Gustavo Dudamel Musical director

Gustavo Dudamel was born in 1981 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. In 1996, at the age of 18, he was appointed Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. In 2004, he won the inaugural Bamberger Symphoniker Gustav Mahler Competition and gained international fame. He was nominated (2007-2012) Music Director of the Gothenburg Symphony. He was then appointed Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles philharmonic Orchestra in 2009.In 2023, Gustavo Dudamel was appointed Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra starting in the 2026/2027 season.

Inspired by the El Sistema programme, he founded YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) in 2007, which has already provided 1500 young people with free instruments, intensive musical and conducting teaching. He also founded in 2012 the Dudamel Foundation aiming to « widen access to music and the arts for young people ».

In 2022, he was named Officier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Alexander Neef, General Director of the Paris Opera, appointed Gustavo Dudamel as Music Director of the Paris Opera on April, 16th 2021, taking office on August, 1st 2021.

During the 21/22 season, Gustavo Dudamel has conducted the inaugural concert, the ballet gala, Le Nozze di Figaro at the Palais Garnier, Turandot at the Opéra Bastille, the symphonic concert « Ravel, Mozart, Berlioz » at the Philharmonie de Paris and the Halle aux Grains in Toulouse. The Paris Opera Ballet was invited by Gustavo Dudamel to perform at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra.

During the 22/23 season, Gustavo Dudamel has conducted Tosca, Tristan and Isolde and Nixon in China at the Opera Bastille, the symphonic concerts « Symphonie °9 » by Gustav Mahler at the Philharmonie de Paris, at the Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona) and at the Victoria Hall (Geneva), the « carte blanche » concert with the artists of the Academy at the Palais Garnier as well as the symphonic concert « Messiaen, Haydn, Ravel, Strauss » at the Philharmonie de Paris.

On 25 May, the Paris Opera has announced the resignation of Gustavo Dudamel as Music Director. He will be stepping down at the end of the 22/23 season.