Daniel Harding Appointed as Next Music Director of the LA Philharmonic
Harding will oversee programming at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and YOLA.
Daniel Harding has been appointed as the next Music Director of the LA Phil. Harding's tenure will begin in the 2027/28 season.
As Music Director, Harding will oversee the orchestral programming across the organization, including its presentations at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford, along with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA). He will lead the LA Phil in its ambitious commitment to commissioning new works and in expanding the orchestra's global presence through touring, media projects, and new ventures for international collaboration and cultural exchange. Harding will conduct eight weeks of programming in his inaugural 2027/28 season, increasing to 12 weeks of programming in subsequent years.
Noltemy said, “We are immensely proud to welcome Daniel Harding as the LA Phil's next Music Director, following an extensive search led by a committee of our musicians, board, and staff. He is greatly admired by the orchestra and was the overwhelming choice based on their feedback. His intellectual curiosity, passion for bringing in and engaging with new audiences, global perspective and talent for nurturing emerging voices directly align with the LA Phil's mission and vision. We are eager for Daniel to join our leadership team and open new pathways for creativity, collaboration and connection with our audiences and our city.”
Daniel Harding said, “Making music with the magnificent LA Phil 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.” Harding continued, “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.”
With this appointment, Harding will spearhead the LA Phil's evolving artistic leadership team, comprised of the recent additions of Creative Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor-in-Residence Anna Handler and Gustavo Dudamel, who last week was appointed to the new positions of Artistic and Cultural Laureate of the LA Phil and Founding Director and Conductor Laureate of YOLA. The group joins longtime Creative Chair John Adams, Creative Chair for Jazz Herbie Hancock, Artist Collaborator Emmanuelle Haïm, Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Thomas Wilkins, and Conductor Emeritus Zubin Mehta. Within the next year, this illustrious assembly will be completed with the appointments of two new positions: Creative Chair for Latin Music, representing the LA Phil's continued investment in supporting Latin artists; and Creative Chair for Film, fostering deeper connections between the worlds of film and music.
Subotky added, “Out of the remarkable group of conductors we considered, Daniel Harding stood out through the magical connection he formed with our musicians and audiences. His conducting genius has been widely hailed since the start of his career, and we are equally impressed by his vision for the role of Music Director in Los Angeles and his desire to connect to our community. We are thrilled to welcome Daniel to the LA Phil family.”
Among Harding's stated priorities is a deep investment in YOLA, with plans underway for an international YOLA tour marking the Frank Gehry centennial in 2029. The LA Phil will also expand access to music education with a commitment to LA County public schools, including performances and interactive workshops designed to expose young people to the power of learning through music, with a focus on schools with dual-language education programs.
Harding is acclaimed for his artistic leadership and craftsmanship, building the standards and reputations of the orchestras with which he has worked through his rigor, dynamism and creativity. His repertoire is wide-ranging, from award-winning recordings of baroque music through to countless premieres of new works. He is recognized for his interpretations of works from across the symphonic spectrum, from Mahler, Mozart and Britten to contemporary composers such as Thomas Adès and Unsuk Chin. As a renowned opera conductor, Harding will bring his experience from great opera houses to the stages in LA, committing to boundary-pushing collaborations and presenting semi-staged operas and works beyond the concert hall aimed at illuminating and demystifying music for new audiences.
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, and following his tenure was named Conductor Laureate of both orchestras. 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.
“Daniel brings an exceptional level of focus and musical insight to his work,” said John Lofton, bass trombone of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and member of the Music Director search committee. “As musicians, we value his clarity, his respect for the orchestra, and the way he invites us into the music. There's a real sense of shared purpose in what he does, and that's energizing for all of us.”
Dudamel said, “I have a deep admiration for Daniel's artistry, and for the profound connection he has built with the musicians of the LA Phil over the years. I'm confident that the brilliance, heart and limitless talent of this orchestra, which has inspired me for so many years, will be in good hands under his musical leadership as they build new worlds of sound together."
Salonen said, "Daniel is absolutely one of the most important conductors of our time. With his appointment as Music Director, the orchestra has put a key piece of its artistic leadership in place. My hope is that the beauty, optimism and openness of Los Angeles prove as transformative for Daniel as it has been for me. I look forward to collaborating with him well into the future."
Handler said, “One of the reasons I joined the artistic leadership team at the LA Phil was the vision of forging a brilliant, multifaceted creative team that is unprecedented in our field. With Daniel, as well as Gustavo, Esa-Pekka, Emmanuelle and John Adams — artists whom I respect deeply for their unconditional service to our art form - there's no limit to the spectacular things we can imagine and create together for our audiences.”
In the LA Phil's 2026/27 season, Harding will lead the Brahms Second Piano Concerto with Leif Ove Andsnes, Leonard Bernstein's “Jeremiah” symphony with mezzo-soprano Avery Amereau and Betsy Jolas's Latest in November 2026, and a program featuring Thomas Adès's The Exterminating Angel Symphony and Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra in January 2027.
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