James Conlon conducts his final production as Music Director

(Los Angeles) May 4, 2026 — LA Opera's 40th Anniversary Season concludes with Mozart's The Magic Flute, a revival of one of LA Opera's most sensational productions. The conductor is James Conlon, in his 20th and final season as the company’s Music Director—his last opera in that role before becoming Conductor Laureate.

"For two decades, James has been the artistic heart of LA Opera,” said Christopher Koelsch, LA Opera’s President and CEO. “While this moment carries a sense of farewell, it is happily not an ending. It is especially fitting that his last two productions as Music Director are Verdi's Falstaff, which is now on our stage, and Mozart's The Magic Flute.   These masterpieces, each the crowning comic achievement of its composer, reflect the wit, humanity, and love that have defined James’s extraordinary tenure here. Our audiences have truly adored him, and we all look ahead with deep gratitude—and great joy—to the many times we will welcome him back to our stage in the seasons to come."

About the Production
This inventive and charming interpretation brilliantly captures Mozart's dazzling celebration of true love conquering all, transporting audiences into an enchanted fantasy world. Dreamed up by groundbreaking stage director Barrie Kosky and the masterminds behind the British theater company known as 1927, the revolutionary staging is unlike anything encountered before on the operatic stage. The singers perform in front of a huge screen, interacting in real time with animations projected all around them, creating the impression that gigantic comic strip collages are coming to life before your eyes.

First unveiled at the Komische Oper Berlin in 2012, this reimagining of Mozart's masterpiece has taken the world by storm, seen by nearly a million audience members on five continents. In 2013, LA Opera presented the first performances outside Berlin, with subsequent revivals in 2016 and 2019.

Meet the Cast
Sydney Mancasola, who made her LAO debut in 2023 as Mélisande in Pelléas et Mélisande, returns as Pamina. The remainder of the leading roles will be performed by artists all making their first appearances with LA Opera: tenor Miles Mykkanen as Tamino, baritone Kyle Miller as Papageno, soprano Aigul Khismatullina as the Queen of the Night, and bass Kwangchul Youn as Sarastro.

Also making their company debuts will be tenor Zhengyi Bai as Monostatos, soprano Diana Newman as the First Lady, and mezzo-soprano Meridian Prall as the Third Lady. Several members of LA Opera's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program will appear in the cast as well: soprano Emily Damasco as Papagena, mezzo-soprano Katie Trigg as the Second Lady, tenor Nathan Bowles as the First Armored Man, and baritone Hyungjin Son as both the Speaker and the Second Armored Man. Three members of the Los Angeles Children's Chorus will appear as the Three Spirits: Elle Thorman, Clark Chua and Alexa Ho.

The Creative Team
The production was conceived by Paul Barritt and Suzanne Andrade, the co-directors of the British theater company 1927, in collaboration with Barrie Kosky, the former artistic director of the Komische Oper Berlin. The original staging was co-directed by Suzanne Andrade and Barrie Kosky, with full-scale animation designed by Paul Barritt. This season's production in Los Angeles will be staged by revival director Erik Friedman. The scenery and costumes are designed by Esther Bialas and Jeremy Frank is the chorus director.

Click here to download production photos and artist headshots.

Performance Dates, Times and Address
There will be six performances of The Magic Flute presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, located at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012:

• Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 7:30pm
• Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 7:30pm
• Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 7:30pm
• Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 2pm
• Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 7:30pm (Pride Night*)
• Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 2pm

*The June 17 performance will mark LA Opera's annual Pride Night in partnership with the Opera League of Los Angeles, hosting a special post-performance gathering for attendees at Massilia at The Grand LA. For details, please visit LAOpera.org/pride.

Tickets
Tickets begin at $49 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at LAOpera.org, by phone at 213.972.8001, or in person at the LA Opera box office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012).

More information about the production is available at LAOpera.org/Flute.

About LA Opera
Los Angeles is a city of enormous diversity and creativity, and LA Opera is dedicated to reflecting that vibrancy by redefining what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions, and inventive performances that preserve foundational works while making them feel fresh and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America’s most exciting and ambitious opera companies.

In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the company explores unusual repertoire each season through the LA Opera Off Grand initiative, featuring performances in a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. The LA Opera Connects department offers a robust variety of educational programming and community engagement offerings that reach people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. Learn more at LAOpera.org.

LA Opera Media Contact
Marlene Meraz
Director of Communications
mmeraz@laopera.org
213.972.7554

Production made possible by generous support from
GRoW @ Annenberg Foundation
Régina and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten

Original production and revival made possible by a generous gift from
The Carol and Warner Henry Production Fund for Mozart Operas

Additional support for the performers from the
Los Angeles Children’s Chorus made possible by
Dr. Peter and Mrs. Helen Bing

With special additional support from
The Norman and Sadie Lee Foundation

Special underwriting for Maestro James Conlon’s conducting provided by
Raffaella Belanich

LA Opera Orchestra generously underwritten by
Terri and Jerry Kohl

This production is dedicated to the memory of Alyce Williamson.

LA Opera is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community.