New head of Dresden opera house sacked before starting

The incoming head of Dresden's world-famous Semperoper opera house has been sacked before he officially started, regional authorities in the German state of Saxony announced on Friday. Belgian arts manager Serge Dorny, 51, credited with transforming the opera house in Lyon, France into a top-class company, was scheduled to take over as general manager at the Semperoper, one of the world's leading opera houses, in September. But Saxony's Arts Minister Sabine von Schorlemer announced that Dorny's contract has been terminated before it comes into effect. Dorny "has been unable to establish a climate of trusting and fruitful collaboration with employees either in the artistic or administrative departments of the opera," the minister said. "He has managed to gamble away any confidence employees might have had in him in the shortest possible period. To our great disappointment, he has not met any of the expectations we had of him." The Semperoper is one of Europe's most prestigious opera companies. The position of general manager has been vacant since the previous incumbent, Ulrike Hessler, died in July 2012.