- James Conlon bio

James Conlon

One of today’s preeminent conductors, James Conlon has cultivated a vast symphonic, operatic, and choral repertoire, and developed enduring relationships with many of the world's most prestigious symphony orchestras and opera houses. Since his New York Philharmonic debut in 1974, Mr. Conlon has appeared as guest conductor with virtually every major North American and European orchestra and has been a frequent guest conductor at the Metropolitan Opera for over thirty years. Mr. Conlon is Music Director of Los Angeles Opera, Music Director of the Ravinia Festival, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and has been Music Director of the Cincinnati May Festival since 1979. Mr. Conlon served as Principal Conductor of the Paris National Opera (1995-2004); General Music Director of the City of Cologne, Germany (1989-2002); and Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic (1983-1991).

During the 2008-09 season at LA Opera, Mr. Conlon leads productions of Puccini’s Il Trittico and Madama Butterfly, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Wagner’s Das Rheingold and Die Walkure. He also continues his “Recovered Voices” series, a multi-year project during which Mr. Conlon brings the music of composers suppressed by the Nazi regime to the LA Opera stage, conducting the company premiere of Walter Braunfels’ The Birds (Die Vögel). He begins the second year of his residency at The Juilliard School, during which he works with the school’s young artists in a cross-genre educational project consisting of performances, symposia, master classes, and coaching. Mr. Conlon also guest conducts Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony in the U.S., and in Europe the NDR Sinfonie Orchester, Rotterdam Philharmonic, National Philharmonic of Russian and the Bologna Orchestra.

In an effort to raise public consciousness to the significance of works of composers whose lives and compositions were suppressed by the Nazi regime, Mr. Conlon has devoted himself to extensive programming of this music in North America and Europe. At both the Ravinia Festival and LA Opera he continues to program works of these composers, and his residency at Juilliard will focus in part on the study and performance of these works.

Mr. Conlon has recorded CDs and DVDs for EMI, SONY Classical, ERATO, CAPRICCIO, TELARC and DECCA, for which he has received numerous citations, and has made several television appearances in the United States.

Mr. Conlon is one of five first recipients of the Opera News Award given in 2005 in recognition for distinguished achievement in opera. He received the Zemlinsky Prize for his efforts in bringing the composer’s music to international attention, and in recognition for his efforts in championing the works of composers silenced by the Third Reich, Mr. Conlon received the Crystal Globe Award from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in 2007. Mr. Conlon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree by The Juilliard School in 2004. He was named an Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 1996, and in 2004 was promoted to Commander. In 2002, James Conlon received France’s highest distinction from the President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac—the Légion d’Honneur.


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Meet the Provost Office Administration Provost Committees Policies and Procedures	A \| A \| A James Conlon bio James Conlon One of today’s preeminent conductors, James Conlon has cultivated a vast symphonic, operatic, and choral repertoire, and developed enduring relationships with many of the world's most prestigious symphony orchestras and opera houses. Since his New York Philharmonic debut in 1974, Mr. Conlon has appeared as guest conductor with virtually every major North American and European orchestra and has been a frequent guest conductor at the Metropolitan Opera for over thirty years. Mr. Conlon is Music Director of Los Angeles Opera, Music Director of the Ravinia Festival, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and has been Music Director of the Cincinnati May Festival since 1979. Mr. Conlon served as Principal Conductor of the Paris National Opera (1995-2004); General Music Director of the City of Cologne, Germany (1989-2002); and Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic (1983-1991). During the 2008-09 season at LA Opera, Mr. Conlon leads productions of Puccini’s Il Trittico and Madama Butterfly, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Wagner’s Das Rheingold and Die Walkure. He also continues his “Recovered Voices” series, a multi-year project during which Mr. Conlon brings the music of composers suppressed by the Nazi regime to the LA Opera stage, conducting the company premiere of Walter Braunfels’ The Birds (Die Vögel). He begins the second year of his residency at The Juilliard School, during which he works with the school’s young artists in a cross-genre educational project consisting of performances, symposia, master classes, and coaching. Mr. Conlon also guest conducts Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony in the U.S., and in Europe the NDR Sinfonie Orchester, Rotterdam Philharmonic, National Philharmonic of Russian and the Bologna Orchestra. In an effort to raise public consciousness to the significance of works of composers whose lives and compositions were suppressed by the Nazi regime, Mr. Conlon has devoted himself to extensive programming of this music in North America and Europe. At both the Ravinia Festival and LA Opera he continues to program works of these composers, and his residency at Juilliard will focus in part on the study and performance of these works. Mr. Conlon has recorded CDs and DVDs for EMI, SONY Classical, ERATO, CAPRICCIO, TELARC and DECCA, for which he has received numerous citations, and has made several television appearances in the United States. Mr. Conlon is one of five first recipients of the Opera News Award given in 2005 in recognition for distinguished achievement in opera. He received the Zemlinsky Prize for his efforts in bringing the composer’s music to international attention, and in recognition for his efforts in championing the works of composers silenced by the Third Reich, Mr. Conlon received the Crystal Globe Award from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in 2007. Mr. Conlon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree by The Juilliard School in 2004. He was named an Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 1996, and in 2004 was promoted to Commander. In 2002, James Conlon received France’s highest distinction from the President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac—the Légion d’Honneur.