General Manager of the Cité de la musique and President of the Philharmonie de Paris
Born in 1965, Olivier Mantei studied Modern Literature and Musicology at the Sorbonne University and EHESS (Paris).
In 1993 Laurence Equilbey entrusted him with the development of her newly founded chamber choir Accentus. He was named administrator of the choir, which became a reference in the musical field under his tenure.
In 1998, he founded his own production agency Instant Pluriel with which he launched the musical season of the Bouffes du Nord theatre in Paris and worked with La Chambre Philharmonique, a symphony orchestra conducted by Emmanuel Krivine.
In 1999, Olivier Mantei founded the FEVIS federation (Fédération des Ensembles Vocaux et Instrumentaux Spécialisés) and became its president.
In 2000, Olivier Mantei was appointed administrator of the Bouffes du Nord and Peter Brook’s company. He left this position in 2006 to return in 2010 as co-director alongside Olivier Poubelle until 2015. He remains a shareholder in the Bouffes du Nord and Athénée theatres.
In 2007, he was appointed assistant director of the Opéra-Comique alongside Jérôme Deschamps and deputy director seven years later. In 2015, he was appointed director of the Théâtre national de l’Opéra-Comique and he was reappointed for three years in June 2020.
On April 28, 2021, Olivier Mantei was appointed CEO of the Cité de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris. His project aims to make the Philharmonie de Paris a living space, an example in accessibility, inclusion and community outreach, while increasing the national and international influence of the establishment and developing its production and outreach activity.
Olivier Mantei is Knight of the French Legion of Honor, Knight of the National Order of Merit and Officier des Arts et Lettres.
