Esa-Pekka Salonen Takes New Jobs in Los Angeles and Paris

Salonen’s new positions, with their planning and conducting responsibilities, raise questions about whether replacements for Dudamel and Mäkelä will be necessary. The Orchestre de Paris doesn’t expect to hire a new music director. But Kim Noltemy, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s president and chief executive, said the ensemble was planning to move forward with its search, while retiring the artistic portion of Dudamel’s title, which had been added for him.

“We want to ensure that the music director role oversees the general vision of the musical excellence and growth of the L.A. Phil,” Noltemy said. “We still feel like it’s an incredible opportunity.” (She added that creative director role, endowed by Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen, will become permanent.)

The Philharmonie, whose founders included Boulez, has a substantial footprint, with multiple performance spaces as well as facilities for exhibitions and education, similar to Lincoln Center in New York. In addition to the Orchestre de Paris, the campus houses the Ensemble Intercontemporain, also founded by Boulez.

Olivier Mantei, the general director of the Philharmonie, said that the spirit of Boulez remains in the center’s sensibility, and that having Salonen, who knew Boulez well, carry it on will be “a new marvel for us.”

Salonen called the Philharmonie a “fantastic campus” and said that while such an expansive canvas might be a challenge, “it’s also great because if I can find a way to use all of the campus, I will.” Already, he is working on a 2027 festival that Los Angeles and Paris will share.

“I think every orchestra on the planet should really take a good look at the model as we know it,” he said. “Is this something that can be modified or even abandoned, or something maybe not in sync with the rest of the world? I don’t know. But this kind of deal I’m entering is good because both places have the space to explore what the answer would be.”