Cleveland Institute of Music Announces Timothée Chalamet as Director of Opera and Vocal Ensembles

Cleveland Institute of Music Announces Timothée Chalamet as Director of Opera and Vocal Ensembles 

Inaugural Season to Feature The Magic Flute Starring Kylie Jenner 

CLEVELAND, April 1, 2026 – The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) today announced the appointment of acclaimed actor and tastemaker Timothée Chalamet as its new Director of Opera and Vocal Ensembles, marking a bold and imaginative new chapter for the conservatory’s storied vocal and operatic programs. 

Chalamet, whose recent public remarks have ignited a renewed interest in the expressive power of opera and ballet, will begin his tenure in the 2026–27 academic year. He will make his home on the West side of the East side. 

His inaugural season will open with a reimagined production of The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, featuring entrepreneur and cultural icon Kylie Jenner in the role of the Queen of the Night(life). 

“Timothée represents a genuinely consequential shift in how we understand opera in the 21st century,” said Paùl W. Hôgle, CIM President and CEO. “He brings intuition, artistic sensibility, and an approach to the art form that is notably unencumbered by intellectual framing or curiosity. That absence of thought is precisely what makes his perspective so uniquely obtuse.” 

“I’ll be honest—I used to think opera was boring,” said Chalamet. “But what I now understand is that it’s been under-realized all this time. With my vision, opera can become an art form that will stand the test of time. I'm going to bestow my talents on The Land and embrace my destiny as the savior of divas.”  

In his spare time, Chalamet enjoys studying full scores, refining his German diction, and continuing his ongoing personal journey of apologizing to opera and ballet performers.  

Additional details about the upcoming CIM opera season will be announced on Kylie’s Instagram page.