Opera Azuriales
Encyclopedia
The Opéra Les Azuriales founded in 1997 by Sarah Holford, the Festival's President, and others from the local community. It takes place each year in August on Cap Ferrat
, a part of the Côte d'Azur in France.
The Festival features about four small-scale productions of opera
s, mainly to piano accompaniment, plus recitals and soloists' concerts. It attracts international audiences of up to 200 people, especially those from Britain.
Sarah Holford was introduced to a small opera company in England, Diva Opera, which had been presenting chamber opera in country houses and similar venues for many years. Founded in 1996, Diva Opera now performs in many parts of Europe, and the company was eager to become part of the Festival. Bryan Evans, the company's Music Director, took on that role with the Festival. 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.
The covered patio of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
provides an intimate space for a fully staged operas performed in the round. The Festival describes the experience as "like a modern equivalent of an 18th century soirée, which is how the Villa was originally intended to be used by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild
".
Cap Ferrat
Cap Ferrat is situated in Alpes-Maritimes département, in southeastern France. It is located in the commune of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.Saint Hospitius lived here as a recluse during the sixth century...
, a part of the Côte d'Azur in France.
The Festival features about four small-scale productions of opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s, mainly to piano accompaniment, plus recitals and soloists' concerts. It attracts international audiences of up to 200 people, especially those from Britain.
Sarah Holford was introduced to a small opera company in England, Diva Opera, which had been presenting chamber opera in country houses and similar venues for many years. Founded in 1996, Diva Opera now performs in many parts of Europe, and the company was eager to become part of the Festival. Bryan Evans, the company's Music Director, took on that role with the Festival. 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.
The covered patio of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is a French seaside palazzo constructed between 1905 and 1912 at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera by Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild in the Goût Rothschild. It was designed by the Belgian architect Aaron Messiah...
provides an intimate space for a fully staged operas performed in the round. The Festival describes the experience as "like a modern equivalent of an 18th century soirée, which is how the Villa was originally intended to be used by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild
Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild
Charlotte Béatrice de Rothschild was a French socialite, art collector, and a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France.- Biography :...
".