HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF LOS ANGELES OPERA MUSIC DIRECTOR JAMES CONLON

On 2026-04-22, Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF LOS ANGELES OPERA MUSIC DIRECTOR JAMES CONLON" in the House.

HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF LOS ANGELES OPERA MUSIC DIRECTOR JAMES CONLON

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 71 (Wednesday, April 22, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 22, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E354] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF LOS ANGELES OPERA MUSIC DIRECTOR JAMES CONLON ______ HON. JIMMY GOMEZ of california in the house of representatives Wednesday, April 22, 2026 Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the retirement of James Conlon, the Richard Seaver Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera located in the community of Downtown Los Angeles. Since 2006, James Conlon has served as Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera. Conlon has led the most operas in company history, including conducting over 500 performances and 70 operas. In this role, Conlon has prioritized uplifting works by composers who were silenced by the Nazi regime. His efforts led to the creation of the Los Angeles Opera's Recovered Voices series and the Ziering-Conlon Center for Exiled and Suppressed Composers at the Colburn School. Both programs champion composers whose works were nearly eliminated from history. Over the last 20 years, James Conlon has received countless awards and honors, including the Vienna-based Zemlinsky Prize for his efforts to revive the composer's music, which had been suppressed by the Nazi regime. Additionally, Conlon's recordings of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles and Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny performed by the Los Angeles Opera, earned four Grammy Awards. Above all, Conlon's work with the Los Angeles Opera has had a profound impact on Los Angeles and the global community that will be felt for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring James Conlon for 20 years of service as Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera. ____________________