Garsington Opera has announced Michelle Williams as its new Director of Artistic Administration.

The Executive Director, Nicola Creed, and Artistic Director, Douglas Boyd announced that Williams will take up the role of Director of Artistic Administration and will join the Garsington team in September to succeed Laura Canning who has been appointed General Director & CEO of Opera North.

Williams has been Head of Casting at ENO since 2016 and has also worked with the Scottish Opera.

In response to her new position Williams, “I am delighted to be joining Garsington Opera as the Director of Artistic Administration working closely with Executive Director Nicola Creed and Artistic Director Douglas Boyd, two people I hugely admire. It is an exciting time for the company with the Garsington Studios opening soon, which will allow Garsington to not only continue the world class productions in collaboration with The English Concert and Philharmonia, but also to have a presence in the community and wider operatic landscape all year round.”

In a statement, Boyd said, “We are delighted that Michelle will be joining us at such an important time in our company’s history with the opening of Garsington Studios. Michelle’s broad experience and skills will be an essential part of making the most of the opportunities to increase our support of young artists, our work in the community, and ensuring our Festival continues to reach artistic heights utilising her wealth of experience with casting. We are sure that Michelle will be a worthy successor to Laura Canning when she moves on to run Opera North with all our best wishes.”