Announcement – HOT names Emmanuel Plasson new principal conductor/artistic director

Honolulu, Hawaii – Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) announces that Maestro Emmanuel Plasson will join the organization as its new principal conductor/artistic director effective February 1, 2019.

Maestro Emmanuel Plasson has worked with HOT in recent years, leading the artistic teams of Il Trovatore (2016) and HOT’s recent modern production of Romeo & Juliet.  He previously served as the Music Director of the Opera Company of Middlebury (Vermont), where he actively worked on community oriented programming.

Mr. Plasson has established himself as a leading ambassador for French music through his remarkable international career spanning both the symphonic and operatic worlds.  His work has been applauded by audiences across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, North America, and Europe.  He made his North American debut in 1997 conducting the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden on tour, including performances at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. This resulted in an immediate invitation to be an Assistant Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera during the two following seasons (for productions of Manon and Carmen).

“We are very delighted that Mr. Plasson will be joining HOT, bringing to Hawaii a very impressive background in the opera world.”  HOT President of the Board Jim McCoy said.  “We have observed his work firsthand, and we know he wants to ensure that HOT continues its record of presenting world-class opera.”