<P> Over the years the festival grew and took in additional venues in nearby Orford, Blythburgh and Framlingham . However, the lack of a large venue was holding back the further development of the Festival until one of the largest mid-nineteenth - century maltings in East Anglia, at Snape, a village just outside Aldeburgh, became available . Britten, who had lived in Snape in the 1930s, had the vision that the largest of the malthouses could be converted into a Concert Hall . Most of the building's original character, such as the distinctive square malthouse roof - vents, was retained . The new concert hall was opened by the Queen on 2 June 1967, at the start of the twentieth Aldeburgh Festival . </P> <P> Two years later, on the first night of the 1969 Festival, the concert hall was destroyed by fire . Only the shell of the outer walls remained . For that year the Festival was moved to other local venues and only one performance was lost . By the following year the hall had been rebuilt and once again it was opened in the presence of the Queen, this time at the start of the 1970 Festival . The new Concert Hall at Snape Maltings became the main focus for the Aldeburgh Festival, although performances continued to be held at all the former venues . </P> <P> For the first six years of the Aldeburgh Festival, the joint Artistic Directors remained Britten, Pears and Crozier; in 1955, Britten and Pears were in sole charge, then the following year they were joined by Imogen Holst, who remained a member of the Artistic Directorate until her death in 1984 . After Britten's own death in 1976, the artistic direction of the Festival was shared; many world - class musicians joined the artistic team, including at various times Philip Ledger, Colin Graham, Steuart Bedford, Mstislav Rostropovich, Murray Perahia, Simon Rattle, John Shirley - Quirk and Oliver Knussen . In 1999, a sole Artistic Director in the Britten mould--composer, solo performer, accompanist and conductor--was appointed in Thomas Adès, joined in 2004 by composer John Woolrich, first as Guest Artistic Director then as an Associate Artistic Director . Thomas Adès was succeeded as Artistic Director of the Festival by Pierre - Laurent Aimard in 2009 . </P> <P> From the beginning, the Festivals were characterised by an eclectic range of music, from the classics--Bach, Haydn, Mozart--to contemporary work, with young composers in particular being commissioned . By 1982, Britten--Pears archivist Rosamund Strode calculated that the Festival had to that date presented new works by over 75 composers, with world premieres of 15 operas . Concert goers were over the ensuing years to see new works not only by Britten himself, but by composers such as Lennox Berkeley, Richard Rodney Bennett, Elliott Carter, Hans Werner Henze, Alfred Schnittke, Toru Takemitsu, Michael Tippett, Mark - Anthony Turnage and Malcolm Williamson, many of whom came to the Festival as composer - in - residence . Later, young composers continued to be encouraged with the foundation of the biennial Benjamin Britten Composers' Competition . Many new works were presented under the baton of Oliver Knussen, himself a notable contributor to the new works presented at the Festival . </P>

Suffolk resort home to an annual musical festival established in 1948