Alain Gauthier, a Montreal native, acquired his directing abilities at the Université du Québec à Montréal.  Gauthier demonstrated his aptitude for stage direction while serving as an apprentice director at the Atelier Lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal. Alain Gauthier frequently collaborated with the Opéra de Montréal and staged several significant repertory pieces for the company, including L'Étoile, Suor Angelica, Il tabarro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Pagliacci/Gianni Schicchi, Faust, Dead Man Walking, Samson et Dalila, and Elektra. Critics and audience members praised Pagliacci/Gianni Schicchi and Dead Man Walking as two of the most significant productions in the company's history. As the highest honor in classical music in Quebec, they each got an Opus Award for the respective "Best show of the year" and "Event of the year."

 

Elsewhere in Canada, he was invited to stage Carmen for the Edmonton Opera and the Calgary Opera, La vie parisienne and Die Zauberflöte at the Opéra de Québec, as well as many concerts and operas with young artists for the Jeunesses Musicales Canada, the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, the Université de Montréal, and the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal.  Additionally, he collaborated on the creation of a concert version of Don Giovanni with the Orchestre Métropolitain of Montreal and its conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. More recently, he developed staged concert versions of Carmen and Bach's St. Matthew Passion with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and its artistic director, Kent Nagano.

 

In the United States, Gauthier experienced a successful collaboration with Cincinnati Cincinnati Opera, staging for them L’Étoile, Cosi fan tutte, Pagliacci/Gianni Schicchi, and Carmen. He also worked with the Minnesota Opera, the Austin Opera, the New York City Opera as well as with the Clarion Orchestra and the Columbus Orchestra.

 

He has directed La fille du régiment at Opera Carolina, and Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Manitoba Opera. He also presented a five-Canadian-company co-production of La Traviata at the Manitoba Opera, the Edmonton Opera, the Pacific Opera Victoria, and at the Vancouver Opera and Opéra de Montréal.

 

Written on Skin at Opéra de Montreal, and La vie parisienne with the Atelier d'opéra de l'Université de Montréal were both crowned with immense success.

 

In 2024, Alain Gauthier directed two new productions at l'Opéra de Montréal: La Traviata and the rarely presented Hamlet by Ambroise Thomas.