Alexander Neef will be the Opéra National de Paris’ next director. The announcement was made official on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 after weeks of speculation that this would in fact be the case.

According to Le Figaro, the 18-month search for Stéphane Lissner’s successor has come to an end with the current General Manager of the Canadian Opera Company set to trigger an escape clause from his current contract that reportedly runs through 2026.

Some outlets had previously reported that Neef, who had previously worked under Gérard Mortier as director of casting with the Opéra de Paris between 2004 and 2008, was set to take over in 2022. According to Nau, Neef will begin his tenure in 2021.

This news is the latest development in a story that has been underway over the last few weeks. It was reported previously that Neef had been on his way to Paris, though the Canadian Opera Company stated at the time that he had not been handed the top position. The company, however, had made known that it would not stand in Neef’s way if he was to move in that direction.