 He served as Music Director and Principal Conductor for the Houston Grand Opera for eighteen years.He is best known for his conducting of new operas; he conducted the premieres of John Adams's "Nixon in China", Leonard Bernstein's "A Quiet Place", and Michael Tippett's "New Year", and the United States premiere of Philip Glass's "Akhnaten".Maestro DeMain also acts as guest conductor for the Los Angeles Opera on occasion.