Lotfi Mansouri Opera director, opera manager Date of Birth: 15.06.1929 Country: Iran

1. Early Life and Education
2. Opera Directing Debut and Career
3. Leadership at Geneva Opera and Metropolitan Opera
4. Pioneering Surtitles and Canadian Opera Company
5. San Francisco Opera

Early Life and Education

Lotfi Mansouri was born in Tehran, Iran to Hassan and Mehri Mansouri. He graduated from the University of California with a bachelor's degree in 1953 and served as an assistant professor there from 1957 to 1960.

Opera Directing Debut and Career

Mansouri's debut as an opera director came at Los Angeles City College with Mozart's "Così fan tutte." He then directed several productions at Marymount College. In 1960, Mansouri joined the Zurich Opera, where he premiered new productions of "Amahl and the Night Visitors," "La traviata," "Don Pasquale," and "Samson et Dalila" in his first year.

Leadership at Geneva Opera and Metropolitan Opera

In 1966, Mansouri moved to Geneva, becoming the principal stage director of the Geneva Opera. He held this position for ten years, during which he also made guest appearances at various American opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera.

Pioneering Surtitles and Canadian Opera Company

From 1971 to 1988, Mansouri served as general director of the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto. It was there, during a performance of Strauss's "Electra" in January 1983, that he first introduced surtitles, which have become the standard method of translation in opera.

San Francisco Opera

In 1988, Mansouri became the fourth general director of the San Francisco Opera, succeeding Terence A. McEwen. He announced his retirement in 2001, and Pamela Rosenberg of the Stuttgart Opera succeeded him.