A NEW season springs into action at Southampton's Turner Sims Concert Hall next week, with a refreshing selection of classical, world and jazz music.

Concert hall manager Kevin Appleby has concentrated on new acts at the venue, and has organised a programme offering fresh insights into familiar music.

The season begins on February 3 with the London Mozart Players performing works by Mozart and Strauss.

This is a first for conductor and new music director Andrew Parrott and oboe player Douglas Boyd, who will play the Oboe Concerto in D, AV144 by Strauss.

February 4 offers the chance to see the South Bank Gamelan Play-ers beat out a varied programme of percussive music from Java ranging from chamber music to exuberant traditional folk music from the mountainous Banyumas region.

The popular Allegri String Quart-et play on February 8 and 10, ending their second concert with two of Beethoven's greatest quartets.

Some of Britain's best jazz musicians line up on February 15, with Tim Richards' Great Spirit producing a thrilling combination of contemporary jazz with blues, funk and African influences. Among the nine-piece band are sax star Peter King and trumpeter Dick Pearce.

Classical concerts later in the season include French ensemble, Les Arts Florissants, the Auer Quartet from Hungary and Southampton-born soprano Sally Matthews, accompanied by pianist John Cameron.

Other jazz bands include the Dave Holland Octet and the New York Jazz Composers' Collective and the unique Vocal Sampling from Cuba - six men who love to rumba, samba and sing with their cupped hands and their bodies by way of support - will perform.

Box office number is 023 8059 5151.