James Conlon

Career Trajectory

Conlon emerged in the 1970s as a conductor of serious artistic ambition, building a career that encompassed both symphonic and operatic repertoires across major international venues. His appointment as Music Director of Los Angeles Opera in 2003 positioned him as a leading figure in American opera, while his parallel work with the Ravinia Festival deepened his symphonic credentials. Most significantly, Conlon has become the world's foremost champion of the Recovered Voices Project, dedicating substantial energy to performing and recording works by composers whose careers were obliterated by the Third Reich—a mission that has defined the moral and artistic center of his later career.