Dramatic entrance

Before you know it, Oxfordshire's annual profusion of outdoor theatre and opera productions will begin. But one of the principal characters involved will be missing this year: Leonard Ingrams, very much the hands-on creator and mastermind of Garsington Opera, died suddenly last July, just after the 2005 season had been completed.

But it was quickly announced that the show would go on, and in October Anthony Whitworth-Jones was appointed general director.

He appears to be the ideal candidate for the job: he worked at Glyndebourne for 17 years, including nine years as general director. Leonard Ingrams was first inspired to mount an opera festival in the gardens of his home at Garsington Manor by Glyndebourne Opera, founded by John Christie at his Sussex home in 1934.

Yet, Anthony Whitworth-Jones told me, his reaction on being offered the Garsington job was one of "total surprise".

"I knew, of course, that Leonard had died, but never thought for a moment that I would be approached. I had left the world of opera. I was actually sitting at my desk at the Casa da Musica in Porto, Portugal, when I received a call from Bill Birch Reynardson, who became chairman of Garsington Opera after Leonard's death.

"It took me a while to think it over. Although opera was included, I was very much enjoying the experience of dealing with music of all kinds in Portugal. I was responsible for programming classical music stretching over 500 years, jazz, world music, all kinds of things.

"But that job was, in any case, coming to an end. I was artistic director there, and I was appointed to open this extraordinary new centre in Porto. That duly happened last April, so the call about Garsington came at exactly the right time."

Leonard Ingrams told me in an interview for The Oxford Times just over a year ago: "I retain an absolute veto over casting."

He delivered this statement with his familiar, charming smile, but it was a smile that left me in no doubt that the veto had been exercised on occasion. Naming a very celebrated diva, he added with a chuckle: "If we don't know the people, we ask for auditions but, of course, some people are too grand to audition."

I wondered if Anthony Whitworth-Jones also enjoyed the process of selecting singers, conductors, and directors.

"Very much so. Right from the start of my time at Glyndebourne, it's always been the side of the operation that has driven me forward. Without it, this would be a job like any other."

But, I suggest, the operatic world is pretty cut-throat, with lots of potential candidates for every role on offer.

"Yes," Anthony replies diplomatically, "You always have to make choices. You can be auditioning seven people for one part. Only one is going to get it. I always feel that those other six shouldn't feel rejected. It seems to me it's quite the opposite. They might all be wonderful, but you do have to make a positive decision in favour of one.

"I've been involved in auditioning right from my earliest Glyndebourne days, and it is difficult sometimes. People do get upset. I remember talking to chorus members at Glyndebourne, who were auditioning for principal roles, and having to encourage them, having to make them feel that they were fine, and the fact that they didn't get a particular role didn't mean that they weren't any good."

Anthony's tenure at Glyndebourne saw a considerable rise in the profile of Glyndebourne Touring Opera, which has regularly visited Oxford's New Theatre, and he was responsible for founding Glyndebourne Education. These activities, plus the introduction of cheap seats and standing room in the new Glyndebourne opera house, were all aimed at spreading the company's work to opera lovers unable to afford the usual steep prices. Garsington Opera productions, too, are seen mainly by a privileged few. Is there any way that can be changed?

"I don't yet know," Anthony replies. "Of course, all this very serious work is done for a small number of at least reasonably wealthy individuals. There is nothing wrong with that at all. This is a private set-up, and it's a miracle that it survives.

"The only way it does survive is by a combination of rigorous controls on expenditure, and equally rigorous, aggressive, income generation.

"Without public subsidy, it's very hard to operate social programmes, which I'm all in favour of. But I don't think it's impossible and, of course, we do have an education programme already. It's of good quality, but modest in scale. It should be quite possible to expand that programme children already come to dress rehearsals, and are able to enjoy the experience."

This year's Garsington season Der Stein der Weisen (The Philosopher's Stone) by Mozart and friends, Rimsky-Korsakov's Mayskaya Noch, and Donizetti's Don Pasquale was planned by Leonard Ingrams. Does Anthony plan to change the repertoire in future years?

"I'm certainly planning to introduce new things, including some new composers. I don't mean contemporary composers, but composers who haven't yet been performed at Garsington. But it's essential to respect Leonard Ingrams's vision, which was, as I see it, to present rarely performed pieces.

"However, we are not the Wexford Festival. Their whole raison d'tre is to do very rare pieces, some of which, let's face it, are not very good. But, all power to them, their whole philosophy has been to do these rare pieces. What I want to do here is to find a whole strand of repertory that is pre-Mozartian. All this will be very much in Leonard's spirit."

Beyond that, Anthony will not be drawn but expect a rare Rossini opera in 2007.

Anthony is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. So is his automatic reaction to say "no" when a set designer, for example, asks for an increase in budget?

"No, it isn't actually. I think that can be quite psychologically damaging. There may be overriding reasons why something extra is needed. It's a question of exercising judgement, and I certainly need convincing. Money is always tight at Garsington, so the answer is likely to be 'no', but it will not be an instant or automatic 'no'. You're not taking the art seriously if you're only taking a financially prudent attitude."

Garsington Opera stages concerts by the Endellion String Quartet on Sunday, and by the Barbican Piano Trio on Saturday, May 13. The 2006 opera season runs from June 10 until July 11. Planning permission has been granted for an additional performance this year, which means that a few tickets are still available. For details and tickets for all events call 01865 361636.