Equally well known in Europe and the U.S., James Conlon excels as an operatic and orchestral conductor. In 1974, Conlon became the youngest conductor ever to lead the New York Philharmonic in a subscription series concert. His interests increasingly turned toward opera, and he made his debuts at the Metropolitan Opera in 1976 and at London's Covent Garden in 1979. In 1983, he made his recording debut on François-René Duchâble's recording of Liszt's piano concertos. In 2006, Conlon was named the music director of the Los Angeles Opera; he continued to hold that position as of the early 2020s. He has championed the works of composers affected by the Holocaust. Conlon's recording catalog includes more than 65 albums featuring him as conductor in both operatic and orchestral music. In 2022, he conducted artists from the Colburn School in Los Angeles on Shapeshifter: Music of Erwin Schulhoff.