AIAC FOUNDATION CELEBRATES HISTORIC RESTORATION AND REOPENING OF D'OYLY CARTE ISLAND WITH GRAND EVENT LIVE STREAMED WORLDWIDE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 24, 2023 

LONDON, UK -  In an unprecedented blend of music, history, architecture, and technology, the AIAC Foundation Inc., D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and the D’Oyly Carte Foundation celebrated the historic restoration and reopening of D’Oyly Carte Island with a luncheon and performance of “Gilbert & Sullivan a la Carte”.  The gathering, co-hosted by the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, was held on the grand lawn and in the ballroom of Eyot House on D’Oyly Carte Island, the original country estate of Richard D’Oyly Carte, producer of the 14 Gilbert & Sullivan operas.  The event was live-streamed globally using advanced Dolby Technology.

On the morning prior to the event, L. M. Levie, Chairman of the the AIAC Foundation Inc. and the D’Oyly Carte Foundation, hosted a brunch at Maison Francois in London in honor of D’Oyly Carte Opera Trust Board Members Michael Tripp and David Walton, with invited guests from the UK and US.  On D’Oyly Carte Island, they were joined at lunch by Professor Ian Campbell Bradley of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, the world’s leading authority on Gilbert & Sullivan.

The event commemorated Andy and Sheila Hill’s ambitious restoration of Eyot House on D’Oyly Carte Island, 18 miles from London in the middle of the Thames River.  D’Oyly Carte Island was the iconic country retreat for Richard D’Oyly Carte, a multi-talented musical composer, theatrical agent and  producer, theater owner, hotelier and restaurateur.  His luxury hotel empire spanned the Savoy, Claridges, and the Berkeley of London, and the Grand Hotel of Rome.  Eyot House is an elaborate, 13-bedroom mansion reminiscent of a vast Swiss chalet, complete with Tudor-style chimneys and a whimsical wooden crocodile mounted above a window alcove. A t Eyot House, Richard D’Oyly Carte hosted the leading celebrities of the late nineteenth century in grand style. 

Mr. Levie remarked, “Andy and Sheila Hills’s bold restoration of D’Oyly Carte Island to its former glory is a great gift to all who cherish the noble legacy of Richard D’Oyly Carte and of Gilbert & Sullivan.  D’Oyly Carte Island is an international treasure.”

The world tuned in as five D'Oyly Carte Opera Company performers, accompanied by Sir Arthur Sullivan’s Grand Piano, delivered stirring Gilbert & Sullivan performances.  The performances were interwoven with extracts from historical diary entries, correspondence, and contemporary reviews, recounting the tumultuous creative partnership between William S. Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan, and Richard D’Oyly Carte.  Mr. Levie commented, “The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company’s performance today was truly magical.  We look forward to many more delightful G&S events on D’Oyly Carte Island.”

The live-stream also offered a virtual tour of the house, showcasing a rare collection of costumes, props, posters, portraits, drawings, books, and other Gilbert & Sullivan memorabilia which was displayed in the mansion’s foyer and dining room.

For more information, please visit www.doylycartefoundation.org, www.doylycarte.org,  or www.doylycarteisland.com or contact:

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 About the AIAC Foundation Inc.

 The AIAC Foundation is the non-profit affiliate of American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC).  Established in 1996, AIAC’s portfolio consists of 78 manufacturing and distribution sites in 24 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia.  AIAC owns over 6.5 million square feet of industrial real estate and hold the exclusive, perpetual license to responsibly manage 22 million acres of prime Canadian timberland, a land mass equivalent to the size of the nation of Austria.

AIAC has purchased and operated manufacturing units of Ahlstrom, Allegion, Astellas, Boeing, Carlyle Group, Constellium, GlaxoSmithKline, Jabil Circuit, Johnson Controls, Kodak, Lockheed Martin, Merck, Moog, Northrop Grumman, Novelis, Pfizer, Raytheon Technologies, Rexel Group, The Riverside Company, Sandvik, Siemens, SSC, Suez Group, Tolko, Visteon and other large multinational corporations.  In addition to purchasing units of large multinational public companies, AIAC purchases the equity and debt of privately held companies.

About the D'Oyly Carte Foundation:

The D'Oyly Carte Foundation is the American affiliate of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Trust Limited, which supports the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.  Since 1875, the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company has professionally produced the 14 Savoy operas of Sir W. S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan in the UK, Europe, US, Canada, and Australia, spreading mirth and merriment to millions. 

The D’Oyly Carte Foundation’s mission is to support and promote the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company’s UK and international touring, to assist regional performance companies, schools, colleges and universities dedicated to the staging of Gilbert & Sullivan operas, and to generally encourage the popular appreciation of the works of Gilbert & Sullivan.

Contact:

The D’Oyly Carte Foundation
250 Park Avenue
New York, NY. 10177
Attn:  Isabel Carro Toro

Tel: +1 787 244 3175
Email: icarro-toro@aiac.com