PHILIPPE JORDAN

Philippe Jordan named Paris Opera music director
Agence France-Presse, 12 October 2007

The young Swiss conductor Philippe Jordan will take over as musicdirector at the Paris National Opera in 2009, the opera houseannounced Wednesday.Jordan, who will be 33 on October 18, will take the helm of the 174-strong orchestra of France's leading opera company, becoming thefirst permanent conductor since American James Conlon, who left in2004 after nine years in the post.Since then, director Gerard Mortier has called on various conductorsto make guest appearances including France's Sylvain Cambreling whohas often taken the baton.Jordan, currently guest conductor at the Berlin Staatsoper, hasstudied piano and violin and is the son of maestro Armin Jordan, whodied in 2006.His appointment as music director was announced at a meeting of theParis Opera board of directors on Wednesday.