International Classical Artists BIOGRAPHY

International
Classical Artists
BIOGRAPHY
Director
The magic with which Pelly brings to life first the inanimate objects
in the house, then the world of nature in the garden beyond, is
breathtaking.
Guardian
Laurent Pelly enjoys a career as one of France's most sought after directors of both theatre and opera. He is
particularly renowned for his work in French repertoire, and has a skill for revealing the serious side of comedy.
He underlines his interpretation of characters through skilful and inspired costume designs and in recent years
has expanded into set design. His productions are detailed, satirical, often surreal, exquisite in taste and
wonderfully imaginative in both conception and execution.
Laurent Pelly has a distinguished career in the theatre – in 2007 he was appointed Director of Théâtre National
de Toulouse, having previously been Director of Cargo / Centre Dramatique National des Alpes in Grenoble
(1997-2007). Highlights in Toulouse include Victor Hugo’s Mille cents francs de récompense (also at l’Odéon
in Paris and winner of the 2011 french critics “best director” award, as well as “best set design”), Hanokh
Levin’s Funérailles d’hiver, Carlo Goldoni’s Le Menteur, Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, a staged recital of
songs by Michel Legrand, featuring Natalie Dessay and most recently Shakespeare’s Macbeth (also at Théâtre
Nanterre-Amandiers in autumn 2013) and Victor Hugo’s Mangeront-ils? for which he designed both sets and
costumes. In spring 2014 he deisgns and directs Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
New productions for 13/14 include Bellini’s I Puritani for L’Opéra national de Paris , direction and design of
Rossini’s Le Comte Ory for L’Opéra national de Lyon and Teatro alla Scala, Milan, and Don Pasquale for
Sante Fe, San Francisco and Teatro del Liceu, Barclona.
Other current work include Ravel’s L'enfant et les sortilèges and L'heure espagnole for the Glyndebourne and
Saito Kinen Festivals, Robert le Diable for the Royal Opera House and Grand Théâtre de Genève, Les contes
d’Hoffmann for San Francisco Opera and Teatro del Liceu, Barcelona, a revival of Prokofiev’s Love for Three
Oranges in Amsterdam, Manon at Covent Garden (also in Japan), Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala Milan
and Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse and Cendrillon (originally created in Santa Fe) for the Royal Opera House,
Teatro del Liceu Barcelona, La Monnaie Brussels and Opéra de Lillle. Other recent successes include
Handel’s Guilio Cesare for L’Opéra national de Paris, Kurt Weil’s Threepenny Opera for la Comédie-Française,
Massenet’s Don Quichotte at La Monnaie, Mahagonny for Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse, Offenbach’s La Vie
Parisienne for Opéra de Lyon and Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse, Hansel und Gretel for Glyndebourne
Festival (also revived in Lyon) and Verdi’s La traviata at Santa Fe and Teatro Regio di Torino – this latter
reworked and revived to critical acclaim in Santa Fe in 2012.
His celebrated production of Donizetti’s La fille du régiment (Royal Opera House, Vienna State Opera,
Metropolitan Opera) received world-wide acclaim, and enjoys constant revival, whilst other productions include
Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen (Saito Kinen Festival and Maggio Musicale Florence), Debussy’s Pelléas
et Mélisande and Mozart’s La finta semplice (Theater an der Wien), L’elisir d’amore (Opéra national de Paris,
Royal Opera House,Teatro alla Scala Milan, Mariinsky Theatre St Petersburg), Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos,
Weill’s Les Sept péchés Capitaux (Opéra national de Paris), Poulenc’s La Voix humaine and Bartók's Duke
Bluebeard's Castle (Opéra national de Lyon), Rameau’s Platée (Opéra national de Paris, Santa Fe), Chabrier’s
Le roi malgré lui (Opéra national de Lyon and L’Opéra Comique), Offenbach’s La Grande Duchesse (Théâtre
du Châtelet) and La Belle Hélène (Théâtre du Châtelet, Santa Fe, English National Opera).
September 2013 - Updated biographies are available at www.icartists.co.uk
International Classical Artists Dunstan House 14a St Cross Street London EC1N 8XA Tel: +44 20 7902 0520