Yannick Nézet-Séguin is remaking the Metropolitan Opera from the bottom up

By RONALD BLUM
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Yannick Nézet-Séguin is remaking the Metropolitan Opera from the bottom up. The 48-year-old conductor dyes his hair blond, wears patent leather Christian Louboutins and outfits designed by the Met costume shop and is pushing an expansion of contemporary compositions. He’s a stark contrast to the final years of predecessor James Levine, who conducted while seated from 2001 on, from a motorized wheelchair during his final five seasons because of Parkinson’s disease. Finishing his fifth season as music director, Nézet-Séguin leads the Met on its first tour since 2011. The group will give concerts from Tuesday through July 2 in Paris, London and Baden-Baden, Germany.