(Photo: Grzesiek Mart)

LA Opera has announced the appointment of Domingo Hindoyan as the company’s Richard Seaver Music Director.

His five-year contract will commence on July 1, 2026, and continue through the 2030-31 season. The Venezuelan-Armenian conductor will succeed LA Opera’s current Music Director, James Conlon, who announced last year that he will step down from that position at the end of the 2025-26 season to take on the newly created role of Conductor Laureate.

Hindoyan made his LA Opera debut in November 2024 with Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette.”

In a statement, Hindoyan said, “I am deeply honored to join LA Opera as its next Music Director. From the first rehearsal, I felt a strong connection to the extraordinary musicians, staff, and spirit of this company. It is a privilege to follow Maestro James Conlon, whose legacy has shaped LA Opera into what it is today—a dynamic and ambitious institution. Los Angeles is a city that embraces creativity and innovation. Its openness, diversity, and cultural energy make it an inspiring place to live and work. From the moment I stepped into the opera house, I felt an immediate sense of purpose and possibility. I am excited to be part of this community and to contribute to its artistic life.”

He added, “This is the beginning of a new chapter for LA Opera and myself, and I take on this role with great enthusiasm and responsibility. Together with the company’s talented artists, team, and leadership, I look forward to shaping future seasons, developing new productions, working with local artists, inviting the world’s leading creative voices and deepening our connection with audiences across the city and beyond.”

Christopher Koelsch, LA Opera’s president and CEO said, “I first encountered Domingo Hindoyan at the Berlin State Opera in 2016 and was immediately struck by the fluidity of his technique and the clarity and command of his musical ideas. Since then, I’ve watched with admiration as his career has flourished across many of Europe’s great opera houses—from the storied Vienna State Opera and Paris Opera to closer to home at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera. Our search process was both thorough and inclusive, engaging board members, civic leaders and representatives from our orchestra. We considered dozens of exceptional candidates from around the world—but Domingo emerged as the clear choice. In our conversations and through his artistry, it became evident that he brings not only exceptional musical and symphonic fluency, but also a disarming warmth and charisma that draws others into his creative orbit.

Hindoyan is the Chief Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and has been Principal Guest Conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Berlin State Opera, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, Semperoper Dresden, Teatro Real and Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu, among many others.