Gustavo Dudamel will leave the L.A. Phil for the N.Y. Philharmonic

Gustavo Dudamel, the celebrated conductor who led the Los Angeles Philharmonic to prominence as the nation’s most important orchestra, said Tuesday that he will leave L.A. to join the New York Philharmonic in 2026.

Dudamel said in an interview that the decision to leave when his L.A. Phil contract expires was extremely complex and difficult. He has three seasons remaining as music and artistic director in L.A., he said, and his focus — and heart — will stay here.

But by the end of his L.A. run, Dudamel said, he will be 45 years old and have been music director here for 17 years — the right time for a new challenge.

The New York Philharmonic “is a very different animal, a different situation, and the challenge is very interesting,” said the Venezuelan-born conductor, who also serves as musical director of the Paris Opera. Dudamel said the five-year contract with New York will make his life easier given the city’s proximity to Paris and to his second home, in Madrid, but that’s not why he is seeking this change.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-02-07/gustavo-dudamel-will-leave-the-l-a-phil-for-ny-philharmonic-in-2026