Xavier Roy appointed General Manager of Festival de Lanaudière

June 10, 2020 – The Board of Directors of Festival de Lanaudière announces the appointment of Xavier Roy to the position of General Manager Mr. Roy will take up his duties on July 1, following the retirement of François Bédard, who has guided the Festival’s destinies since 1991.

“The Board of Directors of Festival de Lanaudière is delighted at the arrival of Mr. Roy, who will seamlessly pursue the organization’s mission. His ambitions, expertise and his background in the cultural world and particularly in classical music will undoubtedly take Festival de Lanaudière to new heights,” said Dr. Denis Richard Roy, Chair of the Festival’s Board of Directors.

Renaud Loranger, the Festival’s Artistic Director since 2018, also expressed his delight at Xavier Roy’s appointment: “Xavier Roy was a first-rate candidate in a very high-level playing field, and he will be a formidable General Manager. He fully shares my vision for the Festival’s development, and I am happy to welcome him as we usher in this new chapter.”

An Impressive Career Path

Throughout his career, Xavier Roy has developed a thoughtful and realistic understanding of the role of cultural manager, combined with an inspiring vision of the future of organizations dedicated to classical music. He recently served as Director of Marketing at Opéra de Montréal while concurrently assuming the role of President and General Manager of the Orchestre de l’Agora. His experience in the digital transformation of cultural organizations, which he acquired notably as Manager of Business Intelligence of Montreal’s Place des Arts, has led him to contribute to various boards of directors and government committees in recent years. He has also served as Administrative Director of the Festival international de la littérature (FIL). Before turning to management, he was a member of the QW4RTZ vocal quartet, with which he gave hundreds of performances in Canada, France and Belgium.

Xavier Roy holds a Bachelor of Music in Classical Vocal Interpretation from Université de Montréal and a Master’s degree in Cultural Enterprise Management from HEC Montréal. In the coming weeks, he will complete an MBA at the University of Oxford in England, for which he was awarded the first Saïd Business School/HEC Montréal Scholarship.

Even though he is taking up his position in the context of social and economic upheaval, Xavier Roy remains confident and optimistic about the future of the Festival: “I am honoured to be part of the Festival de Lanaudière family and to contribute to the mission initiated by Father Lindsay. I would like to thank outgoing General Manager François Bédard for his immense contribution and the enviable state in which he leaves our organization. Thanks to the artistic leadership of Renaud Loranger, the energy of our team, the generosity of our volunteers, and the support of our Board of Directors, I am convinced that the Festival is bound for a bright and glorious future!”

About Festival de Lanaudière

Festival de Lanaudière was founded in 1978 and is the largest classical music festival in Canada. It is also a member of the Regroupement des événements majeurs internationaux. Each year, it welcomes more than 50,000 participants to its concerts and activities. Its artistic programming is accessible and features a roster of internationally renowned artists. The Festival’s main stage is the Amphithéâtre Fernand-Lindsay in Joliette, with a capacity of 2,000 seats under its roof as well as 5,000 more on the lawn.