The Festival d'Aix-en-Provence

Founded in 1948, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence quickly established itself as one of the major events of the international opera season. Commited to the creation of new opera productions and to the organisation of concerts of the highest calibre, the Festival is able to collaborate with stage directors at the forefront of their craft, visionary orchestras and conductors, top-tier casts, and the greatest contemporary composers. Contemporary music indeed holds a special place at the Festival, with the creation and commission of major new works by renowned composers each year. Thanks to its reputation, it can form co-productions with the leading international opera houses, who present Festival productions throughout their seasons.

Under the skies of Provence, in the courtyard of the Théâtre de l'Archevêché or of the Hôtel Maynier d’Oppède; or on stage at the Théâtre du Jeu de Paume, the Grand Théâtre de Provence or the Stadium, the Festival d’Aix offers moments of intense communion during which the magnificent voices of the most talented singers from around the globe blend with the song of the cicadas. It has also made a name for itself as a hub of fervour and innovation, by implementing new approaches and repertoires, pushing the boundaries of opera, creating links with other arts, and altering the relationship between the works, the venues, and the audiences — who in turn have the chance to discover new forms, artists, and horizons. For over 75 years, opera at the Festival d’Aix has been a reflection of the world, expressed in artistic parables from which beauty, emotion and lively thought spring forth. And it is why the Festival was awarded in 2023 the Best Opera Festival award by the German magazine Oper! and the Best Festival award by the International Opera Awards.

The Festival also includes the rich and varied offerings of ‘Aix en juin’, with a programme aimed at local audiences. These festivities, which are completely free, help create a strong regional presence, another defining trait of the Festival d’Aix!

Added to all this are the dynamic roles played by its Académie, renowned the world over, and enoa (European network of opera academies); the vitality of its Mediterranean projects driven by the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée; and the vital outreach of its awareness-raising initiatives, artistic practice, and opera discovery activities, conducted through its department for cultural initiatives, Passerelles, which engages with over 4,500 participants each year.

Another unique feature of the Festival is its Workshops, located in Venelles, a few kilometres from Aix-en-Provence; it is here that the sets and costumes for its opera and music theatre productions are thought up, designed and crafted. These Workshops — pioneers in the ecodesign of stage sets — drew up the very first 100% ecodesigned and 100% recyclable live performance sets ever.

The Festival has been committed for many years to a sustainable development approach in its activity. Non-profit Social Responsibility (NSR) is one of its core values, and has been included in its statutes since 2020. This commitment is particularly evident in the Festival’s fight against discrimination and its support of equality in the workplace and accessibility for the widest audience possible.

READ THE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT  READ THE 2023 ANNUAL REPORT

Monsieur Bruno Roger
Honorary President

Monsieur Paul Hermelin
President*
Monsieur Michel Faure
Vice-President
Monsieur Jean-François Dubos
Secretary General*
Madame Catherine Démier
Treasurer*

Monsieur Christophe Mirmand
Prefect of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region and Bouches-du-Rhône
Monsieur Christopher Miles
General Director for Artistic Creation, Ministry of Culture
Madame Bénédicte Lefeuvre
Regional Director of Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Culture
Madame Sophie Joissains
Mayor of Aix-en-Provence,
Vice-President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region
represented by Madame Marie-Pierre Sicard-Desnuelle
Deputy Mayor of Aix-en-Provence, Delegate for Heritage  
Metropolitan Councillor of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis
Madame Martine Vassal
President of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis,
President of the Bouches-du-Rhône Departmental Council,
represented by par Daniel Gagnon
Vice-President of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, Delegate for Culture,
represented by Madame Nicole Joulia
Vice-President of the Bouches-du-Rhône Departmental Council, Delegate for Culture
Monsieur Renaud Muselier
President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region,
Deputy President of Regions of France
represented by Monsieur Michel Bissière
Regional Councillor and Delegate for Artistic Creation
Monsieur Walter Butler
Qualified Representative, appointed by the Pasino of Aix-en-Provence
Madame Estelle Lowry
Qualified Representative, appointed by the State

*Members of the governing board
List as of 23 July 2024

GENERAL MANAGEMENT

Pierre AUDI — General Director
Stéphanie DEPORCQ — Executive Director
Nathalie RENDU — Assistant to the General Director

ARTISTIC COMMITTEE

Timothée PICARD — Dramaturge and Artistic Advisor
Julien BENHAMOU — Director of the Artistic Administration
Béatrice de LAAGE — Artistic Coordination Manager

TECHNICAL AND PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT

Josep Maria FOLCH — Technical and Production Director

— PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT

PRODUCTION
Julie FREVILLE — Production Administrator
Manon BOHN — Production Administrator
Guillemette BAGNERIS — Production Specialist
Émeline BLONDAT — Production Assistant

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Christelle AUGEREAU — International Development Manager

— TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT

Philippe DELCROIX — Technical Director
Frédéric LYONNET — Deputy Technical Director

ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT
Alice FAUQUETTE — Technical Department Administrative and Finance Manager
Sonia VERDU — Administrative Attachée

WORKSHOPS AND DESIGN OFFICE
Khalil BESSAA — Workshops Manager
David VINENT GARRO — Scenic Designer

COSTUME
Angèle MIGNOT — Costume and co. Manager

STAGE MANAGEMENT
Emmanuel CHAMPEAU — Stage Manager
Rachid SIDI YOUSSEF — Onsite Manager

TOUR STAGE MANAGEMENT
Frédéric AMIEL — Tour Stage Manager

LIGHTING
Jean-Pascal GAUCHAIS — Lighting Manager

MACHINERY
Vincent PELINQ — Machinery Manager

AUDIOVISUAL
Aurélie GRANIER — Audiovisual Manager

ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT

Julien BENHAMOU — Director of the Artistic Administration
Béatrice de LAAGE — Artistic Coordination Manager
Cameron ARENS — Deputy Artistic Administrator

— ACADÉMIE AND CONCERT PROGRAMME

Cameron ARENS — Académie and Concert Programme Deputy Director
Liz GORSEN — Académie Projects Specialist

— OJM AND MEDITERRANEAN PROGRAMME

Pauline CHAIGNE — OJM and Mediterranean Programme Deputy Director
Fanny ROUSTAN — Head of cooperation of the OJM – Medinea
Ryme ZAHIDI — OJM Production Specialist

ENOA AND MEDINEA NETWORKS DEPARTMENTS

Stéphanie DEPORCQ — Enoa and Medinea Networks Director
Lucile ARNOULD — Enoa Network Coordinator

ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT

Stéphanie DEPORCQ — Executive Director
Catherine AUBERGET — Administrative Specialist, Assistant to the Deputy Director

— FINANCE / ACCOUNTING

Ararat KOÇU — Accounting and financial Manager
Véronique BOEGLIN — Qualified Accountant
Sandrine CORGIAT — Qualified Accountant
Amélie DESSAUX — Qualified Accountant
Benjamin PRIVEY — Qualified Accountant

— HUMAN RESOURCES

Isabelle DUMONT — Human Resources Manager
Charlotte FATOU — Payroll Specialist
Charlène GRELLIER — Human Resources Specialist
Laurence BURDET — Human Resources Attachée

— ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL AFFAIRS

Maude ZAMORA — Administrative and Legal Manager

— INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Brice LANSARD — Information Technology Manager

GENERAL SECRETARIAT

Sophie RAGOT — Secretary General

— COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT

Catherine ROQUES — Communication and Marketing Director
Albine DUFOULEUR — Communication Specialist
Élodie BERNELIN — Communication Specialist
Elise ORTEGA — Communication Specialist
Gaël MORIN — Communication Specialist

— PASSERELLES

Frédérique TESSIER — Educational's Department Manager
Marie-Laure STEPHAN — Socio-Artistic's Department Manager
Frédérique MOULLET — Teaching Manager

— PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PROTOCOLE DEPARTMENT

Delphine LÉANDRI — Public Relation Manager
Karine CHARMOT — Sales Administrator

PHILANTHROPY AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Aymeric LAVIN — Director of Development
Aïda KHEIRBECK — Philanthropy and Events Specialist
Alix LALAGUË — Philanthropy Specialist
Catherine PERRAUD — Philanthropy Administrative Attachée
Lauren LAFFARGUE — Administrative and Finance Manager

— CORPORATE PATRONAGE

Nathalie DUCLOS — Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager
Zoé GUILLOU — Philanthropy and Corporate Partnerships Specialist

— INDIVIDUAL GIVING

Charlotte GALLIENNE — Individual Giving Strategy Manager
Alix DUFAY — Individual Giving Specialist