Photo: passigatti / iStock / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - James Conlon, who has served as music director of Los Angeles Opera for 18 years, will step down from the post in 2026, but will continue his relationship and work with the company under the new title of conductor laureate.
"The long, productive relationship that I have shared with LA Opera and the greater Los Angeles community has been a source of enormous professional fulfillment, and I have decided to make the 2025/2026 season my last as music director," Conlon said in a statement.
Conlon has been music director since 2006, so 2026 will give him an even 20 years at the helm.
"Twenty years with the company marks an extraordinary personal milestone. I am moving on to a new phase of my professional activities and am grateful to the board and to (LA Opera President/CEO) Christopher (Koelsch) for their understanding. I have been a music director with orchestras, opera companies and festivals in Europe and the United States for almost 50 years and am looking forward to launching new projects of great importance to me, both musically and personally."
Conlon's move out of his role will ironically coincide with the departure of another Southland classical music giant -- Gustavo Dudamel -- who will step down in 2026 as music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Dudamel is taking the same position with the New York Philharmonic.
Conlon told the Los Angeles Times in an interview that the timing with Dudamel is "a total coincidence."
Koelsch said Conlon's impact on LA Opera "is unparalleled and cannot be overstated."
"He has been a fierce and passionate advocate for the power and beauty of the art form, dedicating so much of his time to connect directly with audiences and community members, enthusiastically sharing his knowledge with everyone from the most learned opera fan to children who have never been exposed to classical music," Koelsch said in a statement. "He is equally committed to the members of the orchestra and ensuring that, as a group, they are continually developing, expanding and sharpening their collective sound; from my point of view, they have never sounded better as an ensemble. Under his guidance, the LA Opera Orchestra has truly become one of the premiere orchestras in the world."
According to LA Opera, Conlon has conducted 68 operas by 32 different composers and more than 460 performances with the company. In addition to his conducting work, he also introduced a "Recovered Voices" initiative, which stages "neglected masterpieces by composers suppressed by the Third Reich."
He also began a Community Opera program held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, bringing together more than 400 amateur singers, dancers and musicians performing along the LA Opera's professional performers. The performances are presented for free to the public. This year's event is planned for May 3-4, featuring Benjamin Britten's "Noah's Flood."
Prior to joining LA Opera, Conlon served as principal conductor of the Paris Opera; general music director of the City of Cologne, Germany, while simultaneously leading the Gürzenich Orchestra and the Cologne Opera; music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra; and principal conductor of the RAI Orchestra Nazionale Torino.