Jacques Lacombe becomes Vancouver Opera's new music director

Canadian maestro conducted last season’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and has conducted at symphonies and opera houses around the globe

By Janet Smith

Jacques Lacombe. Photo by Fred Stucker

VANCOUVER OPERA HAS ANNOUNCED the appointment of maestro Jacques Lacombe as its new music director—the first to be named since 2018, when Jonathan Darlington became music director emeritus.

Lacombe has a more than two-decade association with the company, taking the podium for last season’s production of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and helming such other shows as 2003’s La fanciulla del West. 

"I am deeply honoured to join the Vancouver Opera family," said Lacombe in the announcement today. "Vancouver Opera has a rich tradition of artistic excellence and their work continues to push the envelope of opera each season. I am excited to collaborate with this outstanding team to create unforgettable experiences for our audiences and to continue elevating extraordinary talent. Together, we will push the boundaries of opera, embrace diversity, and bring the magic of music to the heart of British Columbia."

Quebec-born Lacombe was assistant conductor of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra from 1994 to 1998 and its principal guest conductor from 2002 to 2006. He was chief conductor and music director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens from 1990 to 2003. He is a Member of the Order of Canada and Knight of the Ordre National du Quebec. In February of this year, the Orchestre Classique de Montréal named Lacombe its new artistic director and principal conductor.

Lacombe has conducted at such hallowed opera halls as Bonn Opera, Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Germany, Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, Festival Internacional de Opera Alejandro Granda in Lima, and Metropolitan Opera House in New York. 

Lacombe recorded Janáček’s suite from The Cunning Little Vixen, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and the Verdi Requiem on releases with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. 

In 2012, he received a Juno Award for his recording of Lettres de Madame Roy à sa fille Gabrielle, featuring Marie-Nicole Lemieux.

VO general director Tom Wright said today that Lacombe would help to further boost the company’s reputation globally: “The award-winning Maestro has brought nuance, power, and artistic integrity to many VO productions as a visiting conductor, so we are honoured that he has accepted this key leadership role.”

Lacombe will now participate in the audition process for the 2024-25 season. Darlington will continue to work with the company providing artistic contribution in the role of music director emeritus.  

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