French conductor Emmanuel Villaume made his Royal Opera debut in 2000 on Les Contes d’Hoffmann. He has since returned to conduct La rondine, Manon, Tosca and La bohème.
Villaume was born in Strasbourg and studied literature, philosophy and musicology in Paris. He began his career as dramaturg at Opéra national du Rhin. He is Music Director of the Dallas Opera, where selected credits include The Magic Flute, Manon Lescaut, Carmen, Der fliegende Holländer, Don Giovanni, Korngold’s The Ring of Polykrates and Samson et Dalila, and Chief Conductor of PKF – Prague Philharmonia. Previous positions include Chief Conductor of the National Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Ljubljana (2018–13), Chief Conductor of the National Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Bratislava (2009–16) and Director of Spoleto Festival USA (2001–10). Other selected opera engagements include La bohème, Les Pêcheurs de perles, Tosca, Thaïs and Roméo et Juliette (Metropolitan Opera, New York), Don Quichotte (Deutsche Oper Berlin), Manon Lescaut (Liceu, Barcelona), The Golden Cockerel and La fanciulla del West (Santa Fe) and Faust (Lyric Opera of Chicago).
In concert alongside his work with Prague Philharmonia, Villaume has conducted many leading orchestras, including the Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco symphony orchestras, the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Prague Philharmonic. He has conducted a concert performance of Les Troyens with the Orchestra of La Fenice and three concerts with the China National Opera Orchestra during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In 2011 he conducted the annual Richard Tucker Gala with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. His recordings include albums with the Prague Philharmonia and Angela Gheorghiu, Bryan Hymel and Andrew von Oeyen for Warner Classics, and Meyerbeer arias with Diana Damrau for Erato.
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