Aberdeen International Youth Festival

As well as the ticketed events the Festival staged a parade, open-air performances and a fringe programme in community venues.

A dispute between the managers and the local organising committee regarding the participation of South African performers resulted in the event moving to Exeter.

In 2003 the Festival established a full-time office base in Aberdeen and a new Chief Executive, Stephen Stenning was appointed.

Conceived by Artistic Director Gidon Saks, the project brought together young singers from across the world and in three weeks produced a full-scale opera production.

Opera Garden staged Così fan tutte, Eugene Onegin, Don Giovanni, Carmen, The Magic Flute, Falstaff, The Turn of the Screw and Hansel and Gretel.