- Gérard Mortier
Gerard, Baron Mortier (born November 25, 1943) is a Belgian
opera director. He was born inGhent , and, despite his French-sounding surname, is Flemish.
He is the general director of theOpéra National de Paris . In 2009, he will become the general director of theNew York City Opera .Mortier made his mark at the
La Monnaie inBrussels , transforming it from an operatic hinterland into a postmodernist temple during his tenure there through the 1980s, although he left large debts behind.The
Salzburg Festival stunned the musical world by hiring him to succeed the hallowedHerbert von Karajan , and Mortier spent the 1990s there scandalizing many of its conservative, well-heeled opera patrons, the most notorious provocation being a production ofJohann Strauss ’s "Fledermaus " laced with cocaine and fornication and taking aim at Austria’s far-right political operatives. After a stint as founding director of the RuhrTriennale arts festival in Germany, he went to theOpéra National de Paris .A recent production of
Mozart ’s "The Magic Flute" there caused an uproar with its air-mattress décor, video projections and costumes, including glittering, neon-lit silver jumpsuits and long black wigs adorning the Queen of the Night and her Three Ladies.The
New York cultural world is now speculating on a competition in original contemporaryopera approach between theNew York City Opera when Mortier will take over in 2009, andPeter Gelb 'sMetropolitan Opera . [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/arts/music/11tomm.html?th&emc=th]Academic career and awards
*Professor of Communication Science,
Ghent University , Belgium
*Honorary doctorateUniversity of Antwerp , Belgium
*National medal of honor from Belgium
*National medal of honor from Germany
*FrenchCommandeur des Arts et des Lettres
*Member of theAcademy of Arts ofBerlin .Quotes
* "There was no reason for another
Wagner "Ring" afterPatrice Chéreau ’s cycle atBayreuth ."Fact|date=July 2008
* "Art is anything but entertainment and unrelated to box-office receipts."Fact|date=July 2008
* "If talking is expression of the mind, singing is expression of the soul.”Fact|date=July 2008Current and past positions
* General Director, l’
Opéra National de Paris until 2009
* former president, Fedora
* former artistic director, Salzburg Festival
* founding director, RuhrTriennale Arts Festival, Germany
* former artistic director, La Monnaie (opera house), BrusselsReferences
* The New York Times, Daniel J. Wakin, Feb. 28, 2007 [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/arts/music/28oper.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin]
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