The New Orleans Opera announced the passing of General and Artistic Director Emeritus Robert Lyall, on January 5, 2024 at the age of 75: « With courage, grace and a sense of humor, Maestro Lyall had bravely battled cancer since April 2023, as well as resulting complications in recent weeks. »
Robert Lyall won the American Symphony Orchestra League’s National Conducting Competition. He continued to refine his craft, soaking up wisdom from Dr. Richard Lert at the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival, and studying with the acclaimed conductor Kyril Kondrashin in Amsterdam.
He had leading positions with the Victoria Symphony; the Oak Ridge Symphony; the Knoxville Opera; Mississippi Opera; Opera Grand Rapids; and finally, the New Orleans Opera, completing an astounding 23 seasons from 1998 to 2021.
He was also Principal Guest Conductor for the Istanbul State Opera.
