Festival Director, Jonathan Mills

Festival Director Jonathan Mills reveals what he’s been up to during the opening week of the festival and how he can’t wait to get started!

The week leading up the opening weekend is really a tremendously busy time. I’ve been doing the rounds of all the venues as the various shows are being installed, seeing the sets going in and the lighting and so on. It has also been a week of greeting artists from as far afield as Mexico and Boston, and as close as London. People who’ve come a long way, and those not so far.

The press department has filled my schedule with photocalls, filming calls, interviews and a lot of international radio interest and now there is a real sense of momentum building.

So now I am impatient to get underway. Having programmed the artists and the shows many months ago the anticipation is now almost unbearable.

The atmosphere in the office is intense, everyone is very focused and I love it.

Tonight’s Opening Concert of El Nino is a really great cast and the Festival Chorus sound fabulous. One of the real pleasures of my jobs is going along to the first chorus rehearsal during the Festival period and introducing their first conductor of the season to them in this instance James Conlon. It reminds me of the commitment of the individuals who make such a solid and magnificent contribution.

Lets get it underway now!