It is ten years since Roxanna Panufnik’s Westminster Mass attracted international attention and a rush of new commissions. Now as she turns 40 her year features 15 premieres in five countries and 23 possible commissions over the next two years. Andrew Stewart reports.

AT THE Chelsea Flower Show on Monday night, John Studzinski bought The Secret Life of Trees. While other City highrollers networked furiously, Studzinski slipped away and browsed the book stall. "I love dogs and I love trees. Not because dogs pee on trees. I love them both separately."

Elyse Dodgson has been running the International Playwrights programme at the Royal Court Theatre since its inception. Nearly ten years ago, Genesis Foundation founder, John Studzinski, began supporting this project that has become one of the cornerstones of London theatre. With the tenth anniversary of this partnership coming up in 2007, Elyse talked to the Genesis Foundation about her work and about this especially exciting year at the Royal Court.

In its new initiative to find original approaches to opera and music theatre for the 21st century and also new audiences for the lyric stage, OperaGenesis are working with French composer Jean Phillipe Calvin to complete a one-act, absurdist piece based on the Eugene Ionesco play, La Cantatrice Chauve or The Bald Soprano. Calvin writes an introductory explanation of what he is doing as he finishes the piece and looks forward to a showcase performance in London during November.