Gustavo Dudamel to leave L.A. Phil for N.Y. Philharmonic in 2026

Gustavo Dudamel, the music and artistic director for the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009, will leave the organization in 2026 when his contract expires. The Venezuelan-born conductor is to assume the same position with the New York Philharmonic, 

With three seasons left at the L.A. Phil, the composer said his focus will remain in Los Angeles. but is excited about the move to New York.  

"Today, above all, I am grateful," Dudamel said in a statement released by the New York Philharmonic. "I am grateful to the musicians and leadership of the New York Philharmonic as we embark upon this new and beautiful journey together. As the great poet Federico Garcia Lorca said: `Every step we take on earth brings us to a new world.' "I gaze with joy and excitement at the world that lies before me in New York City," he said.

Dudamel has previously conducted 26 concerts with the New York Philharmonic, dating back to 2007. He will conduct three performances in New York May 19-21 of Mahler's Symphony No. 9, according to the NY Phil. "This is a dream come true for our musicians, our audience, and certainly for me," NY Phil President/CEO Deborah Borda said in a statement.