Gerard Mortier dies aged 70

GERARD MORTIER, director of an operatic production of Brokeback Mountain at Madrid’s Teatro Real, has died aged 70.

Belgian born Mortier had been suffering from cancer.

The former head of the Paris Opera enjoyed a career spanning more than three decades, and he ran the Salzburg Festival from 1990-2001.

Brokeback Mountain, a story about two gay cowboys, took six years to come to the stage.

Despite his illness, Mortier attended the premiere in January.

He was director of the Teatro Real between 2008 and September 2013, when he revealed he was being treated for cancer.

In a statement, the institution said: “Mortier contributed to promoting Spain’s operatic and cultural landscape and placing the Teatro Real among the world’s leading international opera houses.”