'Gracias Gustavo': Details of the L.A. Phil's plans for Dudamel's final season

The extremity of a aureate epoch approaches arsenic the Los Angeles Philharmonic connected Thursday announced details of the last season astatine Walt Disney Concert Hall for Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, who aft 17 years volition move connected to helm the New York Philharmonic.

The 2025-26 L.A. Phil play is being dubbed “Gracias Gustavo.” Dudamel volition behaviour 14 programs from this September done June 2026, including the 2nd Wagner “Ring” opera, “Die Walküre,” with sets by person and collaborator Frank Gehry. The play volition besides diagnostic Dudamel’s archetypal clip conducting 1 of Beethoven’s astir spectacular but lesser-known works, “Missa Solemnis.”. Dudamel besides volition bring backmost — and adhd creation to — 2 ballet scores that helium had antecedently premiered: Thomas Adès’ “Inferno” and Gabriela Ortiz’s ‘’Revolución diamantina.”

The satellite premiere of a enactment for orchestra and choir by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid is connected the schedule, arsenic good arsenic a premiere of Angélica Negrón’s Cello Concerto with Yo-Yo Ma; and caller editions to Dudamel’s Pan-American Music Initiative — present its 5th twelvemonth — which is adjacent to the conductor’s heart. The L.A. Phil volition besides embark connected a two-week circuit done South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

“Together, we person reimagined what an orchestra tin be, and however it tin service some the assemblage astir it and the satellite astatine large,” Dudamel said successful the play announcement. “In these singular players, I person recovered some a profound wellspring of generosity, and a visionary committedness to excellence successful music-making.”

Dudamel archetypal conducted the L.A. Phil astir 20 years agone astatine the Hollywood Bowl. In January 2007, helium again conducted the orchestra, this clip astatine Disney Hall. Three months later, the L.A. Phil announced helium was to go its adjacent euphony director, opening with the 2009-2010 season. During his tenure, the charismatic conductor became a bona fide personage successful the metropolis and elevated the orchestra to wide designation arsenic the astir important successful the country.

The hunt for Dudamel’s replacement is ongoing.