One of the most significant developments in American classical music so far this century has been the ascendancy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic: a showcase of talent, inventive programming and strong finances that has become the envy of other orchestras.
First, Gustavo Dudamel, the orchestra’s popular music director, announced that he would leave in 2026 to become the next music director of the New York Philharmonic.
A few months later, Chad Smith, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s chief executive officer, who championed and drove its inventive programming, announced he was resigning to run the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
When Frank Gehry, the architect who designed the Los Angeles orchestra’s futuristic steel-clad home, Walt Disney Concert Hall, first heard the news that Smith was leaving, he initially said, quite bluntly, that he was “scared” by the double hit of departures.
But he then explained that he remained hopeful, given the orchestra’s track record of successful reinvention.
Persons:
Gustavo Dudamel, Chad Smith, Deborah Borda, Frank Gehry, Smith, I’ve, ” Gehry, “, ”
Organizations:
Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic’s, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Walt Disney Concert Hall
Locations:
Angeles