**Former director of the Nice Opera and the Opéra-Comique, the stage director died at the age of 90. His career was marked by artistic rigor, opera production, and a lasting influence on French stages.**
The death of Pierre Médecin was announced at the age of 90. **Former director of the Nice Opera** and the Opéra-Comique, Pierre Médecin led these institutions in the 80s and 90s. His career included numerous productions of major operas. This passing concerns **a recognized figure in the French operatic world**, who remained detached from [local political life](https://www.nicepremium.fr/societe/politique/).
*”The first impression, when you don’t know Pierre Médecin well, is that of a clone between Fernandel and Charles Pasqua,”* wrote [Christian Merlin in *Le Figaro* in 2007](https://www.lefigaro.fr/2006/02/20/03004-20060220ARTFIG90269-pierre_medecin_intellectuel_pragmatique.php). This phrase accompanied **a broader depiction of a lyrical theater man** marked by **deep reflection** and **a constant connection with opera**.
Born in 1935, Pierre Médecin was a **stage director**. His journey included training at Bayreuth with Wieland Wagner, the grandson of Richard Wagner and the great-grandson of Franz Liszt. Pierre Médecin became Wieland Wagner’s assistant. This period marked his entry into a demanding European operatic theater aesthetic.
## **The Nice Opera, an Anchor Point in His Career**
**Pierre Médecin joined the [Nice Opera](https://www.nicepremium.fr/culture-loisirs/opera-de-nice-une-saison-2025-2026-libre-desprit/) in 1959** as an artistic advisor at the age of 24. He held this position from 1959 to 1966. He directed the Nice Opera later, from 1982 to 1983. During this time, he laid the groundwork for a structured production policy aimed at competing with major French opera houses.
The Diacosmie is associated with this period. Pierre Médecin was behind **the creation of the Diacosmie**, a unique production center. This facility is still used by the Nice Opera for the design and manufacturing of sets. Its impact is measured over time.
Pierre Médecin’s family background places him in a well-known lineage in Nice. **His father, [Jean Médecin](https://www.nicepremium.fr/actualites/nice-commemore-jean-medecin-50-ans-deja18116/)**, was mayor of Nice for 37 years. **His brother Jacques Médecin** was mayor from 1966 to 1990. Both figures were involved in parliamentary and ministerial roles. Pierre Médecin did not make a name for himself in politics. His career developed in the field of opera, with a life devoted to music, opera, and artistic rigor.
The mayor of Nice, **Christian Estrosi**, posted a tribute on Facebook: *”It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of Pierre Médecin at the age of 90. Brother of Jacques Médecin, he was a major figure in Nice’s cultural life and left a lasting mark on the history of our opera. Artistic director from 1959 to 1966, director of the Nice Opera from 1982 to 1983, and then director of the Opéra-Comique in Paris from 1994 to 2000. Pierre Médecin is notably the creator of the Diacosmie, a unique, structuring, and visionary production center that the Opera still uses every day. His artistic rigor, vision, and commitment helped Nice shine on the major operatic stages in France and Europe. Through each set designed at the Diacosmie, each production, and each note played by our orchestra, his legacy lives on. To his family, his close ones, and the entire cultural community, I extend my sincerest thoughts.”*
## **From Nice to Paris, A Remarkable Leadership**
**Pierre Médecin directed the Opéra-Comique from 1994 to 2000**. This period marked a recovery for the Parisian institution following its split from the Paris Opera. An exacting vision of the repertoire and the company was affirmed. This leadership places Pierre Médecin among the great French opera directors of the late 20th century.
**Charles Ange Ginésy**, president of the Alpes-Maritimes department, also reacted: *”It is with great emotion that I learn of Pierre Médecin’s passing at the age of 90, the last of a sibling of four, Alexandre, Pierre, Jacques, and Geneviève. An emblematic figure of Nice’s cultural life, he left a lasting mark on the history of our Opera. Artistic director from 1959 to 1966, director of the Nice Opera and the Opéra-Comique in Paris, he was also the visionary creator of the Diacosmie, a unique and still essential tool today. Through his artistic rigor and commitment, he contributed to Nice’s standing on major operatic stages. To his family, his close ones, and the entire cultural community, I offer my sincerest condolences.”*
Alongside his managerial roles, directing remained central. Pierre Médecin continued to stage operas after retirement. **La Scala in Milan** hosted *Pelléas et Mélisande* by Claude Debussy in 2005. Richard Strauss’s *Arabella* was presented in 2006 at the Capitole in Toulouse. This same work had been staged in other contexts. The continuation of his artistic work spans several decades.
A tribute is also paid in the local blog *Le magazine du citoyen engagé*. Lucie Marchese writes about Pierre Médecin: *”Nice owes part of its lyrical breath to him. And in the silence following his passing, the music he championed still quietly resonates.”*
**Eric Ciotti** also expressed his thoughts on social media.
