He became known as the "Magician of Aix" for his work at the opera festival Gabriel Dussurget was born on 1 January 1904 in Aïn M'lila near Biskra in French Algeria.
[2] During World War II, he founded a drama school in Paris with his partner, Henri Lambert.
[2] His students included Jean-Louis Barrault, Ginette Neveu, Madeleine Renaud, Yvonne Loriod, Olivier Messiaen, Raymond Rouleau, etc.
[1][2] A few years later, in 1948, he co-founded the Aix-en-Provence Festival with Countess Lily Pastré and businessman Roger Bigonnet, Director of the casino in Aix.
"[3] Over the years, he hired opera singers Teresa Berganza, Gabriel Bacquier, Renato Capecchi, Roger Soyer, Graziella Schiutti, José Van Dam, Marcello Cortis, Teresa Stich-Randall and orchestra directors Hans Rosbaud, Lorin Maazel, all of whom went on to have global careers.