Edinburgh International Festival director, Brian McMaster, launches 2000 program.

"The programme was difficult this year because of competition from other festivals...," EIF director, Brian McMaster

29th March 2000 - The Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), sometimes dubbed the "real festival", the "Official Festival" or even the "festival festival", unveiled its program for August today. Considered the high brow element of Edinburgh's mid-summer arts extravaganza, this year will see 180 performances by some of the best companies from classical, dance and theatre worlds.

Festival director Brian McMaster acknowledged that the growing number of festivals in Edinburgh in the three weeks of August had created real difficulties for the EIF. However, he promised that this year the festival would still have "one of the best programmes ever".

Highlights of this year's festival:

• New York City Ballet makes its first British appearance for 11 years
  
• The Cleveland Orchestra makes its only UK appearances of the year
  
• Nederlands Dans Theater appears with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Sir Charles Mackerras
  
• The Abbey Theatre, Dublin directed by Calixto Bieito in an adaptation by Frank McGuinness of Barbaric Comedies by Ramón del Valle-Inclán
  
• Pierre Boulez and the London Symphony Orchestra reach the culmination of Boulez 2000
  
• Christian Zacharias with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra perform all of Mozart’s Piano Concertos
  
• Scottish Opera starts a new Ring Cycle directed by Tim Albery, conducted by Richard Armstrong
  
• Music of the Millennium celebrates 1000 years of music
  
• Classic theatre productions include Peter Zadek’s Hamletand Mats Ek’s Don Juan
  
• Stuttgart State Opera performs Jossi Wieler’s production of Handel’s Alcina.
  
  Contact information for EIF and web site.