Conductor Gustavo Dudamel to Leave LA Phil for NY Phil

February 7, 2023, 4:00 PM · Gustavo Dudamel, currently Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, will become the New York Philharmonic's next Music Director, beginning in the 2026–27 season, according to an announcement today by NY Phil Co-Chairmen Peter W. May and Oscar L. Tang, President & CEO Deborah Borda, and Executive Director Gary Ginstling.

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

Dudamel will succeed Jaap van Zweden, who has been Music Director since 2018. Dudamel will hold the title of Music and Artistic Director of the New York Philharmonic for a five-year term, after serving as Music Director Designate during the 2025–26 season, according to the New York Phil.

Dudamel has been Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009, as well as Music Director of the Opéra National de Paris since 2021, and Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela since 1999.

"Today, above all, I am grateful," Dudamel said. "I am grateful to the musicians and leadership of the New York Philharmonic as we embark upon this new and beautiful journey together; to my beloved family at the Los Angeles Philharmonic and YOLA for helping me to learn and grow through countless challenges and triumphs; and to my Maestro Abreu and the musicians of Venezuela who have been there with me since the beginning."

"As the great poet Federico García Lorca said: ‘Every step we take on earth brings us to a new world.’ I gaze with joy and excitement at the world that lies before me in New York City, and with pride and love at the world I have shared — and will continue to share — with my dear Angelenos over the next three seasons and beyond," Dudamel said. "All of us are united in our belief that culture creates a better world, and in our dream that music is a fundamental right. I look forward to the work ahead."

"This is a dream come true for our musicians, our audience, and certainly for me," said NY Phil President & CEO Deborah Borda, who was CEO of the LA Phil when Dudamel took the podium 14 years ago. "The coming together of a great orchestra, a visionary Music and Artistic Director, and our transformed hall promises the richest of futures."

"From my earliest conversations with the New York Philharmonic Board leadership, we agreed that there was one conductor above all others who could meet the moment and help define the next era for the NY Phil," said Gary Ginstling, Executive Director and incoming President & CEO. "With Gustavo Dudamel, the Philharmonic is poised for what I believe will be one of the most exciting chapters in its storied history."

The Los Angeles Philharmonic congratulated Dudamel on his new appointment:

"The Los Angeles Philharmonic congratulates Gustavo Dudamel on his appointment as Music & Artistic Director of the New York Philharmonic starting in the 2026/27 season, and the beginning of a remarkable new chapter for Gustavo and his family," Los Angeles Philharmonic CEO Chair Chad Smith said in a statement. "We are excited to continue working with Gustavo through our 2025/26 season, which will mark his 17th year with the LA Phil, and we will look forward to welcoming him back as a guest conductor for years to come."

"Since he first took the stage at the Hollywood Bowl as the Music & Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2009, Gustavo’s passion and musicianship have thrilled millions of people around the world," Smith said. "From programming some of the most ambitious works ever staged, inspiring the orchestra to reach new levels of artistry, expanding the limits of Walt Disney Concert Hall, and demonstrating the power of music to change people’s lives through YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), Gustavo has left indelible marks on classical music, the LA Phil and Los Angeles. We are deeply proud of what we have achieved, and will continue to, under his guidance."

"From our earliest days, the LA Phil has been a trailblazer, boldly embracing the new, welcoming the world's greatest artists to our stages and redefining the role of an orchestra in our community," Smith said. "The search for our next Music Director will be conducted with this same spirit as we define the future of our organization."

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Conductor Gustavo Dudamel to Leave LA Phil for NY Phil

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