James Conlon News

Recently, Los Angeles Opera has had to announce the cancellation of the final performance of Roberto Devereux on the main stage as well as both performances of Angel's Bone, which was to have been presented in partnership with Beth Morrison Projects at the Broad Stage. At present, the governor's closure order for Los Angeles remains in place through April 19, and the opera has not yet canceled additional performances. Noting that they are vigilantly watching for updates that would affect the remaining May and June performances, the company is still holding out hope. The priority is, of course, the safety of patrons and company members, so they're taking it one day at a time.

Every weekday, music lovers can settle in to enjoy a little bit of opera courtesy of LA Opera's online programming, newly designated as LAO at Home.

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra returns to The Soraya under the helm of a?oewunderkinda?? chief conductor Tel Aviv born Lahav Shani on Wednesday, March 25 at 8:00pm with a program featuring the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 with Shani conducting and performing the piano solo and the Bartók Concerto for Orchestra. This concert is part of city-wide Violins of Hope project.

2020 marks two momentous events: Beethoven's 250th birthday and the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage.

Festival Napa Valley, recognized for transforming California Wine Country into a cultural destination, announces its 2020 summer season, July 17a?" 26. The Festival's 15th anniversary will be commemorated with more than 40 concerts and events in an inspiring season of reflection, celebration and enthusiasm for the years to come. 

LA Opera President and CEO Christopher Koelsch today announced the company's 35th season, which will include six mainstage productions a?" one of them a company premiere and five productions new to Los Angeles a?" and two concerts presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, with additional performances presented in other venues through the company's Off Grand and Connects initiatives.

The Wallis and Mark Cortale present An Evening With Christine Ebersole on Friday, February 28, 2020, 7 pm, in the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts' Bram Goldsmith Theater. The two-time Tony Award-winning star of 42nd Street and Grey Gardens returns to The Wallis to perform music from the American Songbook, Broadway and more. With music direction by Lawrence Yurman and special guest Scott Frankel, composer of War Paint and Grey Gardens, the evening is directed by Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Smash, Patti LuPone on Broadway).

The Hallé has announced the names of the ten semi-finalists in the inaugural Siemens Hallé International Conductors Competition, to be held at Hallé St Peter's in Manchester from Thursday 20 to Saturday 22 February 2020.

San Diego Opera has announced addition to its 2019-2020 season with the Bel Canto Trio for one-night-only on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 7:30 PM at The Conrad Preby Performing Arts Center in the Baker-Baum Concert Hall (7600 Fay Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037). In 1947 Columbia Artist Management created The Bel Canto Trio, featuring tenor Mario Lanza, soprano Frances Yeend, and bass-baritone George London.

Park International Center for Music (Park ICM) announced today that their 2019-2020 Season would resume in January with a special performance for 300 lucky individuals at the 1900 Building for the Sat., Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m. concert. a?oeWe're kicking off the second half of the season with THE performance not to be missed,a?? said Dr. Roger Kugler, Park ICM Director. a?oePark ICM Founder and Van Cliburn Gold Medalist, Pianist Stanislav Ioudenitch, is bringing his friend and colleague, Violinist Miriam Fried, Queen Elisabeth International Competition Gold Medalist and protégé of Isaac Stern, to the intimate 1900 Building for what is certain to be a crowd pleaser.a?? Tickets can be purchased online at 1900bldg.com.

The Magic Flute, one of LA Opera's most sensational productions, returns this season to transport audiences into an enchanted fantasy world. 

On Saturday evening, November 16, 2019, Los Angeles Opera presented Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schickaneder's 1791 singspiel, The Magic Flute. The unusual production, which involved the appearance of screens reminiscent of 1920s silent films, was originally devised by Barry Kosky, Suzanne Andrade, and Paul Barritt for Berlin's Komische Oper. 

San Diego Opera's 2019-2020 season continues with a special one-night-only event on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 7:30 PM when soprano Ailyn Pérez and tenor Joshua Guerrero perform in concert at the Balboa Theatre. They will be accompanied by pianist Abdiel Vázquez. Ailyn Pérez is no stranger to San Diego Opera, having made her Company debut as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet in 2010, returning to sing Marguerite in Faust in 2011, and in recital in 2014. In demand at all the major opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, and Opéra National de Paris, Ms. Pérez is the winner of the 2012 Richard Tucker Award, the 15th annual Plácido Domingo Award, and the 14th annual Opera News Award. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's classic THE MAGIC FLUTE opens this week at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Saturday November 16, 2019; under the baton of James Conlon (with Grant Gershon conducting on December 1, 12 and 15). This will be the third LA Opera mounting of 1927 and Barrie Kosky's avant-garde THE MAGIC FLUTE merging animation with live performance. I had the chance to present a few questions to Bodgan Volkov, who's making his Los Angeles Opera debut as Tamino, the prince and current bearer of the magic flute.

The Magic Flute, one of LA Opera's most sensational productions, returns this season to transport audiences into an enchanted fantasy world. 

Yamaha Artist Services presents the brilliant pianist Alexander Kobrin-most noted for his win at the Van Cliburn Piano Competition in 2005-in his recital debut at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall (881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019), Thursday evening, December 19, 2019, at 7:30 pm. The program will feature piano sonatas by Beethoven and Brahms, as well as Schumann's Waldszenen.

The Los Angeles Children's Chorus (LACC), led by Artistic Director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz and  considered among the world's leading children's choirs, announces its 2019-2020 season.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage's 2019/20 Celebrity Opera Series commences with Diana Damrau (soprano) and Nicolas Testé (bass) on Saturday, May 16, 2020. James Conlon, Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera (since 2006) and Principal Conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Torino, Italy (since 2016), conducts the orchestra.

San Diego Opera's 2019-2020 season continues with a special one-night-only event on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 7:30 PM when soprano Ailyn Pérez and tenor Joshua Guerrero perform in concert at the Balboa Theatre.

Los Angeles Opera opened its 2019-2020 season with Barrie Kosky's production of that most popular of operas, Giacomo Puccini's LA BOHEME. With minimal scenery from Rufus Didwiszus, Kosky's cast made the audience believe they were in the garret and at the toll gate. Only the scenery for the Café Momus was completely fleshed out.