The British conductor will begin his position in the 2027-2028 season.
Dudamel, Yo-Yo Ma and the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Credit: Mathew Imaging
The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced Grammy award-winner Daniel Harding as its new music director.
Harding currently serves as music director of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy. Originally from Oxford, England, Harding began his music career as a teenager and gained international attention for conducting Don Giovanni at the Aix-en-Provence Festival at just 22 years old. He has worked with symphony orchestras and philharmonics across Europe in Sweden, London, Berlin, Vienna and Paris. He is also an airline pilot for Air France.
Harding conducted his first show in the U.S. in 1997 with the LA Phil for the Ojai Festival. In a press release from the LA Phil, Harding described making music with the LA Phil musicians as a thrill and an inspiration to him.
“Over recent years, the LA Phil has developed something extraordinary that cannot be manufactured: a kind of institutional charisma,” Harding said. “That expands the vision of what you ask when thinking about what comes next, for the orchestra, for Los Angeles, for music and for our community.”
In his role as music director he will oversee the LA Phil’s programming. According to the press release, Harding will prioritize the LA Phil’s investment in Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, with plans for an international tour in 2029. In addition, the LA Phil will expand their programming for LA County public schools, offering performances and workshops.
“His intellectual curiosity, passion for bringing in and engaging with new audiences, global perspective and talent for nurturing emerging voices directly align with the LA Phil’s mission and vision,” said Kim Noltemy, LA Phil President & Chief Executive Officer, in the press release.
Harding’s predecessor, Gustavo Dudamel, will move from coast to coast as he joins the New York Philharmonic, but he will remain involved with the LA Phil in his recently appointed positions as Artistic and Cultural Laureate and Founding Director and Conductor Laureate of YOLA.
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“I have a deep admiration for Daniel’s artistry, and for the profound connection he has built with the musicians of the LA Phil over the years,” Dudamel said in the press release. “I’m confident that the brilliance, heart and limitless talent of this orchestra, which has inspired me for so many years, will be in good hands under his musical leadership as they build new worlds of sound together.”
Harding will work alongside Dudamel as well as new Creative Director Esa-Pekka Salonen and Conductor-in-Residence Anna Handler. The LA Phil also intends to hire two new Creative Chairs to round out the leadership team for Latin music and film.