Gerard Mortier says his application to run the Bayreuth Festival in Germany will not change his plans to run the New York City Opera starting with the 2009-10 season.
Mortier, former head of the Salzburg Festival and electric current boss of the Paris Opera, agreed in February 2007 to become the City Opera's general coach and artistic director. He said he rejected "propositions from different opera houses in Spain and Germany."
"I told them that I was committed to New York City Opera and signed my contract," he said Tuesday.
Mortier said he submitted a joint application to run the Wagner festival at Bayreuth with Nike Wagner, one of the composer's great granddaughters, because "function of the Wagner sept insisted." A joint tender by deuce other keen granddaughters, Katharina Wagner and Eva Wagner-Pasquier, is regarded as the favorite aim into Monday's meeting of the fete board.
The composers grandsons, Wolfgang and Wieland, became heads of the festival in 1951 and following Wieland's death, Wolfgang became sole director in 1967. He announced in April that he would quit later on this year's festival ends this week.
"Wolfgang Wagner wants his daughter Katharina as successor," Mortier said. "Nobody knows at the moment what will happen. Anyway, with their six-week season (plus rehearsals period), the Bayreuth fete should not affect my work for NYCO. On the contrary, it could reinforce the international stature of City Opera."
Mortier said that if his Bayreuth bid succeeds, it "could also move over a signal to the (City Opera) board members to give full fiscal support to the new vision" for the company.
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