Daniele Rustioni Named Principal Guest Conductor at Metropolitan Opera
Daniele Rustioni Named Principal Guest Conductor
New York, NY (November 13, 2024)—The Metropolitan Opera announced the appointment of Daniele Rustioni to the position of Principal Guest Conductor for a three-year term, becoming only the third Principal Guest Conductor in Met history, beginning with the 2025–26 season. In his new position, Rustioni will conduct a minimum of two operas per season. This morning, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, made the announcement of Rustioni’s appointment to the orchestra at the start of a rehearsal for Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten. Nézet-Séguin said, “I am delighted to invite Daniele to the conducting roster of the Met as Principal Guest Conductor. We have shared artistic values, which are first and foremost led by our deep love, commitment to, and respect for the music and the musicians. Having Daniele in this elevated role is good for the orchestra, good for the chorus, and good for opera.” Rustioni made his Met debut leading Verdi’s Aida in 2017 and returned to lead new productions of Verdi’s Rigoletto and Bizet’s Carmen and revivals of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Verdi’s Falstaff. He made his Carnegie Hall debut with the Met Orchestra in February 2023. In coming seasons, Rustioni will conduct a new production of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, as well as revivals of Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Puccini’s La Bohème. Rustioni said, “I am honored to be appointed as the Met’s Principal Guest Conductor and to work with Yannick, Peter [Gelb], and this legendary orchestra, chorus, and company. Every time I have conducted here, I have been inspired by the incredible Met Orchestra and Chorus, and the artists on and off stage. To be following in the footsteps of so many of the greatest artists in history, including Italian artists like Arturo Toscanini, is a highlight of my artistic life. I’m looking forward to sharing our passion and love for opera with our audiences in the coming seasons.”