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James Conlon has been LA Opera's Music Director since 2006. As of the end of the 2023/24 season, he had conducted 469 performances with the company, including 68 operas by 32 different composers. For adults.
The Malibu Library Speaker Series presents LA Opera Music Director James Conlon, one of the most esteemed and influential conductors of our time. His work has defined and enriched the classical music traditions of the U.S. and Europe for over 50 years. Since his New York Philharmonic debut in 1974, he has led nearly every major American and European orchestra and has conducted at most of the world’s most prestigious opera houses.
Through his extensive touring, acclaimed recordings, published writings, and widely recognized public presence, Conlon stands as one of classical music’s most visible and enduring artistic leaders.
Conlon is Music Director of LA Opera, where since 2006 he has led more performances than any other conductor in the company’s history. He will serve as Music Director of the company until his 20th season in 2026, at which time he will become Conductor Laureate. He has been Principal Conductor of the Paris Opera; General Music Director of the City of Cologne, Germany, where he was Music Director of both the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and the Cologne Opera; Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, and Principal Conductor of the Orchestra Nazionale Della RAI in Torino, Italy. He has served as Music Director of the Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony, and Artistic Advisor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He is now Music Director Laureate of the Cincinnati May Festival, where he was Music Director for 37 years. As a guest conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, he has led more than 270 performances since his 1976 debut.
Conlon is a noted advocate for composers suppressed by the Nazi regime and is an enthusiastic advocate of public scholarship, and he appears throughout the country as a speaker on a variety of cultural and educational topics. At LA Opera, his popular pre-performance talks — each attended by over 1,000 people — draw upon musicology, literary studies, history, and social sciences to contemplate the enduring power and relevance of opera, and classical music in general.
This event takes place at Malibu Library. RSVPs are required.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Music & Dance | History, Society, & Culture |
TAGS: | Malibu Library Speaker Series |
Malibu Library, located in the Malibu Civic Center Complex, was established in 1970 by the County of Los Angeles Public Library. Prior to 1970, a bookmobile provided library service to the Malibu community serving residents in Topanga Canyon and along the Pacific Coast Highway.
On April 22, 2012, a grand opening celebration was held to mark the completion of a $6 million renovation of the Malibu Library, designed by the architectural firm of LPA, Inc. and funded by revenue generated from local property taxes.
The new sustainable, LEED-certified library has been redesigned to represent Malibu's sand, sea and sun culture with features such as:
-A replica of the Adamson House tile rug in the main lobby
-A photographic exhibit featuring historical images of the area
-The Children's area featuring a marine life motif, including an 8' by 14' porcelain tile art piece designed by artist Christine Nguyen
-A Teen area that embraces Malibu's surf culture.
