James Conlon News

BASE Hologram, the leading producer of holographic based live entertainment, in partnership with LA Opera through its LA Opera Off Grand program, presents a special one-night-only event featuring renowned opera sensation Maria Callas.

Pittance Chamber Music, known for featuring the extraordinary resident artists of the Los Angeles Opera pit and stage, presents Evensong with James Onstad, an evening offering of beloved works by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Johannes Brahms, as part of Pittance Chamber Music's 5th Anniversary Season. The concert takes place in Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music on March 31, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

Placido Domingo has announced the company's 2019/20 season. The season will include six mainstage operas, one musical, one recital and one concert presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, with additional performances presented in other venues through the company's Off Grand initiative.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Music Director Louis Langree announced details of the much-anticipated 125th Anniversary Season beginning in September at Music Hall. The 2019-20 season welcomes acclaimed guest artists including Renee Fleming, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Artist-in-Residence Guy Braunstein and Grammy winner Isabel Leonard, among others. The season includes performances of Beethoven's legendary Akademie program, a fully staged production of Ravel's opera, L'Enfant et les sortileges, seven CSO commissions, five world premieres, three U.S. premieres, as well as an experimental new concert series titled CSO Proof. The 125th Anniversary Season marks the launch of new initiatives both on and off the stage that build on the CSO's legacy. Leading up to the season, the Orchestra presents CSO Look Around, a first-of-its-kind event celebrating community, diversity, and inclusivity on August 3.

Highland Park Strings, under the direction of Principal Conductor Dr. Robert G. Hasty, continues its 40th anniversary season with its annual Gala Benefit Concert BEETHOVEN SPECTACULAR on Sunday, February 10, 2019 at 3 pm at Ravinia's Bennett Gordon Hall, 201 St. Johns Ave in Highland Park.

Los Angeles Opera and Pacific Opera Projects have a number of interesting offerings for late winter and spring of 2019. LA Opera presents performances of the classic film, THE LOSER, on February 22 and 23, 2019, at The Theatre in the Ace Hotel. It will feature the West Coast premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang's compelling new score.

Bard College announces the appointment of celebrated opera singer and recitalist Stephanie Blythe as artistic director of the Bard College Conservatory of Music Graduate Vocal Arts Program (VAP) beginning in July 2019. One of the most highly respected and critically acclaimed artists of her generation, mezzo-soprano Blythe possesses a repertoire ranging from Handel to Wagner and from German lieder to contemporary and classic American song. Blythe has performed on many of the world's great stages, such as Carnegie Hall; the Metropolitan Opera; Covent Garden; Paris National Opera; and San Francisco, Chicago Lyric, and Seattle Operas. She was named Musical America's Vocalist of the Year, received an Opera News Award, and won the Richard Tucker Award. Blythe recently released her first crossover recording on the Innova label with pianist Craig Terry.

Los Angeles Opera presented the premiere performance of HANSEL AND GRETEL. The opera's original libretto is steeped in nineteenth century culture but Richard Sparks' translation, originally for the 2006 LA presentation of the opera, brought the text up to date and made it most appealing to contemporary children.

Producer Mark Cortale has announced that his  acclaimed Broadway @ NOCCA concert series will present Christine Ebersole, two-time Tony Award-winner for Grey Gardens and 42nd Street and star of Oscar-winning films such as Amadeus and Tootsie, on Saturday, December 15 at 8:00 PM

Some 39 members of Los Angeles Children's Chorus (LACC), one of the world's leading children's choirs, are featured in LA Opera's production of Humperdinck's enchanting Hansel and Gretel conducted by James Conlon and starring mezzo-soprano Susan Graham (The Witch), mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke (Hansel) and soprano Liv Redpath (Gretel). The production runs for six performances from November 17 to December 15, 2018, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. LACC's new Artistic Director, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, prepared the young choristers for their roles as the gingerbread children, noted for the purity of their sound and intricate four-part harmony. A perennial favorite, Hansel and Gretel, based on the beloved Brothers Grimm tale and sung in English, features a magical score and plot and is considered to be the composer's best-known work. 

Placido Domingo, LA Opera's Eli and Edythe Broad General Director, has announced final details about the company's upcoming revival of Hansel and Gretel, composer Engelbert Humperdinck's uniquely charming classic for all ages.

The Cincinnati May Festival announces the program details for the 2019 Festival with seven unique concert programs taking place between May 15 and 25, 2019, and an additional performance on April 14, 2019. Joining the Festival's artistic leadership team of Principal Conductor Juanjo Mena, now in his second season, and Director of Choruses Robert Porco are Creative Partners Roomful of Teeth, a celebrated vocal ensemble, and acclaimed composer Sir James MacMillan for the 2019 Festival. Music Director Laureate James Conlon also returns to the May Festival for the first time since 2016, and Craig Hella Johnson makes his May Festival debut leading the Vocal Arts Ensemble. The annual May Festival features the May Festival Chorus and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and is programmed to inspire audiences with fresh collaborations while also drawing on its rich tradition as Cincinnati's longest running arts organization. Cincinnati's Music Hall was originally built for the May Festival in 1878.

Los Angeles Opera assembled an all-star cast for its opening night revival of Verdi's DON CARLO on September 22, 2018. James Conlon led approximately 75 musicians as they embarked on another excursion into the dark world of sixteenth century Spain and the Inquisition. Verdi's DON CARLO tells a fascinating tale that is not quite historically accurate but makes good drama.

Highland Park Strings, under the direction of Principal Conductor Dr. Robert G. Hasty, is pleased to announce its 40th anniversary season titled 'Highland Park's Got Talent,' featuring three free community concerts at Highland Park High School, plus a benefit concert at Ravinia's Bennett-Gordon Hall.

Emily D'Angelo will sing Annio in all performances of Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, replacing Paula Murrihy, who has withdrawn for personal reasons.

Mezzo-Soprano Emily D'Angelo from Canada/Italy and Tenor Pavel Petrov from Belarus, have just been announced as the First Prize Winners of Operalia's 26th edition. D'Angelo also claimed the Birgit Nilsson Prize, the Pepita Embil Prize for Zarzuela and the Prize of the Audience for a first-time-ever clean sweep of all top honors in Operalia's 26 years history. 

Placido Domingo, LA Opera's Eli and Edythe Broad General Director, has announced final details about the company's season-opening presentation of Giuseppe Verdi's monumental Don Carlo.

Singing auditions being held for youth in grades 8-12 to join the May Festival Youth Chorus 2018-19 Season.

American star conductor Robert Trevino has been confirmed as the new chief conductor of the Malmo Symphony Orchestra (MSO), taking up the post in autumn 2019. The highly-gifted and in-demand Trevino is in his second season as Music Director of the Basque National Orchestra (which recently extended his tenure to 2022) and is a regular collaborator with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Vienna Symphony, Sao Paulo Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra and many others.