German born Alexander Neef, appointed General Director of the Canadian Opera Company in June 2008, has worked with some of the most prestigious arts organizations in the world.
His career as an artistic administrator has taken him from the Salzburg Festival, to the RuhrTriennale in Germany, Opéra national de Paris (ONP) and New York City Opera, to leading the COC.
The Director of Casting for ONP since August 2004, Mr. Neef functioned as one of Gérard Mortier’s closest collaborators and was instrumental in the production of over 80 operas. He was also responsible for contracting the conductors for the ballet performances and concerts in both the Palais Garnier and Bastille opera houses.
In addition to his role at ONP, in March 2007, Mr. Neef joined Gérard Mortier in New York as Mortier prepared for his tenure at New York City Opera.
Previously, Mr. Neef was responsible for all the programming at the RuhrTriennale, a three-year, multi-disciplinary festival in the Ruhr region of Germany. He was charged each year with preparing opera, theatre, and dance productions as well as concerts and events.
Prior to his tenure at the RuhrTriennale, he spent two seasons at the Salzburg Festival in an artistic administration position. Mr. Neef has a master of arts from Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen where he studied Latin Philology and Modern History.
Photo: Michael Cooper © 2008
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