Gerard Mortier facts for kids
Gerard Mortier (born November 25, 1943 – died March 8, 2014) was a famous Belgian opera director. He was known for leading many important opera houses and festivals. He worked hard to make opera exciting for new audiences.
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Gerard Mortier's Amazing Career
Gerard Mortier was born in Ghent, Belgium. His father was a baker. After his mother passed away, he went to a Jesuit school. Later, he studied law and journalism at Ghent University.
Starting in the Opera World
Mortier learned about running opera companies from experts like Christoph von Dohnányi. He worked for the Flanders Festival early in his career. His first big job was leading La Monnaie in Brussels from 1981 to 1991. People said he brought new life to the company's performances.
After Brussels, he became the general director of the Salzburg Festival from 1991 to 2001. This is a very famous music festival.
Creating New Experiences
Mortier then became the first director of the Ruhrtriennale arts festival in Germany. He led it from 2002 to 2004. He wanted to try something new. He aimed to bring classic arts to new people in a different part of Germany.
He put on shows in large, old industrial buildings that had been fixed up. He believed that audiences would enjoy these new kinds of performances. He wanted to mix art with the history of the area.
Leading Major Opera Houses
From 2004 to 2009, Mortier was the general director of the Paris Opera. This is one of the world's most important opera houses.
In 2007, he was chosen to lead the New York City Opera. He was supposed to start in 2009. However, there were problems with getting enough money for his plans. He decided to leave the position in 2008 because he could not create the shows he wanted.
A New Opera Project
In November 2008, Mortier became the artistic director of the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain. While he was in New York, he had already asked a composer named Charles Wuorinen to write a new opera. This opera was called Brokeback Mountain.
He brought this project with him to Madrid. The opera was finished in 2012. It premiered in Madrid on January 28, 2014. This performance was seen as a tribute to Mortier. It showed his strong support for artists.
Later Life and Passing
In September 2013, Mortier shared that he had cancer. He passed away from pancreatic cancer in Brussels on March 8, 2014. He was 70 years old. His sister Rita and his friend, conductor Sylvain Cambreling, survived him.
In April 2014, Mortier received a special Lifetime Achievement Award. This was given to him at the International Opera Awards.
Mortier's Legacy and Awards
Gerard Mortier received many honors for his work.
- Honorary doctorate from the University of Antwerp, Belgium
- Honorary doctorate from the University of Salzburg, Austria
- National medal of honor from Belgium
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1991)
- French Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- Member of the Academy of Arts of Berlin
- Golden medal of the Círculo de Bellas Artes of Madrid
- He was made a Baron by King Albert II of the Belgians on May 30, 2007.
Publications
- Dramaturgie d'une passion, 2009.
Posthumous Honors
- In 2014, the Gerard Mortier Award was created in his name. It is given every two years for music theater. Mortier himself was the first person to receive it, just before he passed away.
- In 2014, he received the Diaghilev Prize. This was for his huge contribution to the arts. The money from this prize helped publish his book in Russian.
- In 2014, he also received the Goethe Medal.
See also
In Spanish: Gerard Mortier para niños
