Conlon, James (Joseph)
Conlon, James (Joseph)
Conlon, James (Joseph) , American conductor; b. N.Y., March 18, 1950. He studied at the H.S. of Music and Art in N.Y., and then was a pupil in conducting of Morel at the Juilliard School of Music in N.Y. (B.M., 1972). After making his formal conducting debut with Boris Godunov at the Spoleto Festival in 1971, he conducted at the Juilliard School (1972–75). On April 12, 1974, he became the youngest conductor ever to lead a subscription concert of the N.Y. Phil. On Dec. 11, 1976, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. conducting Die Zauberflöte, and remained on its roster until 1980; was again on its roster from 1981 to 1983. He served as music director of the Cincinnati May Festival (from 1979) and chief conductor of the Rotterdam Phil. (1983–91). In 1989 he became chief conductor of the Cologne Opera; in 1991 he also was made Generalmusikdirektor of the city of Cologne and chief conductor of the Gürzenich Orch. there. He likewise was music advisor (1995–96) and principal conductor (from 1996) of the Opéra de la Bastille in Paris.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire