Pierre was a visionary director, and a great colleague and friend to the LSO, our musicians and artists. During his time as General Director of the Festival d’Aix en Provence, from 2018, he and the LSO worked together particularly closely, leading to acclaimed productions of Wozzeck, Tristan and Isolde, Le prophète and the premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Innocence. He will be greatly missed by everyone in the arts world, and we send our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
‘Pierre Audi was a force of nature. Dedicated to theatre and drama he spanned all genres. From his founding of the Almeida Theatre to his 30 years at the Dutch National Opera and his sadly short lived tenure at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence he was a beacon of innovation and sustained energy and quality. Charismatic, charming, intelligent; he was a gentleman.’
Sir Antonio Pappano, LSO Chief Conductor
‘Having been a friend and collaborator with Pierre for over 45 years, this is so hard to process. He was the Diaghilev of our time, with a gigantic legacy over a huge range of theatre and opera. For me and countless others, he was the person to go to with crazy ideas: if he was convinced, you could always trust that he would make them happen, a unique generosity in our strange world.
Even after living such a full life, full almost to bursting, it’s heartbreaking that he has left us so soon. One of the rare great ones.’
Sir Simon Rattle, LSO Conductor Emeritus
‘Pierre Audi was an inspirational director and visionary arts leader who made a difference to everything he touched. As Director of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence he has been a remarkable partner to the LSO, especially in the years of the pandemic, with unforgettable productions of Tristan and Isolde, and later Wozzeck and the premiere of Innocence by Kaija Saariaho. Many of us also remember his ground breaking Almeida Festival in the 1980s, which inspired so many to embrace the new in music dance and opera. He will be sorely missed.’
Dame Kathryn McDowell, LSO Managing Director
Header image © Erwin Olaf
