Paris Match: Neef wins the Opera
mainThe usually reliable magazine reports that Stephane Lissner has obtained an extension to his contract up to 2023, after which he will be succeeded by Alexander Neef, German boss of the Canadian Opera Company.
Neef will have to trigger an escape clause in his Toronto contract which runs until 2026.
Paris, meanwhile, will be treading water, and several members of the Metropolitan Opera board will be furious that Neef got away from them. He has worked wonders in Canada.
I, for one, will be sad to see him go. He has been good for the COC, bringing world-class singers to our opera house. The productions may not be always well received, but that’s par for the course. At the end of the day, his tenure has helped put the COC on the international operatic map.
I hope he goes and soon. He has brought more disgusting, eurotrash, regie productions to the company that even the best singers could not save then any other artistic director.If this is a miracle, don’t show me trouble.