As more and more festivals develop their education and outreach sides, it's sometimes hard to know when a festival is a festival - and when it's a summer school.

Summer Music on the Shannon, now in its 15th year, offers the best of both worlds. It gives young Irish musicians the opportunity to work closely with top-notch visiting artists - then gives audiences the opportunity to hear the resulting performances.

Joining Carl Davis at this year's SMS festival will be the American pianist John Perry, who specialises in preparing students for international competitions, and three principal players from the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. The young musicians will show off their skills in a series of concerts and recitals from August 6th to 16th, including a programme of Mozart plus wine and poetry at No 2 Percy Square, Limerick (July 24th, 28th and 30th, 8pm); the SMS Chamber Orchestra at University Concert Hall (August 8th, 8pm) and a gala showing of two of Charlie Chaplin's short silent films with live orchestral accompaniment (University Concert Hall, August 15th, 8pm).

Carl Davis's opera Peace, meanwhile, will get three concert performances: at UCH on August 14th, at Kilrush on August 18th and at Friar's Gate, Kilmallock, on August 19th at 8pm. www.summermusiconthe shannon.com