The Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires has announced the appointment of Alejo Pérez as the next Director Titular of the Orquesta Estable del Teatro Colón, beginning with the 2026 season. The news was shared by Culture Minister Gabriela Ricardes and Teatro Colón General Director Gerado Grieco on 17 October 2025.
Pérez, who has previously conducted the orchestra in several productions, currently serves as Music Director of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (Flemish Opera) in Belgium — a tenure that began in 2019 and concludes later this year. In 2026 he will conduct two opera titles and three symphonic programmes in Buenos Aires, marking his first full season in the post.
“I have a deep sense of belonging to the Teatro Colón, and it is a privilege to work again with the Orquesta Estable and be part of its history,” Pérez said in the official statement. “I am honoured and eager to make music with them once more, and I send my warmest greetings to the theatre’s staff and audience.”
An Argentine conductor with an international profile
Born in Buenos Aires, Pérez studied composition, conducting and piano in his hometown and later in Karlsruhe with Peter Eötvös. Between 2009 and 2012 he served as Music Director of the Teatro Argentino de La Plata, and from 2010 he collaborated closely with the Teatro Real de Madrid under Gerard Mortier.
His repertoire ranges from Mozart, Verdi and Wagner to Debussy, Shostakovich and Rihm, and he has appeared at leading houses such as the Wiener Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opéra Bastille, and La Monnaie in Brussels. In 2024–25 he conducts Khovanshchina at the Grand Théâtre de Genève in a staging by Calixto Bieito, returns to Tokyo Nikikai Opera for Die Frau ohne Schatten, and leads Der Fliegende Holländer in Santiago de Chile. He also recently conducted Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 at the Teatro Colón.
Pérez’s appointment comes at a time when the orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor, Beatrice Venezi, is under public scrutiny in Europe for her upcoming role as Music Director of Venice’s Teatro La Fenice. Her nomination, announced in September, led to a one-day strike at the Venetian theatre, with unions questioning the transparency of the selection process and her artistic qualifications.
While Venezi’s position in Buenos Aires remains unaffected, the Italian debate has reignited broader discussions about political influence and institutional autonomy in the arts.
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