HOWZAT

The project had been delayed but I had an e-mail from him saying how excited he was to have got back to it. He had quite a spiritual aura. It seems a funny thing for an atheist to say but you felt he had a spiritual dimension and that side of his life was deeply important. He never spoke about it but somehow it shone through that he was a religious man with deeply held beliefs and values.

John Berry, Creative Director, ENO

Working with Anthony [on Madam Butterfly] was just about the best. It made jobs like I do seems worthwhile. He was a beautiful person, had such humility, combined with an extraordinary confidence. He always saw the good in people. He was an artist who could really bring people along with him, with his vision. He was a true collaborator. He spent time with colleagues from front of house, everyone..

Who would want to come into opera with such a formidable reputation in film directing? Opera is really hard and opera in London is really hard. And then to take on a core repertory piece which is so well-known? It showed either an incredible naivety or an incredible confidence. He used to say about directing opera, I just feel as if I'm taking a job away from someone else who is much more qualified than I am. He never thought he was going to do something amazing; he never thought he was special. He just had incredible confidence and a sense of humour. We were planning two more projects with him and it's just really sad that they're not going to happen now.

He gave people confidence; he was never dogmatic about anything. Though he had a very clear vision, and people had confidence in that, they never felt that his decisions were about his ego, they were always about the work and the music. Very few major film directors have made a successful opera but he produced a work that touched the hearts of thousands who might not have even known the ENO existed. He gave a massive boost to audiences who didn't know opera could be like that. We've got the legacy of his Butterfly now and every time we revive it we'll think of him.

Gwyn Hughes Jones, tenor, Pinkerton in Madam Butterfly

Working with him was wonderful. It was his first opera, so it was quite an adventure for lots of us but he said: “Look, it's my first time. I have as much to learn as anybody.” But he showed straightaway what a grasp he had of the medium. He had such a phenomenal theatrical mind.

He talked to me about stage craft. Those are things that I'll always think back on and laugh about. He said: “You're standing there with your mouth open. You look like a 14-year-old boy,” and you say to yourself, ok, mental note, always shut your mouth when you're not singing!

John Madden, friend, and director of Shakespeare in Love

It's so terribly sad to think of what he had yet to give. Anthony's sudden death is a shocking loss to the film industry and an unbearable blow to his family and friends. He was a profoundly gifted writer, and a subtle and visionary director, and his insight, energy and generosity marked him out as unique. He will be missed not just for the work he's given us, but for the tireless friendship and support he offered to others: a true enabler in a world not necessarily noted for its selflessness.

Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient

He was one of my dearest friends. He was always generous and inclusive with those who were close to him and with those who worked with him. I loved talking with him. The conversation always got to the quick. It is difficult to even imagine that we will not continue to share our works with each other.

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