But Aucoin clearly has a great understanding of how to animate Rigoletto, perhaps bringing his own insight as a composer to the dance.įirst of all, we should clear away some cobwebs that have sprouted around this opera due to its immense popularity and inevitable overexposure. Aucoin’s sole previous gig there was in Philip Glass’ Akhnaten in November of 2016, when the young conductor had trouble getting the hang of Glass’ grooves with an orchestra that was at sea in an ocean of arpeggios. To close out its mainstage season at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, LA Opera turned its revival of Verdi’s Rigoletto over to Aucoin in the pit, and the results were often electrifying. Rigoletto (Juan Jesús Rodríguez) trembles with fear after hearing I’m not saying that we have another Verdi in our presence, but he is certainly somebody to watch as his career trajectory rises.

As Aucoin spoke, played a keyboard, and even sang a bit, one couldn’t help but wonder what will be in store for this slightly built, 28-year-old, Ivy League-trained ball of energy who seems to be conquering one major bastion of classical music after another.

LOS ANGELES – In a pre-performance talk May 12, Los Angeles Opera artist-in-residence Matthew Aucoin mentioned Verdi’s extraordinary career trajectory, one that was on the upswing all the way to his last opera, Falstaff, at age 80.

Los Angeles Opera artist-in-residence Matthew Aucoin, a 28-year-old Ivy League-trained ball of energy, conducts the company’s production of ‘Rigoletto,’ perhaps bringing his own insight as a composer to the dance.

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