LA Phil's Dudamel to become music director of Paris Opera

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gustavo Dudamel will become music director of the Paris Opera while continuing his commitment to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The Paris Opera and the Venezuelan director announced the appointment Friday.

“Opera has long played a seminal role in my life -- from sitting in my youth for untold hours at the feet of my Maestro José Antonio Abreu and my idols in Milan, Berlin and Vienna, to making this beautiful artform a staple in our programming in Los Angeles -- and I couldn’t be more overjoyed to have found, in Paris, my spiritual home for opera,” Dudamel wrote.

Alexander Neef, general manager of the Paris Opera, described Dudamel as one of the world’s most talented and prestigious conductors.

“In the course of our numerous exchanges, I realised the extent to which he was the one who could share and transmit his love of opera to the widest possible audience,” Neef said in a statement.

The appointment begins Aug. 1 and will last for six seasons.

“Alongside my continued commitment to the LA Phil and to the beloved musicians of El Sistema in Venezuela and around the world, I want to devote all my energy toward creating extraordinary musical moments for our audiences, and to make the Paris Opera ever more connected to the soul of the city and country that surrounds it, with inclusion and access firmly at the core of everything we do together,” he said.

Dudamel has been artistic and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009.