La Scala names head of Salzburg Festival as new general manager

MILAN – La Scala’s board of directors has named the artistic director of the Salzburg Festival Alexander Pereira as the opera house’s new general manager.

Pereira replaces Stephane Lissner, who is leaving La Scala in 2015 after a decade in Milan to take over the Paris Opera.

Milan Mayor Giuliano Pisapia said Tuesday that Pereira “is the person that we feel is right to enhance our jewel.”

Pereira, a 65-year-old Austrian, was artistic director of the Zurich opera house from 1991-2012 and has run the Salzburg Festival since 2012.

Among Pereira’s priorities will be to seek additional sources of private funding for the public opera house as the financial crisis has put a squeeze on governmental contributions. He himself will be paid 25 per cent less than Lissner’s salary of 350,000 euros ($458,000).