'I promise to be respectful to the old world," was the pledge from the newly appointed artistic director of Wexford Festival Opera, David Agler - the first North American to be selected for the post - to a group of well-wishers gathered in Merrion Square, Dublin, this week.
The conductor, who has previously served as music director at Vancouver Opera, principal conductor at Australian Opera and resident conductor at San Francisco Opera, succeeds Luigi Ferrari, who will complete a decade of artistic leadership at Wexford with the 2004 festival, which runs from October 14th to 31st.
Although he wouldn't be drawn on next year's programme, Agler said he was hoping to bring to Wexford young people who have not been "widely heard" as well as to build links with the Irish diaspora working in North America.
The appointment of Agler as the seventh artistic director of Wexford Festival Opera is a "defining moment in the organisation", according to chairman Paul Hennessy. He will be with the organisation during an exciting time, Hennessy added, referring to the €24 million development plans for the Theatre Royal, which will see the theatre increase its capacity from 570 to 750 and the development of a second, 180-seat venue.
Wexford is now "agog and abuzz" with the arrival of 130 artists from 17 different countries in advance of the festival, said chief executive Jerome Hynes at Monday's reception in the headquarters of the Friends of the National Gallery.
With just over three weeks to go before opening night, company manager Oscar Cecchi seemed to be holding it all together very well but said he was really enjoying having a day off.
Producer Rosetta Cucchi also took time away from the first week of rehearsals for the opera Prinzessin Brambilla, to attend the reception. As did Riona Fahey, who earlier this month took up the role of director of the Wexford Festival Opera Foundation and has the task of raising funds for the organisation's development plans.