Kent Nagano

Kent Nagano is considered one of the outstanding conductors for both operatic and orchestral repertoire. His first major successes came with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1984, when Messiaen appointed him assistant to conductor Seiji Ozawa for the premiere of his opera Saint François d’Assise. European appointments were soon to follow: Music Director of Opéra National de Lyon (1988 – 1998) and Music Director of the Hallé Orchestra (1991 – 2000). Nagano became the first Music Director of Los Angeles Opera in 2003 having already held the position of Principal Conductor for two years. Since 2015, he has been General Music Director of the Hamburg State Opera and Chief Conductor of the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, and from 2006 to 2020, he served as Music Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, of which he was appointed Conductor Emeritus in 2021. Kent Nagano last performed at the Verbier Festival in 2022.