Famed Japanese maestro Seiji Ozawa marked the start of his first season Sunday as music director of the Vienna State Opera.
Ozawa, who resigned in July as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where he began his tenure in 1973, will debut as a conductor in Vienna with the Nov. 9 opera of Janacek's "Jenufa."
The 2002-2003 season will open with Verdi's "Don Carlo" and feature about 300 opera, ballet and other performances, according to opera officials.
Ozawa will conduct 29 performances, including Puccini's "Tosca" and Mozart's "Don Giovanni," the officials said.
He will also be engaged in a rare performance of "Johnny Spielt Auf," a piece by modern Austrian composer Ernst Krenek, they said.