French, Spanish, British and American.

“Carmen,” “Showboat,” The Beatles and Glen Ballard.

To celebrate Natchez’s 300th birthday the Natchez Festival of Music will fill the month of May with an assortment of musical offerings that are as diverse as the city’s rich heritage.

“To celebrate the Natchez Tricentennial we wanted to do something that is a reflection of the rich flavor of our part of the country,” Artistic Director Jay Dean said.

Started more than 20 years ago as the Natchez Opera Festival, the month-long celebration used to primarily focus on opera, which had a loyal following but didn’t reach out those who liked other forms of music.

“It’s like going to a restaurant with only one item on menu,” Dean said.

The festival wanted to produce a menu of events that was attractive to all tastes of music.

“There is something that appeals to everyone,” Artistic Director Jay Dean said. “We have something for all races, all ages, all musical backgrounds.”

Headline events will honor the theme, “Four Flags Over Natchez: A Tricentennial Season.” Many productions will focus on the four national flags that have flown over Natchez, Dean said.

The French opera “Carmen,” which takes place in Seville, Spain, gives a nod to both the French and Spanish influences of the area, Dean said. One of the world’s most famous operas, “Carmen” will be presented at the newly named Natchez Performing Arts Center on May 28.

The evening before, The Governor Holmes House and Texada will be the scene of a Spanish street party including tapas, Spanish wines and live Spanish music. The event called Serenata is a collaboration with Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, the Natchez Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and the National Park Service.

The British will once again invade Natchez with a concert on May 20 featuring the music of the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and other British acts of the 1960s that changed the face of music.

On May 21, the American Broadway musical “Showboat” will dock in Natchez for one of the festival’s biggest nights.

“‘Showboat’ changed the way musicals were done,” Dean said. “Before ‘Showboat’ musicals were nothing more than Vaudeville variety shows.”

The original production set in Natchez was the first Broadway play to bring a storyline to the musical in 1927.

“Doing ‘Showboat,’ an American musical set in Natchez, on the Natchez stage will be a win, win, win for the festival and the city,” Dean said.

The month-long celebration of music kick off with a concert from Grammy Award winner and Natchez native Glen Ballard on May 7.

Many other events are on the schedule, including a series of Tuesday concerts at Bowie’s Tavern featuring local bands, Speakeasy, Mojo Mudd and Bushop Gunn.

“We have something for almost every musical taste,” Dean said. “We have a wonderful festival in store for Natchez,”

For more information about this year’s schedule go to natchezfestivalofmusic.com. Tickets are available through Natchez Pilgrimage Tours at the Natchez Visitor Reception Center or at shopnatchezpilgrimage.com.