Nagano's first conducting job was with the
Opera Company of Boston, where he was assistant conductor to
Sarah Caldwell. In 1978, he became the conductor of the
Berkeley Symphony, his first music directorship. He stepped down from this position in 2009. During his tenure in
Berkeley, Nagano became a champion of the music of
Olivier Messiaen and initiated a correspondence with him. He was later invited to work with Messiaen on the final stages of his opera ''
Saint François d'Assise'' in Paris, where he lived with Messiaen and his wife
Yvonne Loriod, whom he came to regard as his "European parents". In 1983, Nagano conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in several of
Frank Zappa's completely orchestral compositions for the first time. Nagano recorded several of Zappa's pieces on the issue
London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1, where Zappa had personally chosen Nagano to conduct the orchestra. Nagano described this as "my first chance, my first real break". In 1984, while assistant conductor of the
Boston Symphony Orchestra, he stepped in for
Seiji Ozawa on short notice and without rehearsal, receiving acclaim from the audience, orchestra, and
Boston Globe critic Richard Dyer for a "noble performance" of
Mahler's Ninth Symphony. Beginning in 1985, Nagano was the music director of the
Ojai Music Festival four separate times, the last in 2004, and once alongside
Stephen Mosko in 1986. Nagano has a long history of inventive programming, particularly in the chamber music repertoire. He collaborated with Icelandic artist
Björk at the 1996
Verbier Festival performing
Arnold Schoenberg's
Pierrot Lunaire.
Lyon and Manchester Nagano was music director of the
Opéra National de Lyon from 1988 to 1998, where he recorded, with the Lyon National Opera Orchestra and chorus, numerous works including Busoni's
Doktor Faust,
Arlecchino and
Turandot, Prokofiev's ''
L'amour des trois oranges'', Stravinsky's ''
The Rake's Progress'', Offenbach's
The Tales of Hoffmann, the premiere of Debussy's
Rodrigue et Chimène, Canteloube's ''
Chants d'Auvergne'', Berlioz's
La damnation de Faust, Carlisle Floyd's
Susannah, operas by Richard Strauss, the French version of
Salomé and the original version of
Ariadne auf Naxos, Peter Eötvös'
Tri sestry, Massenet's
Werther, Delibes'
Coppélia, Poulenc's
Dialogues of the Carmelites, orchestral works by
Maurice Ravel, and Kurt Weill's
The Seven Deadly Sins. Nagano served as principal conductor of the
Hallé Orchestra in Manchester from 1992 to 1999. During his tenure, Nagano received criticism for his expensive and ambitious programming, as well as his conducting fees. However, poor financial management at the orchestra separately contributed to the fiscal troubles of the orchestra. His contract was not renewed after 1999.
Berlin and Los Angeles Nagano became principal conductor and artistic director of the
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin in 2000, and served in this position until 2006. Nagano is the president of the
European Opera Centre, Liverpool.
Montreal and Munich He has been a regular guest at the
Salzburg Festival, where he premiered
Kaija Saariaho's ''
L'amour de loin'' in 2000. He also conducted the world premiere of
John Adams'
The Death of Klinghoffer at
la Monnaie in Brussels. In 2006, Nagano became both the music director of the
Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) and GMD of the
Bavarian State Opera. His contract with the Bavarian State Opera did not allow him to be the music director of another opera company. He concluded his Bavarian State Opera tenure in 2013. With the OSM, he has conducted commercial recordings for such labels as ECM New Series. Nagano concluded his OSM tenure at the end of the 2019–2020 season.
Hamburg and Madrid Nagano has served as one of the
Russian National Orchestra's Conductor Collegium. In August 2012, the
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Nagano as its principal guest conductor and artistic advisor, as of the 2013–2014 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. In September 2012, the Hamburg State Opera announced the appointment of Nagano as its next
Generalmusikdirektor (General Music Director) and
Chefdirigent (chief conductor), effective with the 2015–2016 season, with an initial contract through the 2019–2020 season. In October 2017, the company announced the extension of Nagano's Hamburg contract through 2025. In 2017, he conducted
Jörg Widmann's
Arche at the opening of the
Elbphilharmonie. Nagano is scheduled to conclude his Hamburg State Opera tenure as GMD at the close of the 2024–2025 season. Nagano first guest-conducted the
Spanish National Orchestra (
Orquesta Nacional de España) in April 2021. He returned for subsequent guest-conducting appearances in June 2021 and April 2024. In December 2024, the
Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España announced the appointment of Nagano as its next
Director Artístico (Artistic Director) and
Director Títular (Chief Conductor), effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of five seasons.
Parma Since 2025, he serves as
Principal Artistic Partner of the
Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini in Parma, establishing a distinguished artistic collaboration under a three-year agreement that begins with the 2025/2026 season. ==Personal life==