Pierre-Philippe Marcou/Agence France-Presse â€" Getty Images Gerard MortierGerard Mortier, the opera impresario with a penchant for shaking things up in some of Europe’s most storied opera houses and music festivals, is being treated for cancer, the Spanish newspaper El PaÃs reported this week.
Mr. Mortier, 69, who led the Salzburg Festival and was the general director of the Paris Opera, is currently the artistic director of the Teatro Real in Madrid. In 2007 Mr, Mortier â€" who is known for championing contemporary works and daring stagings â€" was hired to take over New York City Opera, but he soon resigned when the struggling company slashed its budget to a little over half of what he was promised.
Few details of Mr. Mortier’s condition were disclosed by the newspaper, other than the fact that he had undergone surgery and was being treated in Germany. In the interview Mr. Mortier, who was born in Belgium, credited his Jesuit education with giving him the discipline he needs while undergoing the treatment. He also indicated that he is at odds with Spanish officials over who should be his planned successor in Madrid.
A spokeswoman for the Teatro Real, Graça Prata Ramos, said that the opera house could not comment on the report of his illness except to wish him a speedy recovery.
