Gustavo Dudamel, left, is introduced by New York Philharmonic CEO Deborah Borda as the Philharmonic’s next music and artistic director, on Feb. 20, 2023, at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Photo by John Minchillo/AP.
“As a child, Gustavo Dudamel said he listened to recordings of the New York Philharmonic and ‘conducted’ along to them,” reports Alexandra Svokos on Monday’s (2/20) ABC News. “Now, he says, it’s ‘a dream come true’ to be joining as music director … Dudamel said Monday at a press conference at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall. The celebrated Venezuelan conductor will begin his run in New York in the 2026-27 season, ending a run with the Los Angeles Philharmonic that began in 2009. This appointment follows concentrated efforts by New York to get him to agree … spearheaded by [New York Philharmonic] CEO Deborah Borda, who was also the one to hire Dudamel for the LA Philharmonic when she was CEO there.” On an orchestra’s roles in its hometown, Dudamel said, “ ‘It’s not only, ah, we have an amazing orchestra that plays beautifully—that is wonderful, but an orchestra that transforms the community and people feel that is their identity, that is something important,’ he said…. Dudamel is the first Latino person to head the New York Philharmonic, and in Spanish he said while he’s proud of that, he believes he represents many people.”
