Yannick Nézet-Séguin Extends Contract at the Metropolitan Opera

Nézet-Séguin will remain at the helm until at least 2030

Yannick Nézet-Séguin was first appointed as Music Director at the Metropolitan Opera in 2018, and he is only the third Music Director in the history of the company. He recently signed a six-year contract extension that will see him continue to develop his relationship with the orchestra until the close of the 2029/30 season.

Over the next six years, Nézet-Séguin will continue to conduct four to five operas at the Met each year. Undoubtedly the highlight of this period will be a new production of Wagner's Ring cycle, which Nézet-Séguin will create in collaboration with director Yuval Sharon. This begins in the 2027/28 season, with the full cycle taking place in Spring 2030.

Additionally, Nézet-Séguin will conduct a number of newly commissioned operas — including The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Mason Bates, with a libretto by Gene Scheer; El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego by Gabriela Lena Frank, with a libretto by Nila Cruz; Lincoln in the Bardo by Missy Mazzoli, with a libretto by Royce Vavrek; The Highlands by Carlos Simon, with a libretto by Lynn Nottage and Ruby Aiyo Gerber; and The Wedding Banquet by Huang Ruo, with a libretto by James Schamus.

A native of Montreal, Nézet-Séguin has been Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the city's Orchestre Métropolitain since 2000 and is closely associated with its sound. He is also in his twelfth season as Music and Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, with his contract extended to 2030.

In 2018, Nézet-Séguin signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and spearheaded the Philadelphia Orchestra's return to recording. To date, Nézet-Séguin has led the ensemble in 13 releases on the DG label, with one — a disc of symphonies by Florence Price — winning the GRAMMY Award for Best Orchestral Performance in 2022.

"The Met is very fortunate to have one of the world’s greatest conductors as its Music Director and is even more fortunate to now have him on board through the 2029–30 season," said Peter Gelb, the Met's General Manager. "His extraordinary achievements to date with both new works and classic repertoire are a preview of what is to come."

"Yannick’s tenure will be defined, in part, by the new Ring cycle that is created under his watch. My job is to deliver a new Ring to Yannick that has the potential to be one for the ages in terms of casting and production. With Yannick conducting, Lise Davidsen as Brünnhilde, and Yuval Sharon directing, the possibilities are unlimited."

"Being Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera and being a part of the Met family is one of my greatest joys as a conductor and musician," said Nézet-Séguin. "I am humbled and proud each day to bring old and new operatic works to life with the illustrious Met Orchestra, the unparalleled Met Chorus, and the artists, creators, musicians, and friends that only the Met can bring together."

"In the past seasons, we have seen our audiences come alive and embrace new works by Blanchard, Aucoin, and Puts, which help us commit renewed energy to the familiar works of Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, and Strauss. I am thrilled to continue this musical journey through 2030, with world-class art that will tell the stories of our ever-evolving humanity, and I am full of gratitude for all that is to come."