Buxton Festival 2011: July 9-27

Next summer we produce three fully staged operas...

Maria di Rohan - Donizetti 
Saul - Handel   
Mignon - Thomas           

We'll keep you up-to date with developments on this site - or join the mailing list:

Call 01298 70395 or email Lee to join the mailing list.

Cherie Blair welcomes Festival's 3000th Friend!

A landmark for the Friends of Buxton Festival membership was celebrated with a presentation by Cherie Blair following her entertaining talk on July 16...

At the end of her talk Cherie welcomed the 3000th member of the Festival’s key supporters, Gill Robinson of Alderley Edge, on to the stage.

Since its foundation in 1980 the Friends of Buxton Festival has raised over one million pounds to support the Festival's programme of opera, music and literature.

What they said in the press...

Launching a series of eitht operas, Buxton Festival is surely the most ambitious opera festival in the UK
The Independent

The Peak District hills host a friendly cowd of opera, music and literature lovers from all over the country during July's Buxton Festival... a rich and unique cultural experience
Manchester Evening News

Buxton Festival has made county-town opera up north every bit as good as country-house opera down south
The Daily Telegraph

Luisa Miller

...the Northern Chamber Orchestra and a well-drilled chorus show plenty of Italianate red corpuscles, bringing intensity to a score fierce in its dramatic edge and thrilling in its theatrical climaxes.
The Independent * * * *

Stephen Medcalf's new Buxton festival production presents it as angry, engaged music theatre.
The Guardian * * * *

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NEWS

The Peak District hills host a friendly crowd of opera, music and literature lovers from all over the country during July’s Buxton Festival.

A morning literary series, afternoon concerts and rarely-performed opera in the evening offer a rich and unique cultural experience, attracting big names and a faithful audience to an historic and beautiful setting.

Buxton Festival is as good as an arts festival gets
The Independent

Competitively priced tickets offer an ideal opportunity to enjoy a broad range of events and particularly encourages young people to explore the arts without unreasonable expense.

Fine productions at good prices in a lovely setting – why isn't everyone at Buxton?
The Sunday Times

It is one of the only Festivals to specialise in producing rarely performed operas by major composers - each opera is staged uniquely for the Buxton audience and the intimate Opera House. In addition to the Festival's own productions several touring operas feature on the programme each summer.

Buxton is a very nice place to be, and with all this (opera, music and literature) on tap it approaches cultural heaven
Opera magazine

Our artistic policy: to produce high quality and rarely performed operas, complementing the work of other major opera companies and to involve the people of Buxton and the Peak District in the arts.

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Festival Office
3 The Square
Buxton
Derbyshire
SK17 6AZ

t: 01298 70395
f: 01298 72289

Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm

Administrator: Lee Barnes
Contact Lee for all things Friends and general enquiries. Professional singers wishing to audition for 2011 should contact Lee.

Business & development officer: Claire Rhodes
For sponsorship, community events or to advertise in Festival literature contact Claire.

Press and marketing officer: tbc
For media, marketing and website enquiries contact the office.

Literary series manager: Rosie Hughes
Contact Rosie for all enquiries about the literary series.

Accounts manager: Mary Jarvis
For all money-related enquiries contact Mary on Monday or Thursday morning before 2pm.

Chief Executive: Glyn Foley
Contact Glyn for all important queries, including programming.

Artistic Director: Andrew Greenwood

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Festival Friends' Weekend
Manchester
5 – 7 November

A wonderful opportunity to enjoy a late autumn break with other Festival Friends. 

We start the first evening in style with dinner at the elegant landmark Midland Hotel in Manchester followed by a recital of all 21 Chopin’s delightful Nocturnes by the leading Australian pianist, Piers Lane at the Bridgewater Hall. 

The following day we attend the dazzling Opera North production The Adventures of Pinocchio with its stellar cast.  

Further details of this package will be published in the next newsletter.

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Booking for next summer's Festival will open next spring.

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THREE DECADES OF OPERA

1979
Lucia di Lammermoor - Donizetti
The Two Fiddlers - Maxwell Davies
1980
Hamlet - Thomas
Beatrice and Benedict - Berlioz
Cinderella - Maxwell Davies
1981
Il matrimonio segreto - Cimarosa...

Read more here...

A LITERARY SERIES OF DISTINCTION

Kate Adie
Tariq Ali
Beryl Bainbridge
George Baker
Joan Bakewell
Iain Banks
Julian Barnes
Louis de Bernières
General Sir Peter de la Billière

Read more here...

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