The first Opera Garden production was staged on 4th and 6th August 2000, at the Forum.

I've always enjoyed the Opera Concert during my time teaching at the Shell Expro Summer School. When the opportunity arose to do a complete opera, I was of course delighted finally to have an opportunity to feature previous participants on the course, especially finalists and winners of the Mary Garden Singing Competition. We have gathered together six singers who excelled during their brief time in Aberdeen; they are from the Philippines, France, England, Ireland and Scotland. We have a brief but intense rehearsal period planned and a fascinating and very unusual new venue to explore. We
will be performing Mozart's Cosi fan tutte in Aberdeen's Forum night-club. This will be a promenade performance with a reduced orchestra, and sung in both Italian and English. To have the opportunity to continue the work of the Shell Expro School in Aberdeen and to bring together musicians who have enjoyed and benefited from their time here with the spirit of Mary Garden is bound to produce fascinating results!

Gidon Saks

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Artistic Director
Gidon Saks

Musical Director
Nir Kabaretti

Assistant Artistic Director
Emily Gottlieb

Vocal Coach / Repetiteur
Carl Pennington-Williams

Fiordiligi
Marya Eliza Deeda Barretto

Dorabella
Frédérique Sizaret

Despina
Imogen Garner

Ferrando
Joe Roche

Gugliemo
John Mackenzie

Don Alfonso
Peter Grant

Stage Manager
Tish Howard

Wardrobe / Props
Elspeth Mogendorff
and Anne Logan