Romain Gilbert initially studied piano and opera singing at the Paris Conservatoire and completed a degree in engineering before turning to arts and cultural management. He went on to earn a master's degree in music management at the University of La Sorbonne in Paris. After various experiences in production management, he became production manager of the Musiciens du Louvre and then turned increasingly to staging. He assisted at various European theatres, including the Monnaie de Bruxelles, the Royal Opera of Versailles and the Royal Opera of Copenhagen. Romain Gilbert was involved in Claus Guth’s production of Parsifal at the Gran Teatre del Liceu and in the production of Samson at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.

As a director, Romain Gilbert is a welcome guest at the Bordeaux Opera, for example, where he staged Carmen in 2021 and Werther in 2022, among others. For semi-staged programmes, he has already worked with the Orchestre de chambre de Paris, the Orchestre National de Lyon and the Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse, among others. He has also created semi-staged opera programmes at the Whitsuntide Festival in Salzburg, the Festival Radio France and the Enescu Festival in Bucharest. This year, Gilbert returned to Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie for a production of Wozzeck and celebrated the 150th anniversary of Carmen with revivals of his production in Versailles, Hong Kong and Hanoi.