The Los Angeles Philharmonic has appointed Daniel Harding as its next Music Director from the start of the 2027–28 season, succeeding Gustavo Dudamel.
The announcement was made following what the orchestra describes as an extensive search process involving musicians, board members and staff. Harding will oversee orchestral programming at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford, as well as the orchestra’s Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) education programmes.
Harding said he was inspired by the orchestra’s “institutional charisma” and spoke of the challenge of building on a tradition shaped by former music directors including Carlo Maria Giulini, Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Gustavo Dudamel.
Currently Music Director of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Harding has previously held positions with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. Known for repertoire ranging from Mozart and Mahler, to contemporary composers such as Thomas Adès and Unsuk Chin, he has also maintained a parallel career as a commercial airline pilot.
Harding will become a part of the LA Phil’s evolving artistic leadership team, with recently announced roles for Esa-Pekka Salonen as Creative Director and Anna Handler as Conductor-in-Residence, as well as Gustavo Dudamel, who last week was appointed to the new positions of Artistic and Cultural Laureate of the LA Phil and Founding Director and Conductor Laureate of YOLA.
They join Creative Chair John Adams, Creative Chair for Jazz Herbie Hancock, Artist Collaborator Emmanuelle Haïm, Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Thomas Wilkins and Conductor Emeritus Zubin Mehta. Two further new positions are due to be announced: Creative Chair for Latin Music and Creative Chair for Film.
