AGENDA
:— Festival director announced
Brian McMaster, Managing Director of Welsh National Opera and Director Elect oi the Edinburgh International Festival, was recently asked by a colleague in Cardill exactly when he had decided to take his new job. ‘In 1962,’ he replied. While not strictly true — he applied tor the post alter being invited to do so by the Festival Society earlier this year— it does reter to the lirst time that McMaster caught the Edinburgh bug while visiting the Festival as a teenager.
In the intervening years he has received great acclaim in the opera world, notably as Managing Director at the WNO - a position he has held since 1976— and while doubling up as Artistic Director at Vancouver Opera between 1983—89. The current Director, Frank Dunlop, who decided not to renew his contract after backstage wrangles (List 138), praises his successor as being more than a musical expert.
‘The remarkable thing about Brian,’ he says, ‘is the bringing in oi the very best at the theatrical into the opera world. Any opera house is always at its best when you’ve got somebody who understands both sides, because opera is . . . the highest term at theatre.’
Unlike his predecessors, McMaster plans to live in the Scottish capital as a means oi strengthening the local input into the Festival. ‘l’m not Scots,’ he admits, ‘iust as I’m not Welsh and I’m
Forthcoming tace ot the Festival, Brian McMaster
not Canadian. In those situations I was accused at being more nationalistic than the nationals, because you do get a perception oi the country you work in. I think it is a very important tunction ol the Edinburgh Festival to project Scotland internationally and bring the international scene to Scotland.’
With this year’s Festival programme, Dunlop could be accused ottrying to beat his successor at his own game. Opera productions are particularly strong, with visits Irom both Moscow’s Bolshoi and Leningrad’s Kirov companies. The Iatterwill perform two Mussorgsky operas as well as a series at concerts oi the composer's work in what constitutes a lestival within the Festival. Other highlights include bicentennial celebrations oi classical birthday boys Mozart and Rossini, and the return at the Empire Theatre as a dance and theatre venue after years in the cultural desert at bingoland. (Alan Morrison)
V CLIPPINGS
I IV FRANCHISE: No contender has emerged against Scottish Television in the battle tor lTV Channel 3 lranchises,
medicine, the CSV‘s environmental unit has published the ‘Evergreen
, Action Guide', a practical booklet tor
allowing the Central Scotland station to
continue strengthening its position on a
local and network level. In our next issue, The List talks to Scottish’s Alistair Moliat on programme plans tor the next ten years.
I PAVILION THEATRE: Glasgow’s 1500
capacity Pavilion Theatre, under threat since the collapse at its parent company Pavilion Leisure earlier this
asking price oi £700,000. The listed building has a commendable track record as a prolitable theatre, but the 50 stall are iustiliably anxious over redundancies. Bookings have already been made up to Feb 1992.
I ENVIRONMENT GUIDE: Forthose who want to team about anything from energy conservation to alternative
dealing with everyday environmental problems through simple individual involvement. Free copies are available from Green Action, 236 Clyde Street, Glasgow, G1 AHJ (041 248 6864).
l ARTS DIRECTORY: A directory at inlormation and contacts to assist people interested in setting up their own arts projects - particularly special needs groups - is due to appear in Strathclyde in December. Anyone interested in being included or involved with ‘Arts Special Into’ should contact Josephine Gammell at 63 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 80F (041
3 339 8855 ext. 4925).
I RADIO FRANCHISE: UKEM, whose
lead shareholder is Radio Clyde
i Holdings, has emerged as one at only
three contenders tor Britain's lirst
1 national commercial radio station (The
List 144). It successlul, the new
5 ‘non-pop music' station would begin year, has appeared on the market atthe ;
broadcasting trom Clyde’s studios at
Clydebank in less than two years time. . The Iranchise, awarded to the highest
bidder, will be decided in July. UKFM's
competitors are Classic FM, backed by
I
l
the Daily Telegraph, Carlton Communications and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Uselul Group, and First National Radio, a consortium headed by Sir Peter Parker.
0 m MUSIC PRESENTS
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1:155 List— 31 May—'13 June 1991 5