Dominique Meyer
Dominique Meyer, currently the general and artistic director of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, has been chosen as the new director of the Vienna State Opera.
The son of a diplomat, he was born in 1955 in the Alsace region of France and spent much of his childhood in Germany. He developed a keen interest in cultural affairs while still a student at the Paris School of Economics, and attended the opera, the theater or a concert on a daily basis.
In 1980, he became involved in cultural policy in France. He served in the French Ministry of Industry as a specialist for the electronics and computer industries, and in 1984 he joined the cabinet of the Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, where he was responsible for the film and cultural industries.
Dominique Meyer has been active in the opera world since 1986. After working as an consultant, in 1989 he was named general director of the Opéra National de Paris, which also includes the opera houses Palais Garnier and Opéra Bastille.
Before accepting the position of general director of the Lausanne Opera in 1994, he returned once more to the arena of French cultural policy. He first served as a director in the cabinet of the Ministry of Culture and Communications under Culture Minister Catherine Tasca, then as an advisor in the areas of cultural affairs, communications, youth affairs, education and sports in the cabinets of Prime Minister Edith Cresson and Pierre Bérégovoy.
Since 1999, Dominique Meyer has been the general and artistic director of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. As of the 2010/2011 season, he will join the Austrian conductor Franz Welser-Möst as general director of the Vienna State Opera.
Dominique Meyer also serves as a lecturer in the Professionnel Administration de la musique et du spectacle vivant program at the University of Evry in Paris.
In addition to holding numerous other positions and memberships in the fields of dance, music, film and television, he is also an enthusiastic rugby fan.
Dominique Meyer is Chairman of the NEUE STIMMEN jury 2009.
