The Los Angeles Philharmonic named Daniel Harding its new music director Tuesday, with Harding set to succeed the world-renowned Gustavo Dudamel in the 2027-28 season.
Harding is currently music director of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Italy. He was the artistic and music director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and following his tenure was named conductor laureate of both orchestras.
He previously served as principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for 10 years. In 2024, he succeeded Yo-Yo Ma as leader of a Pan-Asian youth orchestra program in China.
“Making music with the magnificent LA Phil musicians is a thrill and an inspiration,” Harding said. “Over recent years, the LA Phil has developed something extraordinary that cannot be manufactured: a kind of institutional charisma. That expands the vision of what you ask when thinking about what comes next, for the orchestra, for Los Angeles, for music and for our community.
“Perhaps the hardest task in music is to take something already exceptional and to help it grow further,” he continued. “Inheriting an orchestra with a tradition that includes Giulini and Mehta and shaped most recently by Esa-Pekka and Gustavo is an extraordinary gift. So many great artists have found possibilities here that don’t exist anywhere else, and I come to California full of excitement for what we will discover and create together.”
Harding will oversee orchestral programming across the organization, including its presentations at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford, along with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. Officials said he will lead the LA Phil’s ambitious commitment to commissioning new works and expanding the orchestra’s global presence through touring, media projects and new ventures for international collaboration and cultural exchange.
Harding will conduct eight weeks of programming in his inaugural 2027/28 season, increasing to 12 weeks of programming in subsequent years.
Tuesday’s announcement was made by LA Phil President and CEO Kim Noltemy, and CEO Chair David Bohnett, and Board Chair Jason Subotky.
“We are immensely proud to welcome Daniel Harding as the LA Phil’s next music director, following an extensive search led by a committee of our musicians, board, and staff,” Noltemy said. “He is greatly admired by the orchestra and was the overwhelming choice based on their feedback. His intellectual curiosity, passion for bringing in and engaging with new audiences, global perspective and talent for nurturing emerging voices directly align with the LA Phil’s mission and vision.”
LA Phil officials said Harding is acclaimed for his artistic leadership and craftsmanship. His repertoire is wide-ranging, from award-winning recordings of baroque music to many premieres of new works. He is recognized for his interpretations of works from across the symphonic spectrum, from Mahler, Mozart and Britten to contemporary composers such as Thomas Ades and Unsuk Chin. As a renowned opera conductor, Harding will also bring his experience from great opera houses to the stages in LA.
In the LA Phil’s 2026-27 season, Harding will lead the Brahms “Second Piano Concerto” with Leif Ove Andsnes, Leonard Bernstein’s “Jeremiah” symphony with mezzo-soprano Avery Amereau and Betsy Jolas’s latest in November 2026, and a program featuring Thomas Ades’ “The Exterminating Angel Symphony” and Strauss’ “Also sprach Zarathustra” in January 2027.
Dudamel has served as music director since 2009 and is scheduled to become music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic in September. During his tenure, he led major artistic initiatives including the Pan-American Music Initiative, commissioned dozens of new works and helped expand YOLA into multiple Los Angeles neighborhoods before opening its permanent home, the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center.
He also led high-profile LA Phil performances at the Super Bowl, the Academy Awards and the Coachella music festival. Last week, he was appointed to the new positions of artistic and cultural laureate of the LA Phil and founding director and conductor laureate of YOLA.
“I have a deep admiration for Daniel’s artistry, and for the profound connection he has built with the musicians of the LA Phil over the years,” Dudamel said. “I’m confident that the brilliance, heart and limitless talent of this orchestra, which has inspired me for so many years, will be in good hands under his musical leadership as they build new worlds of sound together.”
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