“Even before Gustavo Dudamel officially takes the podium this fall,” writes Karen Wada Friday’s (5/1) Los Angeles Times, “the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s new maestro is making it clear that music education is a priority. Tomorrow the orchestra is announcing a fellowship program proposed by Dudamel that will offer promising conductors the chance to work with one of the hottest figures in classical music. The 28-year-old Venezuelan is already a superstar—critically acclaimed and publicly adored—and yet he’s never forgotten that he got his start through El Sistema, the musician training program famed for transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in his homeland. … The first four Dudamel Fellows each will spend six weeks in Los Angeles, working with Dudamel, the Philharmonic and guest conductors. They will assume responsibilities traditionally given to an assistant conductor, including serving as cover conductor—ready, for instance, to sub for Dudamel should he fall ill before a concert. … The fellows also may help with the Philharmonic’s burgeoning array of music education classes, its high school composer fellowship program, partnerships with schools and area youth orchestras and the EXPO Center Youth Orchestra.” The four conducting fellows are David Afkham, Diego Mathuez, Perry So, and Diego Mathuez.
Posted May 1, 2009
Photo Credit: Mathew Imaging
