garden venture

The Royal Opera House Garden Venture was founded by director and writer Wilfred Judd to give composers and writers new to music theatre two unique opportunities – to form links with performing artists and to produce exciting new commissioned work.

Between 1988 and 1994, under his artistic directorship, it became a major force in the practical development of UK music theatre and new opera, commissioning and producing new works, and initiating community projects, cross-media experiments, international liaisons, and a series of inspirational educational events.

The Garden Venture – An Experience In Music Theatre

The Garden Venture has proved its worth to the Royal Opera House and to the composing community with spectacular success.

Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Composer (Oct 1992)

Something I’ve always been striving for has been released. I am now writing straight theatre pieces with a sense of danger I never had before my involvement with The Garden Venture.

Edward Kemp, Writer (Interview in the Times, Oct 1991)

Trugopera is a company made up of writers, composers and performers, all of whom met at the Garden Venture. We were so stimulated by the work produced that we subsequently stayed together to further the development of small-scale music theatre.

Martin Lindsay, Singer, on behalf of Trugopera (Letter to the ROH, Feb 1994)

(The Garden Venture is) a company whose philosophy, integrity and high presentation values are much respected by composers, writers and the performing community.

John Woolrich, Composer ( Letter to the Garden Venture Oct 1991)

The Garden Venture – An Experience In Education

Because of its standing it has managed to attract some of the finest teaching available – how else could you enrol teachers of the calibre of Nigel Osbourne, Michael Finnissy and Dominic Muldowney?

Corin Buckeridge, Composer (Letter to Opera Magazine, Feb 1994)

In Germany you have master classes, but in the Garden Venture, this is the only place I’ve seen this coming together of composers, writers, singers – and it works. For me it was very, very important to be here.

Markus Eberhardt, Singer (Interview at the Garden Venture International Summer School, 1991 )

The structure of the course seemed to me to be pretty flawless, and, amazingly, catered for all the individual identities within the group. For myself it was a real confirmation that it should be possible to turn music into theatre, one which combines disciplines and passions.

David Sawyer, Composer (Letter to ROH, Jan 1990)