Portillo To Host Sky Arts' Coverage Of Glyndebourne

Michael Portillo has been announced as the host of Sky Arts' exclusive Glyndebourne coverage for 2009, which will see a live high definition broadcast of L'elisir d'amore on Sky Arts 2 HD on August 15.
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of Glyndebourne, this live broadcast, produced by DCD-owned West Park Pictures will be the culmination of a month of Saturday night programming of Glyndebourne operas on Sky Arts 2 HD and Sky Arts 2. The Glyndebourne opera series include the award-winning Giulio Cesare, Cosi fan tutte, The Coronation of Poppea and La Cenerentola.
A seasoned attendee of Glyndebourne and now a much-respected face on television, Portillo brings both charm and an encyclopedic knowledge of opera to proceedings. His series on Art That Shook the World, focusing on Wagner's operas, was highly acclaimed, and he has since presented a number of authored pieces on television.
To oversee the broadcast, West Park Pictures, a division of DCD Media, has assembled an award-winning team with experience televising operas in all the UK's major opera houses. This will be the tenth Glyndebourne production for director Robin Lough and the 25th annivesary of his Glyndebourne debut. Executive Producer for West Park Fiona Morris was formerly Head of Arts at Initial and before that Deputy Head of Arts in BBC Wales, while Producer Ben Weston has won a BAFTA, an Emmy and a Royal Television Society Award for his work in recent music output on British television.
Michael Portillo said: "As a Glyndebourne attendee for some 30 years, it's a great honour to be asked to present Sky's maiden outing at Glyndebourne, especially in this, its 75th year."
John Cassy, Channel Director for Sky Arts, said: "We're delighted to have Michael hosting our coverage of Glyndebourne for 2009. He will bring a perfect combination of enthusiasm and experience to the event."
The Sky Arts live broadcast from Glyndebourne is the highlight of a partnership which will see Sky Arts become the official UK broadcast partner of Glyndebourne for 2009. The partnership will last for the whole of the 75th anniversary season of 2009, with initiatives planned for Glyndebourne on Tour, Glyndebourne on Screen and environmental-related projects.
(KMcA/BMcc)