The departure of Olivier Bertrand

Olivier Bertrand is leaving the general and artistic directorship of La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines.

On behalf of the entire team and the Board of Directors, Christiane Chaput, administrative director, would like to offer him a few words of recognition and friendship.

"Dearest Olivier,

As a reflection of what you embody and represent for the artists, the La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines team, its Board of Directors, and the entire community, this announcement of your departure takes the form of a personal letter, filled with gratitude. It is intended as a tribute to the profoundly human man—in the best sense of what humanity has to offer—that you are.

We have had the immense privilege of having you by our side for ten beautiful years that have passed so quickly!

From the moment you took up the directorship of La Chapelle, you were present at every event, forging countless connections and sparking the many partnerships that have become your trademark. And you did so with all your humility, your excellent listening skills, your unwavering consideration, and your genuine desire to contribute to our ecosystem in the best way possible. With full respect for what La Chapelle already embodied, you took over with passion, creating new initiatives and programs—La Chapelle more bilingual than ever, Les salons acoustiques, Récréations, Parcours—to name just a few, which have further anchored us today as a hub for exchange and creation in all its inclusivity and diversity.

And what can we say about the numerous co-presentations and partnerships, whose recurrence from one season to the next testifies to the genuine pleasure of collaborating with you.

Together, we navigated the pandemic, which you managed with a master's hand. At your initiative, we renewed our venue's technical equipment for the benefit of the artists and their work (and to the great delight of our technical teams) and gave a much-needed facelift to our offices. We organized memorable fundraising events and launch parties, held picnics at Carré Saint-Louis and in parks like Lafontaine and Jeanne-Mance, hosted welcome coffees with programming artists, and so much more.

It is certainly with a tear in our eye that we say goodbye, as your smile, warmth, and kindness will be terribly missed. That said, you will remain vibrant in our hearts and within our walls! You have set the bar high, and we will try to keep it there. We are also, of course, happy for you as you move toward new challenges, soon to return to France.

We love you very much, Olivier Bertrand. You are an exceptional man, never forget that!"

The call for applications for the renewal of the directorship position at La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines will be launched in the course of October 2025.