Arts News

Gustavo Dudamel leads brilliant LA Philharmonic season

By April MacIntyre Oct 12, 2011, 13:56 GMT

Although named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2009, Gustavo Dudamel hails from humble beginnings in the small town of Barquisimeto, Venezuela.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic's 2011/2012 Walt Disney Hall Concert Series features the brilliant Gustavo Dudamel conducting.

Although named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2009, Gustavo Dudamel hails from humble beginnings in the small town of Barquisimeto, Venezuela.

Born in 1981, as a child he began violin lessons with José Luis Jiménez at the Jacinto Lara Conservatory. He continued his violin studies with José Francisco del Castillo at the Latin American Academy of Violin.

His conducting studies began in 1996 with Rodolfo Saglimbeni and, the same year, he was given his first conducting position, Music Director of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra. In 1999, he was appointed Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra and began conducting studies with the orchestra’s founder, Dr. Abreu; a few years later in 2004, Dudamel was brought to international attention by winning the inaugural Bamberger Symphoniker Gustav Mahler Competition.

These early musical and mentoring experiences molded his commitment to music as an engine for social change – a lifelong passion.

Riding on the heels of a very successful debut season, the Los Angeles Philharmonic is very proud to have Dudamel as its music director, and to take that pride to a whole new level, he's won one of the highest honors in classical music: the "artist of the year" award from Gramophone Magazine.

The 30-year-old acclaimed Venezuelan conductor was one of 10 nominees for the annual prize, which was announced last week in London. 

Unlike other awards handed out by Gramophone, the artist of the year is voted on by the general public world over. 

Past winners include Joyce DiDonato, Hilary Hahn, Julia Fischer, Yo-Yo Ma and Michael Tilson Thomas, and now Dudamel belongs to an elite club of musical geniuses.  Dudamel is just a ticket purchase away for the LA Phil's show this season, and there are still tickets available to go see the "artist of the year" in action.

Please see highlighted the October shows below and find more details about the entire series here: http://www.laphil.com/dudamel

October Shows

Oct 6 – 9
Dudamel and Mendelssohn

Oct 13 -15
Dudamel and Bronfman

Oct 20 – 21
Dudamel and Moser

Oct 28 – 30
Dudamel and Goode