. A regular visitor to his native Hungary, Frankl was awarded the country's Order of Merit. He is also visiting professor of piano at Yale University School of Music.

Malvern Concert Club secretary Ernie Kay said: "This concert by two of the greatest living performers should be a must for music lovers from a wide area."

The concert begins at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12, available on 01684 892277.