(CNN) — Renowned Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will step down as conductor at the Los Angeles Philharmonic and head to the New York Philharmonic as music and artistic director at the end of his contract in 2026, the organization said in a statement. Press release.
Dudamel has been the Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009.
Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra during its first appearance at Canergie Hall in New York on November 11, 2007. (Credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)
Dudamel, a charismatic and energetic Venezuelan-born bandleader, came to Los Angeles as a child prodigy. At 30, he seemed to breathe new life into the city’s classical music scene. Now 42, he has played traditional symphonic pieces while also introducing audiences to a variety of new works. He also focused on involving children in neighboring minorities.
“I look with joy and excitement at the world that stretches out before me in New York City, and with pride and love at the world I have shared—and will continue to share—with my beloved Angelenos for the next three seasons and beyond.” Dudamel wrote in a tweet.
Dudamel’s move to New York is seen as a success for the New York Philharmonic, where he is being touted as the next in a legacy of great conductors like Leonard Bernstein and Arturo Toscanini. In a press release, the New York Philharmonic notes that “Dudamel is no stranger to New York audiences having performed 26 concerts,” including his 26-year-old debut.
“With Gustavo Dudamel, the Philharmonic is ready for what I believe will be one of the most exciting chapters in its history,” New York Philharmonic CEO Gary Ginstling said in a statement.
