Prodcution Sketches

Arnaud BERNARD

Arnaud BERNARD , born in 1966, began playing the violin at age 6. He entered  the Conservatoire National de Strasbourg at the age of 17, where he completed a wide range of musical studies including violin, orchestra, analysis, etc. Subsequently, he was engaged as violinist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of  Strasbourg for the 1986 and 1987 seasons.

In 1988, he became assistant to the renowned director Nicolas Joël. At the same time he served as assistant to Jean-Claude Auvray throughout France and Germany.

In 1989, he was hired by the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse as stage manager and since that time, has worked as assistant director for all major productions. During this period, he continued his activities as assistant throughout France (Nancy, Lyon, Strasbourg, Nice, Paris, Montpellier, Monte-Carlo, Bordeaux) as well as abroad (Germany, Belgium, England, Argentina and United States, Japan, Italy, Spain) and particularly in the world's most prestigious operahouses : Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera, Scala di Milano, Opéra Bastille, Teatro Colon in Buenos aires…

Since 1993, Mr Bernard has had the occasion to stage more than 25 revivals of Mr Joël’s productions in France and abroad, notably for Romeo et Juliette at the Royal Opera House-Covent Garden  and Lucia di Lamermoor at the Metropolitan Opera.

After having been appointed as Associate Stage Director and Production Manager at the Théâtre du Capitole in 1996, he made his personal debut, at the age of 29, staging Falstaff for the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. to great critical acclaim, followed by Il Trovatore  in Toulouse and by a new production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1998), also at the Théâtre du Capitole.

In 1999, he co-produced Gounod's Roméo et Juliette for the Chicago Lyric Opera with Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu in the leading roles.

In 2001, he signed a new production of L'Elisir d'amore at the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse for the debut of Marcelo Alvarez in th role of Nemorino.

In 2002, Arnaud Bernard signed a new production of Il Trittico by Puccini for the Nantes Opera Company, a new production of Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots for the summer Festival in Martina Franca, Italy. He has firmed a revival of his Barbiere di Siviglia in Toulouse with Sonia Ganassi and Roberto Frontali.

In  2003 he realised a new production of Lakmé (revival in Tokyo and Philadelphia) for the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Werther for Martina Franca, Roméo et Juliette in Tokyo, Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor in Nantes and Angers.

2004/2005 : a new production of Luisa Miller for the National Reiseopera in The Netherlands,  L'Elisir d'amore in Saint-Etienne ,Roméo et Juliette at the Beijing Music festival, Le Roi de Lahore for the re-opening of La  Fenice in Venice. La Bohème in at the Arena of Verona to great critical acclaim, Rigoletto in Lausanne .

More recently, he has staged Luisa Miller at the Fenice, Traviata in Prag (PSO),a new Falstaff at the Teatro San Carlo in Napoli for the opening of the season 2006 , Rigoletto in Marseille and Nantes, L’Elisir d’amore in Toulouse.

In preparation : new production of Cavalleria Rusticana in St Gallen, New production of Carmen in Helsinki in coproduction with Lausanne, new production of The Queen of Spades in Toulouse, Falstaff at the Teatro Colon, revival of la Bohème in Verona, Carmen and Traviata in Japan, New Trittico in Zagreb, Thaïs in Athens (Megaron), Manon Lescaut at the San Carlo...

He will make his personal debut at the Paris National Opera in 2010 with Betrothal in a Monastery by Prokoviev.