The world renowned Garsington Opera Company will make its first visit to Greece and one of its rare international appearances, this July. The Alvarez Young Singers will perform a special version of Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro” (le Nozze di Figaro) in a lovely al fresco theatre in Gastouri. Corfu Music Days is restoring the theatre built for the 1973 Corfu International Festival for this event.

The Garsington Opera, just after the close of its English summer season, will travel to Corfu with this new briefer version of Mozart’s masterpiece based on the acclaimed production currently playing at its home base, Wormsley Park. For the Gala first performance, 21 July, there will be a dinner break as there is in England, with a picnic served on the grounds of Kopanous Estate, near the theatre. On Saturday, 22 July, the public will be welcomed to a performance of the opera played straight through.

 With the restoration of the Kopanous Theatre, Corfu Music Days expects to become an annual event offering fine opera performances by international companies and featuring Greek classical performers.

The 250-seat theatre, built for a festival of opera, concerts, theatre and dance, was designed by American architect and acoustic expert, Vincent Piacentini to be an all-purpose venue with superb acoustics and fine sight-lines. It is situated in the garden of an ancient Gastouri villa surrounded by oleander, cypress and olive trees with a distant view of the town of Corfu and the sea beyond.

Director Michal Sisk has produced and directed operas in Greece, France and the United States. He created the 1973 Corfu International Festival with Maestro Thomas Schippers and John Corigliano for which he commissioned the Kopanous Theatre.