James Conlon Remains Hooked On L.a. As He Reflects On His 20 Years As Music Director Of L.a. Opera

In mid-September 2004, James Conlon, a 54-year-old New Yorker who had conscionable completed a nine-year assignment arsenic euphony head of Paris Opera, sewage a astonishing telephone from Plácido Domingo, nan celebrated tenor and caput of Los Angeles Opera. Conlon was itching to return location aft having spent 2 decades successful Europe, wherever he had headed nan Rotterdam Symphony arsenic good arsenic nan Cologne Opera and nan German city’s Gürzenich Orchestra.

He seemed nan astir apt campaigner to win different “Jimmy.” James Levine had go an operatic fable arsenic euphony head of nan Metropolitan Opera for astir 3 decades and had been a mentor to and champion of Conlon. But Levine had nary contiguous plans to time off nan Met.

“I wasn’t expecting an connection aliases anything,” Conlon said precocious successful nan Dorothy Chandler Pavilion agency he has occupied for 20 years and laden pinch mementos soon to beryllium boxed. When Conlon conducts nan last capacity of nan company’s bewitching accumulation of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” Sunday day that will besides people his past quality arsenic L.A. Opera euphony director.

“I near Paris reasoning I’m going to goof disconnected now,” Conlon explained, having for 7 of his 9 Paris years retained his positions successful Cologne, shuttling betwixt 2 exceptionally demanding jobs. But Plácido said to me, ‘If you conscionable travel to Los Angeles Opera for 3 aliases 4 years that would beryllium awesome for nan company. We’ll springiness you what you want,’ blah, blah, blah, blah.’

“Basically, I figured that would beryllium it for a fewer years, but I felt correct distant astatine home. I liked it, and I wanted to stay.

“It is very difficult to opportunity why you for illustration somebody,” he continued. “I mean, I sewage here, I started rehearsing and conducting and gathering everybody and felt welcomed connected each levels. It was arsenic elemental arsenic that.”

“What was awesome astir L.A. was that I could do it present connected a regular basis, and I started to understand that it is different shape of expression. I liked what that did to me, nan measurement it engaged my mind,” Conlon said of his clip arsenic euphony head of nan L.A. Opera.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

When L.A. Opera came calling, it was a wild, if exciting, teen company. Domingo told maine astatine nan clip that he felt Conlon was nan evident prime to bring a patient manus to nan company. Still, a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker pinch an estimable European operatic pedigree could besides look an incongruous fresh for L.A., which came to opera rather precocious successful immoderate benignant of accordant aliases intrinsic way.

While L.A. had ever had opera of 1 benignant aliases another, astir of it came by measurement of touring companies. L.A. Opera’s ain founding successful 1986 was a nonstop consequence of a sojourn by London’s Royal Opera to nan Dorothy Chandler Pavilion successful nan 1984 Olympic Arts Festival. The institution began without either an orchestra of its ain aliases euphony director, and it was only successful 2003 that it yet had both, pinch nan assignment of Kent Nagano, who remained for 3 years.

Conlon’s West Coast acquisition had been but youthful appearances pinch nan San Francisco Symphony and an ongoing narration pinch nan Los Angeles Philharmonic astatine nan Hollywood Bowl. Since past he had go known not only for that judge manus successful a wide scope of repertory from Mozart to Shostakovich, but besides for his persuasive passion successful reviving forgotten useful by neglected composers who had been victims of Nazi Germany, whereas successful somewhat opera-free L.A., nan bulk of nan modular operatic repertory had been neglected. Yet it turned retired that not only did L.A. hunger for nan modular repertory successful which Conlon thrives, but what became known arsenic Conlon’s “Recovered Voices” efforts proved a earthy for L.A. The German and Austrian symphonic and operatic euphony of nan 1930s happens to beryllium nan guidelines of nan Hollywood soundtrack, created by composers specified arsenic Erich Korngold, who fled nan Nazis.

The backstory of nan useful by nan composers who perished is evidently compelling, but nan lightning bolt that struck Conlon first was nan music.

“I turned nan power connected successful nan mediate and I said, ‘Oh my god, what is this?’ I couldn’t place it.” It was nan “Lyric Symphony” by Alexander Zemlinsky and “I decided correct then, I’m not going to grounds Beethoven aliases Brahms. Who needs another. Let’s do thing that makes a difference. I picked retired nan Sinfonietta, which was his past work.”

Conductor James Conlon during a rehearsal of nan L.A. Opera’s accumulation of Verdi’s “Falstaff” astatine nan Dorothy Chandler Pavilion successful April 2025.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

Zemlinsky did negociate to emigrate to New York but died of pneumonia successful 1942 without having been capable to revive his career. It was, however, Conlon’s attachment to nan Austrian composer that led him to nan galore composers who could not flee. And successful L.A. Conlon recovered an avid assemblage for mainstage productions of specified little-known operas arsenic Zemlinsky’s “The Dwarf,” Walter Braunfels’ “The Birds” and Franz Schreker’s “The Stigmatized.” This caught nan attraction of donors arsenic good arsenic nan opera world astatine ample pinch nan merchandise of DVDs. Conlon created a programme astatine nan Colburn School astir nan composers that has gained world significance.

What nan occurrence of “Recovered Voices” further demonstrated was that nan newness of opera successful L.A. could mean an openness, and 1 that allowed Conlon himself opportunities for different of his pursuits. He’s a talker, but location is not overmuch room for that benignant of thing, successful an informal way, successful Europe. L.A. audiences, connected nan different hand, can’t get enough.

In his 20 years pinch L.A. Opera, Conlon besides took evident pleasance successful bringing opera to nan organization successful different ways, conducting children’s opera astatine nan Cathedral of nan Angels and helping create city-wide festivals.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Conlon’s pre-concert talks earlier each capacity person go standing-room-only assemblage rituals connected nan 2nd level of nan Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, wherever he shares his enthusiasm for, successful particular, Mozart, Wagner and Verdi. Conlon sewage his Wagner large time, including a afloat “Ring” Cycle, in 2010. The accumulation by Achim Freyer, though controversial, remains a milestone.

For those performances, not only did an excitedly tireless Conlon walk an hr earlier performances successful nan talks, but afterward, contempt operas that lasted 5 hours aliases more, he could beryllium recovered down nan barroom astatine Kendell’s, nan theater’s downstairs brasserie, serving drinks.

“Well, I person to show you,” Conlon says, mounting nan grounds straight. “I did do nan pre-talks. I did do nan Wagner operas. You tin judge what you saw. What you can’t believe, because it was a fraud, was I don’t person a hint arsenic to really to operation drinks. It was a joke. I served them and pretended I mixed them. In each those years successful Germany and France and Italy, I drank wine.”

Hand successful manus pinch nan talks came Conlon’s writing, successful which, arsenic successful his talks, he goes wrong nan activity successful portion to find philosophical and psychological meaning but chiefly to stock his love. He began this successful Cologne arsenic an effort to antagonistic a German prejudice against a batch of French music. Conlon became a regular contributor to nan programme book and nan company’s website, on pinch Opera News and different publications.

“What was awesome astir L.A. was that I could do it present connected a regular basis, and I started to understand that it is different shape of expression. I liked what that did to me, nan measurement it engaged my mind.”

James Conlon conducts L.A. Opera’s “Oedipus Rex” pinch Russell Thomas singing nan title domiciled and Manual Cinema performing nan ocular imagery successful nan Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Opera)

Conlon whitethorn still see himself a New Yorker. After 20 years arsenic euphony head of L.A. Opera — half nan company’s life — he brought it into adulthood. The measurement now we perceive a awesome woody of operatic repertory is nan measurement he had ever heard it. He shared L.A. pinch longtime posts astatine nan Ravinia Festival, nan summertime location of nan Chicago Symphony, and Cincinnati May Festival of choral much, which he headed for a grounds 37 years. He besides served betwixt 2016 and 2020 arsenic main conductor of nan RAI National Symphony Orchestra successful Turin, Italy.

And erstwhile asked really he thinks L.A. has changed him, he has a New Yorker’s measurement of turning that backmost connected nan questioner. L.A. Opera has been a saga of triumphs and challenges. He sewage what he wanted astatine first, but opera companies everyplace are struggling, this being an outrageously costly creation form.

This is thing that Conlon seems to return successful stride. If nan institution can’t spend caller productions arsenic it erstwhile could (a problem for opera everyplace successful America) aliases prosecute a plethora of prima singers, he takes his delight and nourishment from nan music. He’s made nan orchestra great. He offers singers gracious support. I person yet to spot an assemblage travel distant from 1 of his performances pinch thing little than rambunctious enthusiasm. It is not uncommon for Conlon to get nan loudest applause astatine curtain call.

Conlon besides took evident pleasance successful bringing opera to nan organization successful different ways, conducting children’s opera astatine nan Cathedral of nan Angels, helping create city-wide festivals astir composers who mean nan astir to him, Wagner and Benjamin Britten very overmuch included.

During nan COVID lockdown era, a fraught clip for each performers and a frightful 1 for opera companies, Conlon shed his New York tegument for L.A. He says he recovered awesome pleasance spending a twelvemonth successful his L.A. location pinch his family, dogs, scores and penning — a break from nan rat title that would hardly person been nan aforesaid had he remained successful his New York apartment.

“I americium perfectly happy astatine this constituent successful my life,” Conlon says. “You cognize my property is 76. It is not a secret. I deterioration it proudly. But I’ve been a euphony head for 47 years, and I don’t want to beryllium a euphony head immoderate longer.”

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A alteration was readily noticeable erstwhile he returned to nan podium, his lyrical and reflective sides much prominent, an integrated value to theater. But nan main effect of spending 20 years successful L.A. is that he has joined Los Angeles Philharmonic erstwhile euphony board Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Gustavo Dudamel arsenic incapable of cutting ties pinch nan city.

“I emotion L.A. and I’m not going to leave,” Conlon insists, which doesn’t mean he’s giving up his New York residency either. “I americium perfectly happy astatine this constituent successful my life. You cognize my property is 76. It is not a secret. I deterioration it proudly. But I’ve been a euphony head for 47 years, and I don’t want to beryllium a euphony head immoderate longer.

“I will still conduct, and I will besides beryllium progressive extracurricular of nan opera.”

While Conlon is not yet fresh to denote what this will be, his narration will proceed pinch nan Colburn School and its “Music Restored” project.

In nan meantime, L.A. Opera has made Conlon conductor laureate. He is scheduled to behaviour Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro” adjacent season. Asked whether that intends he’ll return regularly, he replies, “That nan theory.”