With a solid musical background and a master’s degree in cultural policy from Paris Sorbonne, Jérôme Gay first became involved in music as a double bass player. For many years, he performed in a large number of orchestras as a soloist and chamber musician. He has worked under such great conductors as Lorin Maazel and Daniel Barenboim. At the same time, he devoted considerable time to teaching his instrument around 2000.
His career took a new direction in 2003, when he was appointed Deputy General Director of the Opéra de Toulon Provence Méditerranée, then Artistic Director. He is also program advisor to the Festival Présences Féminines, the only festival in France whose artistic focus is on women composers of all periods. From this point onwards, he was resolutely committed to promoting the network of orchestras and operas. This is how he became involved with the Réunion des Opéras de France and the Association Française des Orchestres. In 2010, he was elected secretary of the Chambre Professionnelle des Directions d’Opéra, then of Forces Musicales, as well as the secretary of the Centre Français de Promotion
Lyrique.
Passionate about the vocal arts, he conducts extensive heritage research to unearth and disseminate rare scores designed to enhance the operatic repertoire and contribute to its development and diversification. He is currently the President of Génération Opéra, the largest opera association in France, working to identify and promote the professional integration of young opera artists, and Artistic Director of the Présences Compositrices record label.