Gustavo Dudamel is driven by the belief that music has the power to transform lives, to inspire, and to change the world. Through his dynamic presence and his tireless advocacy for arts education, he has introduced classical music to new audiences around the globe. He currently serves as music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and music director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, and in addition makes regular guest appearances with international orchestras such as the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics. In 2026/27 he will take over the leadership of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Gustavo Dudamel has conducted more than thirty opera productions at international houses such as La Scala, Milan, the Metropolitan Opera and the Berlin and Vienna State Operas; from 2021 to 2023 he was music director of the Paris Opéra.
Highlights of 2023/24 include the revival of a ground-breaking Fidelio in Los Angeles, which he also brings to London, Paris and Barcelona in the spring, a series of Young People’s Concerts in New York in honour of Leonard Bernstein and his returns to the Tanglewood and Salzburg Festivals.
Gustavo Dudamel is one of the few classical musicians to become a pop-culture phenomenon. He has conducted for film productions such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Simpsons, Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story and Billie Eilish’s concert film Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, appeared at the Super Bowl, and worked with superstars such as Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Tyler, the Creator and Coldplay.
Inspired by his transformative experience as a youth in Venezuela’s immersive musical training programme El Sistema, he founded the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) in 2007 and the Dudamel Foundation in 2012.
His discography, which has won multiple Grammy awards, comprises 67 albums.
He has been honoured with numerous awards, including the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2009, an honorary doctorate from the University of Gothenburg in 2012 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019.
