Gustavo Dudamel announced his resignation as music director of the Paris Op茅ra on Thursday, a surprise decision two seasons into a six-year contract scheduled to run through the 2026-27 season.
A 42-year-old Venezuelan who lives in Madrid, Dudamel was . He has been music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009, a tenure that will end after 17 seasons when Dudamel starts in New York.
鈥淚t is with a heavy heart, and after long consideration, that I announce my resignation as music director of the Paris Op茅ra in order to spend more time with my family,鈥� Dudamel said in a statement Thursday.
His early exit from Paris at the end of the current season in August could free the conductor for additional engagements in New York, where Jaap van Zweden leaves after the 2023-24 season, his sixth as music director.
鈥淚 have no plans other than to be with my loved ones, to whom I am deeply grateful for helping me to continue to be strong in my resolve to grow and remain challenged, both personally and artistically, each and every day,鈥� Dudamel said.
, for the first time since his appointment was announced, in three performances of Mahler's Ninth Symphony, and he is not scheduled with the orchestra next season. He and Philharmonic CEO Deborah Borda participated in extensive planning meetings last week.
鈥淗e's been considering his life very carefully over the past couple of years. Like so many people during the pandemic, he took the time, we all took the time, to evaluate our lives, our goals, our futures, finding just the right balance,鈥� Borda said in a telephone interview. 鈥淭his is a critical move on really the chessboard of his life as he contemplates his future.鈥�
Dudamel made his Paris Op茅ra debut in December 2017 in , and his to start that Aug. 1.
He conducted new productions of Puccini鈥檚 鈥淭urandot鈥� and Mozart鈥檚 鈥淟e Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)鈥� in his first season, followed this season by a revival of Wagner's 鈥淭ristan und Isolde鈥� and the The 2023-24 season, announced in March, has Dudamel leading a new production of Wagner's 鈥淟ohengrin鈥� starting Sept. 23 and Thomas Ades' 鈥淭he Exterminating Angel鈥� starting Feb. 9.
The status of his engagements with the company next season is not clear.
Alexander Neef had hired Dudamel after being appointed general director of the Paris Op茅ra in July 2019 to succeed St茅phane Lissner for the 2021-22 season. Neef praised Dudamel's 鈥減assion and immense talent.鈥�
鈥淗e was able to forge a special relationship with the musicians of the orchestra, the artists of the chorus, the singers and the artistic teams, a relationship marked by mutual respect and the desire to create the most beautiful performances together,鈥� Neef said in a statement. 鈥淕ustavo Dudamel is an immense musician. I express my deep gratitude to him for the work accomplished during his tenure, and I fully respect his decision.鈥�
Dudamel's short tenure is unusual in the opera world, where scheduling often is done five years in advance. His predecessors as Paris music director were Philippe Jordan (2009鈥�21) and James Conlon (1994-2004).
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
