Born in Ghent in 1943, he is one of the most prestigious directors of opera houses today. The first major milestone of his career was his performance at the La Monnaie Theater in Brussels (general director from 1981 to 1991), where he moved to the Salzburg Festival, where he was linked until 2001. Founding Director of the Triennial Of the Ruhr, in 2004 he took over the direction of the Opéra National de Paris, having occupied until 2009. He is usually surrounded by controversy, and in September of this year he will take over the artistic direction of the Teatro Real in Madrid.