That was the true story of last year's RT�? Living Music Festival.

A testament to the esteem of its featured composer, Steve Reich, no doubt it was, but the story pays an even greater tribute to the efforts of the people who made it all happen. And in less than two weeks' time, they'll be making it happen all over again, this time in the name of John Adams.

Another of America's most popular and influential composers, Adams established his name in 1982 when he began a three-year tenure with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, which had first premiered a work by him the previous year, as its composer in residence. Collaborative efforts with stage director Peter Sellars have aided his rise to inimitable international prominence in the arena of opera, with The Death of Klinghoffer and Nixon in China two of the most performed opera productions in recent times.

Adams had two particularly successful years in 2003 and 2005, when he picked up three Grammy awards, a Pulitzer and had a Lincoln Centre festival devoted to him entitled, John Adams: An American Master.

As you read this, Adams will be preparing to conduct a concert of his own music in Luxembourg tonight. It is the last in a five-day European tour with the London Symphony Orchestra. An Adams composition is performed at least once a week somewhere in the world. He and his music are, most certainly, living.

Of his extensive catalogue of works, the RT�? Living Music Festival will showcase 10 from the period 1979-1996, supplementing with a great variety of other choices, including premieres by Ed Neumeister, Kevin Volans and Greg Felton.

The opening concert will be given at the National Concert Hall on Friday 16 February by the RT�? National Symphony Orchestra with conductor Pierre-André Valade and pianist Rolf Hind. Hind was personally invited by Adams to perform on the recent 'Road Movies' recording and is regarded as the composer's finest interpreter in the UK.

The first of the four festival concerts on Saturday (17) will be compliments of the RT�? Vanbrugh Quartet at the National Gallery (2pm), who will perform Bartok alongside Adams's John's Book of Alleged Dances. The Vicar Street venue hosts all of the remains of the day - a 6pm show by the exhilarating Crash Ensemble (not to be missed), an 8pm show by the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra with featured composer Tim McNeely and, at 10.30pm, Tim Berne's Big Satan.

All of Sunday's shenanigans take place under the roof of the National Concert Hall. The 12.30pm concert features trumpet/piano/drums ensemble White Rocket, who will perform a selection of their own compositions.

Rolf Hind will reappear with Simon Nabatov for piano duos at 2pm, followed by a piano quartet (5pm), who will perform Adams' 'Road Movies' and Gerald Barry's piano quartet, and with composer/ trombonist Ed Neumeister, the aforementioned premiere.

The last gig of the weekend (8pm) is the London Sinfonietta with UK duo Sound Intermedia, an enigmatic multilmedia, electronic outfit who have been collaborating with all the top London orchestras in the last few years.

They'll have great fun with Adams' 'Scratchband', written for "amplified ensemble".