Gustavo Dudamel is set to bring the classical to the City of Lights…
The 40-year-old Venezuelan conductor and violinist will become the music director of the Paris Opera while continuing his commitment to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
“Opera has long played a seminal role in my life — from sitting in my youth for untold hours at the feet of my Maestro José Antonio Abreu and my idols in Milan, Berlin and Vienna, to making this beautiful artform a staple in our programming in Los Angeles — and I couldn’t be more overjoyed to have found, in Paris, my spiritual home for opera,” Dudamel wrote.
Alexander Neef, general manager of the Paris Opera, described Dudamel as one of the world’s most talented and prestigious conductors.
“In the course of our numerous exchanges, I realized the extent to which he was the one who could share and transmit his love of opera to the widest possible audience,” Neef said in a statement.
The appointment begins August 1 and will last for six seasons.
“Alongside my continued commitment to the LA Phil and to the beloved musicians of El Sistema in Venezuela and around the world, I want to devote all my energy toward creating extraordinary musical moments for our audiences, and to make the Paris Opera ever more connected to the soul of the city and country that surrounds it, with inclusion and access firmly at the core of everything we do together,” he said.
Dudamel has been artistic and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009.
The Grammy-winning conductor will be the focus of a documentary from writer and director Ted Braun entitled ¡Viva Maestro! The film is slated for theatrical release later this year.
