It was the favourite of the bookmakers. The French Dominique Meyer, currently the director of the Vienna state Opera, was named Friday as director of The Scala of Milan, announced the mayor of the Italian city. To 64 years, the former director of the opera houses of Paris and Lausanne (Switzerland) will succeed the current director of La Scala, Alexander Pereira.

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For almost a year, however, the two men will meet: Dominique Meyer will take up his duties from the “mid-2020” and Alexander Pereira will keep until mid-2021, said Giuseppe Sala, the mayor of Milan and president of the Foundation of The Scala.

Poor management of human resources

At the head of the Vienna state Opera since 2010, Dominique Meyer can boast to have attracted the crowds, with nearly 610.000 spectators per season. It has also developed a live streaming and pay, and brought in former star dancer French Manuel Legris as director of ballet.

critics criticize him, however, a certain timidity in its programming and poor management of human resources, with the departure of the head of the orchestra, the French Bertrand de Billy in 2014, followed in the same year the director of music for the austrian Franz Welser-Moest.

An investigation has been opened at the Academy of ballet of the Vienna state Opera on allegations that students have been victims of harassment, physical, mental and sexual on the part of two teachers. One of the two resigned in January. Some have criticized finally to Dominique Meyer not to have attracted talent of international renown.

Alexander Pereira, 71, was director of La Scala since September 2014. His mandate has been tarnished in march by a controversy around the saudi fund which would have been used to finance The Scala.