Opéra National de Paris Appoints New Music Director
By Francisco Salazar(Credit: © James Bort / OnP)
The Opéra National de Paris has appointed Semyon Bychkov its new Music Director.
The company and Alexander Neef, Director General of the Paris National Opera, announced the news and noted that Bychov will start his tenure on August 1, 2028. His first contract will be for four seasons. Bychov will be responsible for overseeing the artistic quality of the orchestra, chorus and vocal coaches, and will contribute to program planning and to the principal auditions for the recruitment of musicians.
As Music Director, Semyon Bychkov will also conduct two opera productions and six symphonic concert programs each season, in Paris and on tour.
In a statement Neef said, “The appointment of Semyon Bychkov as Music Director continues a long association with the Paris Opera, marked by memorable artistic encounters and a common desire to work together. For nearly twenty years, he has forged a close bond with the House through major productions — ‘Un ballo in maschera’ (2007), ‘Tristan und Isolde’ (2008), ‘Elektra’ (2022), and soon ‘Eugene Onegin’ (2026) — as well as through the first operatic tour to Japan in 2008, and a series of symphonic projects, including a concert devoted to Richard Strauss and Dmitri Shostakovich in 2009 and his participation in the Ravel Festival with a program dedicated to Antonín Dvořák in 2023. Over the years, these artistic collaborations have fostered a strong relationship with the Paris Opera.”
Bychov added, “I am deeply honored to be invited to join the family of the Opera National de Paris. France has been a home for half of my life. Its people, its heritage and culture never cease to be a source of inspiration. I have admired the noble tradition of the Opera de Paris for many years and lived many unforgettable moments of musical and human contact with the artists and staff of this institution. The foundation of every opera house is manifested in the quality of its orchestra and choir. At the Opera de Paris the talent of each of these teams allows them to have a very special identity which is uniquely theirs. In the homogenized musical world as it has today become, this uniqueness and devotion to the art form are to be treasured. French culture, heritage and people are an endless source of inspiration for me: for over 35 years, France has been my home. I see this new chapter of my life being a mission and a privilege.”
Bychkov has served as Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris, Principal Guest Conductor of the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, and Chief Conductor of the Semperoper Dresden. He is currently the Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic since 2018.
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