Dear Friends, 

The summer of 2008 will mark the Lyrique-en-mer Festival's eleventh season. The Board of Directors, created in 2005 at the request of festival founder Richard Cowan, will continue its efforts to increase local audience participation, as well as to transport opera lovers from the mainland. 

In 2007, nearly 6300 spectators attended Lyrique-en-mer performances, thirty percent more than in 2006. Looking ahead to 2008, the fact that we will be chartering two more boats will allow us to welcome a total of more than one thousand day-tripping spectators from the mainland.  Each opera will be performed six times, for a total of twelve performances at the historic Citadelle Vauban. 

Mr Cowan has chosen Puccini’s Tosca and Rossini’s Barber of Seville for 2008, neither of which has been given on Belle Ile in their entirety. The Belle-Ile's churches will play host to the sacred music concerts, this year with Brahms's German Requiem. 

The Festival continues to receive national press, due to the international quality of the artists and the exotic nature of Belle Ile and the Citadelle Vauban.
In 2007, both TF1 and France 2 did national television spots, which resulted in great visibility for the Festival throughout France.

Thanks to the support of our public and private partners, as well as the hospitality of the inhabitants of Belle Ile, we hope once again to offer you a unique musical experience. 

Hubert Tardieu