Daniel Harding has been named the next music director of the LA Philharmonic, beginning in the 2027-28 season. The British conductor replaces Gustavo Dudamel, who becomes New York Philharmonic music director in September 2026. Dudamel will henceforth be known as the LA Phil's artistic and cultural laureate.
As music director, Harding joins an impressive lineup of previous LA Phil maestros, including Otto Klemperer, Zubin Mehta, Carlo Giulini, André Previn and Esa-Pekka Salonen. In his new role, he will oversee LA Phil programming at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford. He will also be responsible for the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), the LA Phil's ambitious commitment to commissioning new works, and for national and international touring. He will conduct eight weeks of programming in his inaugural 2027-28 season, increasing to 12 weeks of programming in subsequent years.
Daniel Harding Comments:
'Making music with the magnificent LA musicians is a thrill and an inspiration. 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. 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.'
Who is Daniel Harding?
Daniel Harding is currently music director of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. He was the artistic and music director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. He previously served as principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for ten years. In 2024, he succeeded Yo-Yo Ma as leader of a Pan-Asian youth orchestra program (YMCG) in China.
