Martin Graham, co-founder of Longborough Festival Opera, has died aged 83.
A builder with no formal musical training but a passion for Wagner, he and his wife Lizzie started promoting opera in the grounds of their Cotswolds home in 1991.
He converted a barn into a 500-seat opera house, with a façade modelled on his beloved Bayreuth, which became the venue for the annual festival, mostly featuring works by Wagner, including the full Ring Cycle twice, a project rarely attempted outside the major opera houses. Against the odds, the festival gained a worldwide following and critical praise and has been described as the English Bayreuth.
Graham chaired the board of trustees for more than 20 years, stepping down after his 80th birthday.
Longborough’s Music Director Anthony Negus said, "Martin was an enabler and inspirer who made one feel that anything that one wished to achieve would be possible. It was his will, energy and encouragement that inspired us all to fulfil our talents and make it happen."
Martin Graham, 83, died on Easter Monday 21 April 2025. He is survived by Lizzie and their three children, Leo, Cordelia and Longborough Artistic Director Polly.