'Culture is identity': How Gustavo Dudamel is shaping the future of the Paris Opera

As the Music Director of the Paris Opera, the Venezuelan superstar conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, has a vision. 

He wants to support the next generation of artists, open the Opera's doors to a younger audience, and breathe new life into its programming with masterpieces which have yet to be presented there.

“I really believe that music, culture has the power to transform the people,” Gustavo Dudamel told Musica. “Giving access to the young generation, it creates a society with more freedom,” he added.

Performing with Gustavo Dudamel is a dream for every young artist. And it’s coming true for Marine Chagnon, an artist-in-residence at the Paris Opera Academy. 

It’s a crucial time for young emerging artists who are just embarking on their careers. The French mezzo-soprano has been preparing for weeks for a unique concert, conducted by the charismatic conductor.

"I am already very, very honoured to be able to work with such an artist. He's someone I've seen conduct many times but I've never worked with. So there’s a lot of excitement, a lot of pressure too. When I think of him, I think of fire. I think of something that crackles but is sensual at the same time. And I can't wait to see how he conveys that," Marine explained.

The Music Director of the Paris Opera wants to bring the next generation of artists such as Marine into the spotlight. One way he does this is by inviting them to perform with him on the big stage.

"I'm a young man, still, but not as young as them but the reality is that they are students but they are artists, and when they feel included in the highest level of music making I think it's the best for them to be inspired and to keep working in what they love to do,“ Gustavo Dudamel told Musica. 

"In an institution as