Venezuelan conductor and violinist Gustavo Dudamel has been named as the music director of the Paris Opera. Along with his new position, he will continue to serve in his role as the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
“From the first downbeat when I performed La Boheme with [the Paris Opera] back in 2017, my experience with the artists of this world-renowned institution was simply magnificent, and it quickly became crystal clear that we share mutual feelings of trust, connection, musicality and vision,” Dudamel says in a statement on his website. “I look forward to what promises to be an extraordinary time of exploration, creation, discovery and collaboration.”
Born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, in 1981, Dudamel comes from a family of musicians. His father was a trombonist, and his mother was a voice teacher. He began conducting his youth orchestra at the age of 13.
During his career, Dudamel has held the title of music director for the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and Gothenburg Symphony. In 2009, he was named as the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
“Alongside my continued commitment to the L.A. 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,” he said, “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.”