Three composers, each with a different anniversary to celebrate, were the focus of this year's Oxford Chamber Music Festival. By Friday evening, Shostakovich appeared to have been given the boot, leaving us with Schumann and a double dose of Mozart. I don't have a problem with that, especially when delivered with such verve and technical proficiency as they were here. Admittedly, I could have done without Philip Pullman's barely audible commentary, which served only to further extend an evening that started 20 minutes late thanks to the High Street road works.

The festival's artistic director, Priya Mitchell, opened the proceedings with Mozart's Violin Sonata in E Minor, treating us to a well-controlled, fluid and intelligently phrased account of this exquisite piece, with some fine support from pianist Polina Leschenko. Mitchell has deservedly built up a reputation for her virtuosity and flawless technique, but on Friday I was actually more impressed with another violinist, Katherine Gowers, who took the lead in Schumann's Piano Trio in G Minor and gave a robust and passionate performance. There were powerful contributions from pianist Julius Drake and cellist Jonathan Cohen, but it was to Gowers that my attention was constantly drawn, such was her energy and magnetism.

Of the contribution by Thomas Larcher, this year's composer in residence, I think the less said the better. Maybe there was some point, or even some entertainment value, to his joyless and random attack on the piano, but I'm afraid it eluded me.

On, then, to the highlight of the evening - a sparkling and eloquent account of Mozart's sublime Clarinet Quintet, featuring a particularly ravishing contribution from clarinet soloist Philippe Berrod. Oddly, the players seemed to lose momentum during the final movement, and the pace started to flag a little. But it ended in spirited fashion, bringing the penultimate day of the festival to a thrilling conclusion.