(Credit: Matthew Williams Ellis)

The Longborough Festival Opera has announced that the chairman of the board Martin Graham is stepping down from his position.

Graham, who is the founder of Longborough Festival Opera, served on the Board for over 20 years and will retain his close interest in the season’s performances.

The festival also announced that Lizzie Graham will become interim Chair of the Board and will work alongside Executive Director Jennifer Smith and Polly Graham who will continue as Artistic Director.

In a statement, Longborough’s Music Director Antony Negus said, “Martin was the inspiration to perform the Ring cycle at Longborough in his newly built theatre, and since my first meeting with him in 2000 I owe him deep gratitude for being my friend and ‘comrade in arms’ through all our exciting Wagnerian developments at Longborough. As we move into new times with Polly at the helm, Martin and Lizzie will always be at the heart of our artistic endeavors.

“During his time at the festival, Martin and Lizzie have achieved what many said was impossible as they gradually converted a set of agricultural buildings into what is regularly described as an English Bayreuth in the heart of the Cotswolds. They made Longborough Festival Opera is a modern arts organization run by a team of professionals drawn from across the arts world.”