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Wed 22 Mar 2006

Brian McMaster today announced his final programme as Director of the Edinburgh International Festival. At the launch in Edinburgh he said "The Edinburgh International Festival is one of the most exciting places in the world to experience the performing arts, enabling us to present world class experiences to the widest possible audience. The Festival constantly evolves, re-imagining itself each year to bring new experiences to audiences and creating new initiatives such as the Lloyds TSB Scotland Concerts."

Highlights of Festival 2006 include Claudio Abbado conducting Mozart's The Magic Flute, Sir Simon Rattle conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Charles Mackerras conducting all of Beethoven’s nine symphonies in the Lloyds TSB Scotland Concerts, Peter Stein directing both Tchaikovsky's opera Mazeppa and Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, large scale ballet with the UK premiere of Balanchine's Don Quixote, and a host of international orchestras and artists.

Brian McMaster added, "I think the 2006 Festival programme has popular appeal. There are excellent opportunities for first timers to choose from a broad range of world class experiences which I hope will get them hooked and returning to the arts again and again. At the same time I know we have events this year which will have seasoned arts goers booking flights from around the world. This year is obviously a very special Festival for me. Many artists I admire expressed a wish to be in my final Festival and many supporters have invested that bit extra this year."