Palm Beach Opera Extends David Stern's Contract

Stern, who has been Principal Conductor since 2015, will become the company's Music Director until at least 2027

Conductor David Stern has had his contract at the Palm Beach Opera (PBO) extended until the close of the 2026/27 season, and he will also take on the new title of Music Director. Since 2015, Stern has been the company's Chief Conductor.

Over the last decade, Stern has led 18 productions, beginning with Verdi's Macbeth in 2014 as a guest conductor. Throughout that time, his position has been sponsored by major donor and PBO Board Member Ari Rifkin, and she has now pledged a multi-year commitment to continue funding Stern's role.

Alongside his position in Palm Beach, Stern has also been Music Director of the Israel Opera in Tel Aviv and the Opera St Gallen in Switzerland. He is the founder of the Paris-based Opera Fuoco Company, and in 2008 he launched the Opera Fuoco Young Artists Program — which has produced some of the best young singers in Europe.

Stern has recorded a number of rare operas, including Giovanni Simone Mayr’s L’amor conjugale and Medea in Corinto, and J.C. Bach’s Zanaïda. He conducted Opera Zuid’s production of Kurt Weill’s Lady in the Dark which won the prize for best production in the Netherlands in 2022.

"Maestro Stern has been a bedrock of musical excellence at Palm Beach Opera for more than a decade, and his passionate performances have been among the company's most memorable highlights," said James Barbato, PBO's general director. "He has the rare gift of expertise in a wide range of repertoire from Mozart to Puccini and beyond."

"Moreover, he is a strong artistic partner who shares our vision for achieving the very highest standards of the artform and for the growth of this great company. We look forward to many more years of collaboration with Maestro Stern, and we are very grateful to Ari Rifkin for her continued support."

"After 10 years of conducting productions at the Palm Beach Opera, I am thrilled to be offered the position of Music Director and am looking forward to deepening my attachment to the PBO company and community," Stern said. "The artistic collaboration with the PBO orchestra and chorus over these years has been a privilege and a sincere pleasure."

'I am proud to have been able to work with an outstanding level of invited soloists as well as the remarkable talents of our resident artist program. The opera festival we managed to produce during the COVID period showed the tenacity and commitment of the company, and above all, the conviction that culture remains essential today. I am excited to collaborate with our new General Director James Barbato in this new era for the company. Under his leadership I see a bright future for the Palm Beach Opera."