The Cowdray Hall, 2nd, 4th and 5th August 2002.

After the birthing pains and subsequent pleasures of Cosi fan tutte in 2000, and the exhilaration of Eugene Onegin last year, we meet again in this beautiful city to meet the challenge of Mozart head on. This will be our third collaboration with Shell/Esso and Robert Gordon University and we come to the challenge with freshness and increasing energy and enthusiasm. This year we have singers from Turkey, Israel, France, Scotland, Canada, England and Belgium. It's my particular pleasure to find these jewels on my travels, and to be always amazed at the alacrity of their excitement at being invited.

But very little of this would be possible without our supporters here in Aberdeen, especially Elspeth Mogendorff, without who's generosity our task would be a thousand times more difficult and less fun. I hope you enjoy today's performance - it's been conceived out of the passion of everyone one involved, both onstage and off.

Gidon Saks

> click here to download programme (pdf file)