USA: Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced that 26-year-old Venezuelan will take over as director of the orchestra

The future conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic will be Gustavo Dudamel, now 26, who made his American debut conducting the orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl in 2005. The formal announcement was made Monday (April 09) at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the permanent home of the orchestra. "For me, it's very special to be here. I feel that I represent a (new) Latin American generation that is just being born and that is fighting and working to achieve their dreams. This is very important to me," Dudamel told assembled reporters in his native Spanish. L.A. Philharmonic principal bassist, Chris Hanulik was part of a group of select members of the orchestra and its board of directors who quietly evaluated possible conductors before deciding on Dudamel. "It quickly became clear to the orchestra that we were in the presence of an extraordinary talent," he said. "Chronologically Gustavo may be young but once on this podium he displays a depth of musical maturity that is nothing short of astounding. We are all thrilled to have you here." Apparently, the response from both the players and the public to Dudamel's first concert with the Philharmonic at Disney Hall, in January, when he was even more impressive than at his Bowl appearance, is what swayed the committee. "As I've said, I come from a Venezuelan orchestra project and, really, it's a childhood dream, not just to play in a theatre, but to make music. It's an honour for me, a great honour, to be here and I expect that we will have a very rich and delicious time," said Dudamel, who is believed to have been the target of orchestras throughout the world. Dudamel first took up a baton at age 7 and was conducting an orchestra at age 12. He recently took his Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, which is made up of disadvantaged youth, on a tour of European capitals -- to rave reviews. "Politically.... I regret not being political because sometimes I'm so deep in what I'm doing that I'm a bit disconnected. But the most important thing is that the Venezuelan state supports youth orchestras, our entire system, and we should be grateful for that. That's very important for the culture of our countries," the young conductor said Last week, Dudamel was guest conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has also conducted the Boston Symphony and at Milan's La Scala opera house, and he is scheduled to make his debuts next season with the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. Dudamel will be 28 when he takes over as director of the L.A. Phil. Salonen, now 48, was also a young prodigy -- 34 -- when he was hired as music director in Los Angeles in 1992 and became the orchestra's longest-serving director. Another celebrated conductor, India-born Zubin Mehta, was 26 when he became music director in 1962, and he remained with the orchestra for 16 years. Salonen, who is from Finland, plans to remain in Los Angeles.

ITN Source | April 12, 2007

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