**FILE** Gerard Mortier, the director of the Salzburg Festival, speaks during a news conference, in this file photo from Feb. 15, 2000 in Salzburg, Austria. Mortier will take over as general manager and artistic director of the New York City Opera, putting him in prime position to mount an avant-garde challenge to the Metropolitan Opera across Lincoln Center Plaza. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson-File)