Opera Scotland

Göran Gentele Suggest updates

Born Stockholm, 20 September 1917.

Died Sardinia, 18 July 1972.

Swedish director and administrator.

He began his career as a theatre director, working at the National Theatre in Stockholm from 1941-52. He spent the next decade directing productions at the Royal Opera in Stockholm. A period as administrator of that company followed, from 1963-71. He was then appointed to succeed Rudolf Bing as general manager at the New York Met, and was having a holiday with his family before taking up the appointment when he was killed in a car crash.

His productions in Stockholm included the premiere of Blomdahl's Aniara and an attempt at a historically-informed Ballo in maschera, both being seen in Edinburgh and London. At Covent Garden he directed Iphigénie en Tauride in 1961 - a staging that was also brought to Edinburgh. His first production at the Met, shortly before his death, was Carmen, in which Marilyn Horne was conducted by Leonard Bernstein.