This season is going to be eventful; beside Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte and Benjamin Britten’s Death in Venice, the rarely-staged Richard Strauss’Intermezzo will be performed. The season goes on with Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the sublime music by Mendelssohn, which provides the chance to enjoy two different masterpieces simultaneously, which is quite remarkable. The prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company will perform the opera, making it quite magic a moment for all those who love Shakespeare. Artistic Director Douglas Boyd will conduct the Orchestra and the choirs partaking the festival.

Cosi Fan Tutte, one of the beloved operas here at the Garsington, will rely on a cast of young singers and Andrea Soare and Kathrin Rudge will debut as sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella.Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice, has influenced other masterpieces, namely Visconti’s movie and Benjamin Bratt’s Opera and the festival planner have done their best to make this opera the main event of the season. It will be directed by Steuart Bedford, one of the very best of his field, with a scenic setting designed by Paul Curran and performed by important voices such as tenor Paul Nilon and baritone William Dezalay, as well as by young singer deployed in secondary roles.

The other big event is Intermezzo. This opera by Richard Strauss, who also wrote the libretto, is based on Strauss’s marriage and is very rarely staged; in fact, Grafenegg will be the only arena representing it this year, as usual performed by a first class cast including Kate Valentine and Mark Stone.