The Los Angeles Opera has announced that Nicolas Hamatake has been elected to the LA Opera board of directors.

Hamatake works at Google’s “Natural Language Infrastructure” and is also a noted collector and supporter of Japanese art through his Nick Hamatake Foundation, which makes Japanese works available for public enjoyment and education.

“I became passionate about opera very recently, after attending the Opera Buff’s concert performance of ‘Carmen’ at the Colburn School in August 2017,” Hamatake stated in a press release. “Since then, I’ve attended 14 more operas in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City, including LA’s recent ‘Satyagraha’ and ‘Don Carlo.’ It is safe to say that I have been bitten by the bug!”

The news comes just days before the company officially announces its 2019-20 season.

The LA Opera is set to open its production of “La Clemenza di Tito” on March 2, 2019 before following it up with “El Gato Montés,” which will star Plácido Domingo.