Background

Introduction

The Festival specialises in producing opera suited to small intimate venues. Because the last row of the audience is closer than the conductor in an opera house, everyone is involved in the immediacy and emotion of the performance. Most performances are accompanied by piano, which has initially surprised many people who have subsequently been so drawn into the action that they believe that there is an orchestra. We do, however, sometimes use a small orchestra for some operas.

Management

The Festival is administered almost entirely by volunteers (as opposed to the musical organisation, which is entirely professional). Sarah Holford, the Festival's President, organises most of the Festival, assisted by Clotilde Hocquard, who provides part-time administration. Mark Holford is the Director of Development , whose principal role is fund raising for the festival.

Apart from these three the rest of the festival's organisation is carried out by a team of people, all of whom give up some or all of their summer holidays to assist, as well as giving ongoing advice and support throughout the year. They include a number of teenagers, whose key role is to provide "front of house" services on the night. If you are interested in a job with the Festival, click here

Comité d'Honneur

The Chairman of the Comité d'Honneur is Bill Birch Reynardson CBE, a director of Garsington Opera. The other members of the Comité are Dame Antoinette Sibley DBE, Prima Ballerina and opera lover (see interview and Royal Academy of Dancing, Chris Hampson CBE, former Chairman of RMC Group plc and British Biotech plc, Lord Laidlaw of Rothiemay, founder of Institute for International Research Ltd and Geraldine Whittaker CBE, former banker.

The role of the Comité is to support the Festival in its artistic aims and provide guidance on its funding.

The Inspiration and Origins of the Festival

From an opera loving family, Sarah Holford, along with , Dominique Lelandais, Marie-Laure Vigoureux and Jacqueline Jones, founded the Festival in 1997. One of the original inspirations was visiting Glyndebourne and Garsington Opera in the usual English summer weather; patrons struggling with their traditional picnics in the pouring rain. There had to be an alternative. Sarah had been a regular visitor to Cap Ferrat for many years...

The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild was the ideal location on Cap Ferrat.

Sarah was introduced by a friend (also to become one of the Founders) to a small opera company, which had been recently formed in the UK by Anne Marabini Young and Anne Gerbic. Her husband, Bryan Evans, had joined her and they founded Diva Opera (see panel on right). They had all been part of a similar company doing chamber opera in country houses and similar venues for many years. Diva Opera was eager to become part of the Festival and Bryan agreed to become its Music Director.

Many other friends were eager to assist and were willing to go to the South of France and give up their summer holidays to help start this project. Another major contributor was Dominique Lelandais, a resident of St Jean and now Vice-President of the Festival, whose drive and local knowledge were key factors in bringing the Festival to life.