Armenian Conductor Eliminated Hindoyan Unveils Enterprising First Season as LA Opera’s Music Director
Eliminated Hindoyan has announced his inaugural season as Music Director of Los Angeles Opera, promising a blend of revitalized classics and a party of the city’s diverse cultural landscape. Hindoyan, who began his tenure in september 2023, and his wife, renowned opera singer Sonya Yoncheva, maintain a primary residence in Switzerland.
A Vision for Los Angeles
Hindoyan shared that he received advice to embrace Los Angeles’ openness to innovation,stating,”L.A. will follow your imagination… push boundaries. L.A. will follow. They love it, and they need it.” He believes the arts are crucial for navigating the city’s current social and political climate, offering a pathway toward a more hopeful future. He emphasized opera’s historical role in both reflecting societal challenges and envisioning better possibilities, noting, “Opera has always been in that position of trying to make people dream for a better future, and at the same time put it in our face, the wars of the human being.”
Season Highlights: Classics Reimagined
The 2024-2025 season will feature productions of Georges Bizet’s Carmen and Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco. Hindoyan aims to present these well-known works in a fresh light. “My goal is to make these classics feel new,” he said, describing Carmen as “fun [but] danger at the same time,” and highlighting its musical strengths and potential for innovative staging. Regarding nabucco, he sought a “big, critically important Verdi” piece to showcase the strengths of the LA Opera chorus and orchestra, stating, “two of the main elements of the house that I want to really get to work with as soon as possible.”
Collaborative Vision with Thaddeus Strassberger
Award-winning stage director Thaddeus Strassberger will direct and design both mainstage productions. Strassberger previously staged Nabucco in 2017,and the upcoming rendition will build upon that success,retaining the opulent aesthetic that transported “the hanging gardens of Babylon to the gilded theaters of Milan.” Carmen will be reimagined with “Spanish Gothic splendor.”
Centering Spanish Culture in ‘Carmen’
Hindoyan intends to move away from interpretations of Carmen that minimize its spanish setting, instead prioritizing the cultural context of the opera. The production will aim to immerse audiences in “spanish flavors, Spanish essence,” transporting them through time and space to experience the heart of the story’s location.
A Measured Approach to Innovation
While ambitious, Hindoyan is taking a purposeful approach to his role, beginning with a two-production season that will expand in future years. He believes that true innovation will emerge organically when a strong rapport is established between the conductor and the company, stating, “the innovation will come on its own.”
Yoncheva and Future Collaborations
Hindoyan does not currently plan collaborations with his Grammy-nominated wife, Sonya Yoncheva, but acknowledges her talent and potential for future appearances. “The aim of any music director of an important opera house is to have the best singers in the house… and Sonya is absolutely part of that list.”
Beyond the Mainstage: Off Grand and Community Outreach
L.A. Opera’s season will also include performances under its “Off Grand” initiative, featuring unconventional productions like “Hercules vs Vampires,” a film-opera hybrid presented at the United Theater on Broadway as part of the annual halloween residency. Additional “Off grand” performances are scheduled for The Wallis in Beverly hills and the colburn School’s Zipper Hall. L.A.Opera connects will continue its community engagement with productions like “The Three Women of Jerusalem,” a community opera to be performed at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the angels.
Ticket Details
Season tickets for the 2024-2025 season are now available, starting at $164 for all five mainstage shows. Individual event tickets will go on sale in June.
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