Alexander Neef Paris Opera General Director

Biography

Alexander Neef was born in Germany in 1974. He studied Latin Philology and Modern History at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.

At the invitation of Gérard Mortier, Alexander Neef began his career in 2000 as a Production Manager at the Salzburg Festival, where he worked for two seasons before following Mortier to the Ruhrtriennale, where he was responsible for opera, theatre and dance productions, as well as concerts and other events. In 2004, he joined Gérard Mortier at the Paris Opera as Casting Director and also collaborated with him on the artistic programming of the New York City Opera.

From 2008 to 2020, he served as General Director of the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, where he developed an ambitious artistic programme that established the company among North America's leading opera houses. Alongside this position, he was appointed the first Artistic Director of the Santa Fe Opera in the United States in 2018.

In July 2019, Alexander Neef was appointed Director-Designate of the Paris Opera by Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. He assumed the role of General Director ahead of schedule in September 2020. During his tenure, works such as John Adams's Nixon in China, Leonard Bernstein's A Quiet Place, György Kurtág's Fin de partie, and Antonia Bembo's Ercole amante entered the Paris Opera repertoire. Committed to interdisciplinary collaboration and to opening the world of opera to new creative voices, he has entrusted opera productions to artists from other disciplines, including photographer and visual artist Shirin Neshat (Aida by Verdi, 2025), actor and filmmaker Ralph Fiennes (Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, 2026), and choreographers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber (Satyagraha by Philip Glass, 2026).

Alexander Neef has pursued an ambitious policy dedicated to education, training and the emergence of young talent. He revived the Paris Opera's Lyric Troupe, which had been discontinued for nearly thirty years. This commitment continued with the launch of the ADO (Apprentissage de l'Opéra – Opera Apprenticeship) programme in 2023, including the creation of France's first youth opera orchestra, followed by the Paris Opera Children's Chorus (Maîtrise de l'Opéra national de Paris), which opened its inaugural season in 2026/2027, as well as the Junior Ballet. In 2023, he also launched POP – Paris Opera Play, the Paris Opera's streaming platform.

Upon the recommendation of the French Minister of Culture, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, entrusted Alexander Neef with a second term as General Director of the Paris Opera, running from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2032.

In September 2025, alongside the Minister of Culture, he unveiled Nouvelle Ère, Nouvel Air ("New Era, New Air"), the renovation project encompassing all four Paris Opera sites: the Palais Garnier, the Opéra Bastille, the Nanterre Dance School and the Berthier Workshops. This major programme aims to modernise the institution's technical and stage facilities, improve spaces for audiences, artists and staff, and accelerate its ecological transition.

Alexander Neef was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in September 2018. He was appointed Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in July 2022 and Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour in July 2025.

Immerse in the Paris Opera universe

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