To “be close to his loved ones”, superstar conductor Gustavo Dudamel has resigned from his post as musical director of the Paris Opera, which he will leave at the end of the season, the institution announced on Thursday. without naming a successor for the time being.
“There is no immediate urgency” to replace him, “so much do I have confidence in the ability of our musical forces to maintain the highest level of requirements during this period”, specified to AFP the general director of the Opera, Alexander Neef.
“I like to make decisions after a good moment of reflection,” he added. “You have to find the right person for this role. You also need broad shoulders to take on the diversity of the missions of this position and in particular the administrative aspect”.
“It is with a heavy heart, and after careful consideration, that I announce my resignation from the post of musical director of the Paris Opera in order to spend more time with my family”, explained the Venezuelan conductor. , who had arrived in the French capital in 2021 for a six-year contract, in a press release from the Opera.
“We are living in a time which, I believe, has deeply and intimately changed our beings”, further specified the 42-year-old maestro, married since February 2017 with the Spanish actress Maria Valverde. “I have no other plans than to be with my loved ones. »
“It is a questioning of the balance between professional life and personal life”, commented Alexander Neef to AFP. “We all asked ourselves this question after the pandemic. »
“I regret that he made this decision after two years,” said the manager, who “can
“I will be happy to have him as guest conductor,” he added. “It would be a shame if his story with the Opera ended there. »
“Deep gratitude”
Gustavo Dudamel “was able to forge a special relationship with the musicians of the Orchestra, the artists of the Choirs, the singers and the artistic teams, a relationship marked by mutual respect and the desire to offer the most beautiful shows together”, also reacted. Alexander Neef in the Opera statement.
“The recent success of Nixon in China is one of the most striking illustrations of this. Gustavo Dudamel is an immense musician. I express my deep gratitude to him for the work accomplished during his mandate, ”wrote the director again.
In February, the New York Philharmonic named the conductor as its future artistic and musical director from 2026, which was considered a big move in the musical transfer window.
Gustavo Dudamel, one of the highest paid conductors in the world and one of the best known, has also been conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra since 2009.
A fervent defender of wider access to music, this son of a trombonist and a singing teacher is a pure product and one of the most illustrious representatives of “El Sistema”, the National System of Orchestras for Youth of Venezuela, a well-known popular classical music education project founded in 1975.
Recognizable by his curly hair, he led the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra for a duet with Coldplay at the Super Bowl halftime concert in the United States in 2016.