Washington National Opera names Robert Spano as new music director

Spano, 62, is a well-established music director and conductor who leads the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra just like him Aspen School and Music Festival. He spent 20 years (and won four Grammy Awards) as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, for which he continues to hold the position of music director laureate. As the Rhode Island Philharmonic searches for its next music director, Spano will also serve as its principal conductor.

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The Washington National Opera position will be Spano’s first at the helm of an opera house, although his operatic resume is rich with highlights such as Nico Muhly’s “Marnie” at the Metropolitan Opera in 2018 (his debut for that company). , and two “Ring” cycles at Seattle Opera, in 2005 and 2009. Spano’s particular penchant for developing and performing new music by living conductors makes him an auspicious choice for WNO.

Spano made his first appearance leading the Washington National Opera Orchestra in 2022, conducting the four-part work “Written in Stone,” commissioned for the Kennedy Center’s 50th anniversary celebrations. WNO CEO Timothy O’Leary says Spano was the “unanimous choice of all of our stakeholders.”

“Part of our mission as a national opera company is to shape the future of this art form,” O’Leary said in a telephone interview. “And (Spano) has really been personified by this gift of leading new works and bringing them to life.”

In an interview from his home in the mountains of north Georgia, Spano offered some reflections on his upcoming term in Washington.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: This is the first time he has directed an opera house. What does that mean to you at this point in your career?

TO: When I was planning my departure, one of the things I thought about was having more time in my calendar for the opera. Because I’m one of the lucky ones. We all have our labels, and throughout my life, I think I was always considered not an opera conductor, but a symphonic conductor. And, of course, many of us are not interested in being one or the other. I was very lucky because I managed to keep my operatic life alive all the time with two or three productions a year. But this will be the first time there will be an opera house. It’s like a miracle.

Q: So why is that? Beyond the fact that it requires a different set of skills, why is the distinction between symphonic and operatic conductor so pervasive that it requires luck to overcome?

TO: The only explanation I can think of is our love of labels. You know: she is a Mozart specialist. She is a new music specialist. She is a symphony conductor. She is an opera director. You have to work your way through other people’s labels for what you do.

Q: The first time you “met” the WNO orchestra was when you came to conduct “Written in Stone.” As it did Do they hit you?

TO: Oh, they were great. I think one of the things that impressed me most about them was their willingness and commitment to new works. Not all orchestras are so willing to undertake this task. And it’s different getting involved in new work, because you have to figure out what it is as you go through it, especially, you know, for world premieres like that. And her commitment to him was really fantastic. For me, having made so much new music in my life, I find that making old music adapts to new music and vice versa. You know, again, another problem with the label, but they were great at diving in and making these things come to life.

Q: What are the general lines of your work and to what extent does the musical director participate in the programming of WNO productions?

TO: I answer to (artistic director) Francesca Zambello. The direct responsibility I have would be the care of the orchestra. I have known Francesca forever; I love working with her. So, of course, we’re going to talk about everything, but the final programmatic decisions and casting decisions are certainly her domain. But I love that collaborative role. I think it is very healthy, when push comes to shove, for certain authorities to invest in an individual.

Q: What do you think about what it will take to bring opera to more people and give it a new burst of energy when the art form seems to be struggling?

TO: I think everyone is dealing with this in show business, because people just don’t go out like they did before the pandemic. Many of us are comparing notes. But I am very confident that we collectively want this in our lives. There has never been a time in history when it didn’t matter. I have heard about “the death of classical music” since I was a child. I think this is a time to persist and persist. Not in a rigid way, but by persisting in trusting that what we are doing is valuable for all of us. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived in Atlanta for so long, but I have a Phoenix attitude.