Hugues R. Gall : mélanges

Born in Honfleur, Hugues Gall (1940-2024) began his career with a background in humanities and a taste for public service. He began his career in Edgar Faure's cabinet, at the Ministry of Agriculture and then at the Ministry of Education. In charge of arts education, he created the music stream of the baccalauréat and the arts department at the University of Vincennes.

This opera enthusiast, who went on to become General Secretary of the Réunion des théâtres lyriques nationaux, went on to assist Rolf Liebermann at the helm of the Paris Opéra, for a seven-year term that was as flamboyant as it was eventful, and marked by international openness. At the Palais Garnier and Salle Favart from 1973 to 1980, Rolf Liebermann's vision and Hugues Gall's management attracted the greatest artists of the day. In 1980, Hugues Gall left for Switzerland, where his fifteen years as director of the Grand Théâtre de Genève had a profound effect on the institution. In 1993, he was appointed deputy director of the Opéra national de Paris, the merger of Garnier and Bastille, before taking the helm two years later. During his nine-year tenure, he succeeded in bringing peace and influence to the institution, and introduced an enriched and dense repertoire, with many new works.

Hugues Gall continues to be involved in cultural policy and its institutions. Elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 2002, he went on to direct the Fondation Claude Monet in Giverny from 2008 onwards, transforming it profoundly.

This collective work pays tribute to Hugues Gall, one year after his death. It contains numerous contributions from leading figures in politics and culture.