Opéra de Montréal General Director Pierre Dufour to leave his post at the end of the 2016 season

MONTREAL, April 7, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The chairman of the board of directors of the Opéra de Montréal, Mr. Bernard Stotland FCPA, FCA, announced today that Mr. Pierre Dufour, the company's General Director, would be leaving his position at the end of the 2016 season, after having been with the organization for the past 16 years.

Mr. Dufour informed the Opéra de Montréal's board of directors of his desire to take his career in a new direction. Among other projects, he hopes to ensure the international development of "Another Brick in The Wall – The Opera," a production he initiated.

Pierre Dufour began working at the Opéra de Montréal in 2000, as the company's Production Director. He was the Interim General Director from 2002 to 2003, and was named General Director in August of 2006. Under his stewardship, the Opéra de Montréal entered a significant period of growth and financial soundness.

Mr. Dufour's many achievements include the restructuring of the Opéra de Montréal, which he orchestrated with his colleagues and the chairman of the board of directors in 2006, and which allowed the company to absorb its accumulated deficit of $2.1 million in just 18 months. He was also the first North American opera company director to reach a co-production agreement with Opera Australia (Sydney-Melbourne) in 2006, thereby establishing a lasting relationship that has continued through several subsequent agreements. He was also the prime mover behind four free outdoor "Opera Under The Stars" broadcasts, including the major success of "Madama Butterfly Under The Stars" in 2008, which was presented before a crowd of 33,000 people. Over the years, he has been able to maintain and develop a vast network of contacts throughout the opera community in North America and in Europe, where he was the organization's first general director to be invited to sit as a panellist at the Opera Europa conference in Lyon, in 2012.

Mr. Dufour will remain in his position until the end of August 2016 in order to ensure a smooth transition. The board of directors will soon be issuing a call for applications in order to find a new General Director.

In the meantime, the Opéra de Montréal's 2015-2016 season continues to be a successful one, with the world premiere of Michel Marc Bouchard and Kevin March's work, Les Feluettes, taking to the stage on May 21, 24, 26, and 28.

The Opéra de Montréal's 2016-2017 season promises to be just as exciting, with the presentation of Aida, Don Giovanni, Dialogues des carmélites, the world premiere of Another Brick In The Wall – The Opera, and La bohème.

It should also be noted that Montreal will be the epicentre of the opera world in 2016, as the Quebec metropolis will be host to the prestigious annual Opera America conference for the first time, from May 18 to 21. The conference will bring together some 500 professionals from American, Canadian, and European opera companies to focus on the theme "Act Local, Think Global."

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About the Opéra de Montréal
The Opéra de Montreal is a non-profit organization dedicated to the production and presentation of opera.

SOURCE Opéra de Montréal

Pierre Vachon, Communications, Outreach, and Education Director, Opéra de Montréal, www.operademontreal.com | T 514 985-2222, extension 2237, [email protected]