NICOLA LISLE talks to Oxford's most popular pianist, Jack Gibbons, as he heads to the Holywell for his 21st summer season

Twenty years ago, a young Jack Gibbons played two Chopin concerts at the Holywell Music Room, which were so successful that he decided to repeat the event the following year. Now stretched to six weeks, Jack's concert series has become a popular annual fixture.

This year's season will be his 21st, and when I caught up with him recently, he was clearly looking forward to returning to the city that he once called home.

"I always love performing at the Holywell Music Room because, for me, it's as close to an informal evening of music with friends you can get in a concert hall situation. And they give me an extended opportunity to enthuse and share my love of a wide variety of music with everyone."

Jack is well known for his relaxed, informal approach to concerts, in which the music is interspersed with fascinating information about the composers. This year, he is taking this idea a step further by launching a series of 'concert biographies', which he hopes will extend the audience's enjoyment of the music.

"For a long time I've wanted to do a more in-depth biographical-type concert for my favourite composers. In the past I have done it for Chopin and Gershwin, where in between the music I read extracts from the composers' own letters and tell various anecdotes about their lives, and I thought it would be fun if I tried the same format with more composers.

"I feel very strongly that the more people learn about composers the more they get out of listening to their music. Discovering that people like Chopin and Mozart were just people like you and me, despite their amazing talents, seems to make their endeavours and achievements all the more remarkable."

Composers getting the biography treatment this year include Bach, Mozart, Liszt, Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin and Gershwin - all composers who feature regularly in Jack's programmes. So what will be his personal highlights?

"The Bach concert biography on August 13 I'm very much looking forward to because most people have no idea what a wonderful human being (as well as a composer) Johann Sebastian Bach was, so, hopefully, the concert will be enlightening. Plus I will have a lot of fun explaining to the audience what a fugue is. It's something people frequently ask me to explain, but rarely do I get the opportunity to demonstrate it.

"But, to be honest, I am looking forward to each of the concerts equally. I just love having the opportunity to share my love of music with the audience."

Audiences can expect a diverse selection of music, which Jack hopes will appeal to as broad a range of people as possible.

"There is always a mixture of people at the summer concerts, some of whom may be intimately familiar with classical music while others may only be familiar with a few famous highlights. So I try very hard to appeal to all tastes by slipping in less well-known pieces between the more familiar works.

"My aim always is to both entertain and to educate. Education should be fun, and the more people learn the more they are able to appreciate and enjoy."

Fun will be very much top of the agenda on July 22, too, when Jack will be heading to Broughton Castle, near Banbury, for an all-Gershwin programme to be performed in aid of the RSPB, a charity he supports.

"I'm so thrilled to be part of an RSPB event and to perform in such a magical setting as Broughton Castle. I hope people will come along and enjoy the amazing setting and hopefully wonderful summer ambience of the occasion."

As for the future, Jack has a special concert at the Carnegie Hall, New York, in September to mark Gershwin's 100th anniversary, and is also busy with his other great love - composing.

"I have a long, overdue plan to record and release a CD of my own music," he said. "I have been promising it for a long time, but hopefully this will the year that it finally happens."

The season at a glance Sunday, July 13: The Life of Beethoven Sunday, July 20: The Life of Gershwin Sunday, July 27: The Life of Mozart Wednesday, July 30: The Life of Chopin Sunday, August 10: The Life of Liszt Wednesday, August 13: The Life of J.S. Bach Sunday, August 17: A Chopin Soiree Wednesday, August 20: A Gershwin Party Sunday, August 24: The Lives of Debussy and Ravel: The Impressionists Wednesday, August 27: Farewell Piano Party All concerts start at 8pm at the Holywell Music Room. For tickets, visit the website jackgibbons.com/oxfordconcerts, or call Tickets Oxford on 01865 305305. Season tickets available.

Tuesday, July 22: Gershwin concert at Broughton Castle, near Banbury. 7pm. Bring a picnic and chair or blanket. Tickets include strawberries and a glass of Pimms, and are available in advance only. Send cheque (payable to The RSPB) and SAE to The RSPB, 46 The Green, South Bar, Banbury, OX16 9AB.