Festival Aix-en-Provence Announces New General Director
By Francisco Salazar(Ctedit: © Lea Meienberg, 2023)
Ted Huffman has been appointed General Director of the Festival Aix-en-Provence, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
The news was announced after it was approved by Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture, Sophie Joissains, Mayor of the City of Aix-en-Provence, Martine Vassal, President of the Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence and the Conseil départemental des Bouches-du-Rhône and Renaud Muselier, President of the Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, and upon the recommendation of its Chairman, Paul Hermelin, the Board of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.
The appointment received unanimous support, and Huffman’s term will be an initial five years. He will succeed Pierre Audi, who passed away suddenly in May 2025.
Huffman will implement the program conceived by Pierre Audi for the 2026 edition and, in part, for the 2027 edition. At the same time, he will begin developing the artistic vision and strategic framework for the 2028 editions and beyond.
In a statement, Paul Hermelin –Chairman of the Board of the Festival Chairman of the Board of the Festival Chairman of the Board of the Festival said, “There has long been a genuine “love story” between Ted Huffman and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, which he first discovered in 2012 while taking part in the sessions of our Académie. He has returned every year since, directing several productions that have been both remarkable and widely acclaimed, most recently in 2025 with The Story of Billy Budd, Sailor. The project he presented to us combines a deep respect for the Festival’s core values with a boldness that we believe initiated a new momentum for the future of both the Festival and opera itself. With his international experience and his keen understanding of the cultural and artistic
dynamics of our region, I am confident that he has all the qualities needed to further enhance the reach and influence of our cherished Festival. I would also like to pay tribute to the memory of Pierre Audi, whose philosophy of openness and artistic ambition has further shaped the identity of Aix, and to extend my heartfelt thanks to Bernard Foccroulle, who has guided our teams with generosity and placed his expertise at the\ service of the Festival throughout this past year.”
Huffmann is a stage director and writer whose productions have earned numerous awards and nominations, including ones for the Olivier Awards, the International Opera Awards, the Opernwelt Awards, and the Fedora Generali Prize. He has presented productions at the Festival Aix-en-Provence, Paris Opera Royal Ballet and Opera, and Aldeburgh Festival, among others.
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