The stage director Robert Carsen, the soprano Christine Goerke, the tenor Matthew Polenzani and the mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade will also receive this Award. Here is Yannick's short biography published by Opera News:

Yannick Nézet-Séguin: The accomplished conductor made his Met debut leading a new production of CARMEN in 2009. The Montreal native's other Met appearances have included new Met stagings of DON CARLO (2010), FAUST (2011) and OTELLO (2014), as well as revivals of LA TRAVIATA and RUSALKA. He has been artistic director and principal conductor of the Orchestre Metropolitain in Montreal since 2000, and is currently in his ninth season as music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 2012, Nézet-Séguin has been music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 2016, Nézet-Séguin was named music director designate of the Metropolitan Opera; he becomes the company's music director in 2020-21, succeeding James Levine in that position. Nézet-Séguin conducts his first Met performances of DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER in April.

Digital Editor Adam Wasserman pays tribute: "Yannick Nézet-Séguin's impeccable, sophisticated leadership of canonical works has made him more than just a company favorite in the eight seasons since his Met debut. With breathtaking performances of CARMEN and FAUST, the Met's music director designate has shown himself to be consummate French stylist, while his performances of OTELLO, DON CARLO and LA TRAVIATA have pulsed with the rhythmic energy and orchestral detail of a supreme Verdian." ..