Glyndebourne is guided by the ambition to engage the best directors working in the field today. Glyndebourne hopes that this philosophy is reflected in the diversity of its work. Glyndebourne has a long tradition of successfully working with theatre directors including Sir Peter Hall, Nicholas Hytner, Deborah Warner, Trevor Nunn, Jonathan Kent, Annabel Arden and Richard Jones and this has enabled Glyndebourne to entice and engage with new opera audiences.
Choosing directors for its production is a long term process for the artistic management team at Glyndebourne, which has been in discussion with Mendes for the past five years. David Pickard has long been an admirer of Mendes' work, starting the early 1980s with his production of Troilus and Cressida for the RSC. It was Mendes's use of music in his work, and in particular his Olivier Award winning productions of Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night for the Donmar Warehouse, which inspired Pickard to pursue him to direct at Glyndebourne.
There is an inextricable link between Glyndebourne and Mozart. It is significant that Mendes should choose Don Giovanni for his first opera and that it should be in the collaborative atmosphere of Glyndebourne. The 2010 Don Giovanni will be conducted by Glyndebourne's Music Director Vladimir Jurowski; conducting this opera for the first time.