The Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse is an

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically fo ...

within the main administration buildings, the Capitole, of the city of

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and fr ...

in south-west

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It houses an opera company,

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

company and symphony orchestra,

Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse The Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse is a French orchestra based in Toulouse. It acts as both a symphony orchestra whose main residence is Toulouse's Halle aux Grains, and the permanent orchestra of the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. ...

. The first performance space, a ''salle du jeu de spectacle'', was created in the building in 1736 by Guillaume Cammas. Following a period of neglect, the current space was created during the rebuild of 1818. The theatre suffered fire damage in 1917 but was restored in 1923. The front of house areas were modernised in 1996. The current capacity is 1156 seats.

Michel Plasson Michel Plasson (born 2 October 1933, Paris, France) is a French conductor. Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. ...

was responsible for the artistic direction of the company from 1973. He was followed by Jacques Doucet in 1981, by

Nicolas Joel Nicolas Joel or Joël (6 February 195318 June 2020) was a French opera director and administrator of opera houses. He was general manager of the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse from 1990 to 2009 and of the Paris Opera from 2009 to 2014. He di ...

in 1991, and by Frédéric Chambert in 2009, after Joel's move to the Opéra national de Paris. Chambert's first season was marked by the use of alternate spaces while the theatre was renovated, and the theatre was re-opened for the beginning of the 2010–11 season. The opera company is a member of the

Réunion des Opéras de France The Réunion des Opéras de France, commonly known as the ROF, is the professional association of opera companies in France. It provides information resources for the opera sector and the public, supports its member companies through meetings, and ...

External links

Theatre du Capitole de Toulouse
website. {{DEFAULTSORT:Theatre du Capitole Opera houses in France Buildings and structures in Toulouse Tourist attractions in Toulouse Theatres completed in 1736 Music venues completed in 1736 Theatres completed in 1818 Music venues completed in 1818