Paris Opera: who can succeed Gustavo Dudamel?

The resignation of Gustavo Dudamel as music director of the Paris Opera on May 25 will leave its mark. There are only losers: the image of the "Grande Boutique" as an ungovernable gas factory, the image of a staff putting corporatism before artistic influence, the image of the star maestro shirking his responsibilities, blessed bread to bring grist to the mill of those who convey these clichés. While fearing that it will take some time before the orchestra is invited back to the international.

It is now a question of moving forward. Before asking "who to succeed Dudamel?", other questions arise. If only: do we need a music director? In the history of the house, the periods when there were none are the most frequent. For a long time there was simply a "conductor of music" (Philippe Gaubert before the war, Louis Fourestier after the war). They were less decision-makers than "permanent leaders", a title still held by James Conlon...

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