In just a quarter-century of existence, LA Opera has become, under the leadership of Eli and Edythe Broad General Director Plácido Domingo, the United States' fourth largest opera company and now "...stands out as a newly important force in American Opera." (Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times). During the summer of 2010, LA Opera will present Der Ring des Nibelungen, conducted by James Conlon and staged by director/designer Achim Freyer. This will be the first time that Wagner's complete Ring cycle will be presented in Los Angeles. The 2010/11 season features six productions and a total of 42 performances. The season opens with the world premiere of Daniel Catán's Il Postino starring Plácido Domingo as Pablo Neruda. The season continues with Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro featuring the Company debuts of Marlis Petersen, Martina Serafin and Bo Skovhus; Wagner's Lohengrin with Ben Heppner, Soile Isokoski and Dolora Zajick; Verdi's Rigoletto starring George Gagnidze; the Company premiere of Rossini's Il Turco in Italia starring Nino Machaidze, Thomas Allen and Paolo Gavanelli; and Britten's The Turn of the Screw starring Patricia Racette, William Burden and Ann Murray. The season will also include a 25th Anniversary Gala and recitals by Rene Pape, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Jonas Kaufmann. James Conlon, the Company's Richard Seaver Music Director, will conduct four productions; other conductors for the season are Plácido Domingo, Israel Gursky and Grant Gershon (the Company's Associate Conductor / Chorus Master).