At long last, Los Angeles Philharmonic names its next music director
Key takeaways
- Harding will begin a six-year contract for up to a dozen concerts a season, beginning in the fall of 2027, almost 30 years after the British prodigy made his U.S. debut conducting the L.A.
- Harding has since become a favorite, if occasional, L.A.
- Like Dudamel, who began conducting student orchestras in Venezuela in his early teens, Harding was already making waves at a young age.
British conductor Daniel Harding performs Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2” on Aug. 19, 2025, at the Hollywood Bowl. Harding has been named the the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s next music director, replacing Gustavo Dudamel who is leaving for the New York Philharmonic. (Etienne Laurent / For The Times) By Mark Swed Classical Music Critic Follow May 26, 2026 6 AM PT 8 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced Tuesday that it has named Daniel Harding the orchestra’s 12th music director, ending three years of intense speculation over the orchestra’s future after Gustavo Dudamel leaves in August to head the New York Philharmonic.
Harding will begin a six-year contract for up to a dozen concerts a season, beginning in the fall of 2027, almost 30 years after the British prodigy made his U.S. debut conducting the L.A. Phil at the 1997 Ojai Festival. It was a nervous-making trial by fire that began as a nail-biter. But by the festival’s end, the wunderkind had excitingly found his way with the orchestra.