Gerard Mortier Named Artistic Adviser of Teatro Real Opera House in Madrid MADRID - The Teatro Real said Wednesday that it had created a new advisory post for Gerard Mortier, two weeks after abruptly ousting him as artistic director of the opera house here. Gregorio Marañón, the president of the Teatro Real, said at a press conference that Mr. Mortier had received a new contract as artistic adviser, although he refused to say whether Mr. Mortier would maintain the same salary and employment conditions as when he was at the helm. "There has been absolutely no firing," Mr. Marañón said. Mr. Mortier, he added, will in effect switch from an executive to an advisory role, "with less concrete functions." Earlier this month, the Teatro Real unexpectedly announced that it was replacing Mr. Mortier with Joan Matabosch, after Mr. Mortier criticized the selection process to find the opera house's next artistic director. The Belgian-born Mr. Mortier argued the opera house's management was intent upon finding a Spanish substitute rather than tapping into what he called the more talented pool of foreign directors. Mr. Mortier was due to remain as artistic director until 2016. Mr. Matabosch, who is Spanish, has been the artistic director at the Liceu opera house in Barcelona since 1996. The Liceu is yet to find a replacement for Mr. Matabosch, but he has agreed to continue to oversee productions in Barcelona until year's end. Mr. Matabosch said Wednesday that he maintained "a very fluid relationship" with Mr. Mortier and had been in touch with him since his appointment, although the two had not yet discussed in detail what the Teatro Real would present next season. Overall, Mr. Matabosch said that his goal was to "reorientate" the Teatro Real rather than to erase Mr. Mortier's legacy, insisting that, in terms of Mr. Mortier's production plans, "all that is already sufficiently advanced will be respected." Whatever the exact nature of his new advisory role, Mr. Mortier's future involvement at the Madrid opera house also remains unclear after he recently revealed that he was being treated for cancer.