February 28, 2024 Robert Spano, a four-time Grammy Award® winner, will become Washington National Opera’s fifth music director in the 2025–2026 season, following the end of Principal Conductor Evan Rogister’s tenure. One of the most eminent conductors today, Spano has worked with the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, the Cleveland, Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Royal Concertgebouw orchestras, and the San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New World, Sydney, and BBC symphonies. Among some of the opera companies he has appeared in are Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Covent Garden, Houston Grand Opera, and Seattle Opera. He is the music director laureate of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, where he was music director for 20 years.
Spano will join the ranks of former music directors including Paul Callaway (1956–1967), John Mauceri (1980–1982), Heinz Fricke (1993–2010), and Philippe Auguin (2010–2018).
CENTER blog catches up with him for a conversation before his tenure officially starts. | 
