MOLA To Honor Conductor James Conlon With Eroica Award For Outstanding Service To Music

MOLA: An Association of Music Performance Librarians is honoring American conductor James Conlon with the 2024 Eroica Award for Outstanding Service to Music.

“For the past 50 years, James Conlon has epitomized remarkable leadership on and off the podium,” said Alastair McKean, President of MOLA. “While his mastery as a musician and conductor remains unparalleled, it is his dedication to programming underrepresented composers, diligent education initiatives, and ambitions to unite diverse communities in the appreciation of opera and classical music that truly sets him apart. It is with great admiration for these contributions and unwavering leadership that MOLA is proud to present Maestro Conlon with our 2024 Eroica Award for Outstanding Service to Music.”

MOLA is the premier professional association for music performance librarians who acquire, prepare, catalogue and maintain music for their institutions. With more than 585 members, the international nonprofit represents more than 300 organizations, including 248 orchestras, 36 opera and ballet companies, 33 music academies, 8 professional bands and ensembles across the world.

Conlon is widely regarded as a consummate conductor for his versatility across symphonic, operatic, and choral repertoire. Since making his 1974 debut with the New York Philharmonic, he has graced the stages of nearly every major orchestra in America and Europe. Renowned for his extensive discography, writings, and guest appearances, Conlon is one of today's most prominent figures in classical music.

Among his many accolades, he has received four Grammy Awards for recordings with LA Opera, a 2002 Légion d'Honneur from former French President Jacques Chirac, a 2018 Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana from Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and a 2023 Cross of Honor for Science and Art (Österreichische Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst) from the Republic of Austria.

In a video for the 42nd annual MOLA conference, May 24-27 in Cleveland, Conlon speaks highly of working with performance librarians throughout his career.

“Receiving this honor means more to me than you can possibly imagine,” Conlon said. “As a conductor with 50 years of professional life behind me, I have had the privilege of collaborating with many of you in the United States, in Canada, and in Europe. I know how essential and important your work is, and I am honored to be able to thank all of you.”

Conlon emphasized that the award holds special meaning to him since it came from performance librarians who are “in the trenches” with musicians and conductors every day.

“We would not be able to do our best without you,” Conlon said. “I want to express my deep gratitude to you, not just for this honor, but for all the work together that I have enjoyed with so many of you over so many years. I wish you all many more years of success and satisfaction, bringing classical music to millions of people around the world.”

The criteria for the Eroica Award for Outstanding Service to Music is to recognize an individual (or group of individuals) who inspires MOLA with their advocacy for the art form, artistic excellence, and/or leadership. MOLA encourages nominations for those who champion underrepresented works or composers, mentor young musicians, bridge communities, or break new ground. Whether a performer, scholar or editor, the recipient can represent any facet of the music world.

MOLA members Melisandra Dunker and Caroline Boyce nominated Conlon for the award. As music librarians with the LA Opera Orchestra, they have had the privilege to work closely and frequently with him.

“Maestro Conlon inspires audiences with his performances and lectures alike,” Dunker said. “Not only does he command excellence with his baton, but he exemplifies a scholarly approach rooted in a deep appreciation for music and its creators.”

Conlon has served as the LA Opera music director since 2006. In 2026, for his 20th season, he will transition to the role of conductor laureate.

Both nominating MOLA members appreciate Conlon's regular contributions to LA Opera's website through essays and podcasts whether he is leading the related project or not. Conlon is credited with developing LA Opera's annual community program, and he lectures in schools and events on a regular basis. He also programs concerts and recordings for local college students. It's all part of Conlon's efforts to broaden appreciation for the art form for more people.

In alignment with the values and criteria of MOLA's Eroica Award, Conlon has long been a champion of underrepresented composers and overlooked repertoire.

“Perhaps the greatest legacy of Maestro Conlon's career will be his Recovered Voices initiative, a deeply personal, decades-long mission to revive works by composers who were censored by the Nazi regime,” Dunker said. “Conlon also regularly programs works by people of color, and as voices of the oppressed continue to be silenced today, the goal of Recovered Voices and Maestro Conlon's programming in general is urgent and deserves recognition, across the classical music world and beyond.”

Conlon is the third recipient of the Eroica Award for Outstanding Service to Music. Conductor JoAnn Falletta was honored as the 2023 recipient for the association's 41st conference in Berlin. In 2022, MOLA presented violinist Jennifer Koh with the inaugural award at its 40th conference in Philadelphia

In his heartfelt message, Conlon praised MOLA for being the top association of its kind.

“To all of the members of MOLA, you are known worldwide as an association of music performance librarians,” Conlon said. “But for me, MOLA is not just an association, but the association, the largest and most prominent in the classical music world.”

Learn more about MOLA at mola-inc.org. Visit jamesconlon.com to learn more about this year's award recipient.

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