“The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced Friday that it has extended its star conductor’s contract until mid-2022,” writes Mike Boehm in Friday’s (3/27) Los Angeles Times. “The announcement came while the orchestra is on an Asian tour that is to end Sunday in Tokyo. Dudamel’s extension adds three years to his current contract, which ran through mid-2019. He’s in his sixth season as music director, having begun in 2009-10 when he took the baton from Esa-Pekka Salonen. The extension means that Dudamel, who’s also music director of the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra in his home country of Venezuela, will lead the Phil for at least 13 seasons…. Going forward, Dudamel will add a second title—artistic director. Orchestra spokeswoman Sophie Jefferies said in an email that the new title won’t change Dudamel’s job, but reflects how he already has changed the common conception of what a music director does. She said that Dudamel’s commitment to the community and music education for kids—he’s brought Venezuela’s youth music program, El Sistema, to L.A.—‘has reinvigorated … what a music director can be.’ ”
Posted March 27, 2015
