The LA Phil to Present 2025 Gala Celebrating Gustavo Dudamel

The LA Phil will present the 2025 Gala: Gustavo’s Fiesta, taking place on October 14, 2025, and celebrating Gustavo Dudamel’s final gala as Music & Artistic Director. The evening’s program will feature spirited and joyful works that reflect the festive spirit of the occasion, the vibrancy of the season, and Dudamel’s extraordinary tenure with the orchestra. The celebration will also include a special appearance by Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), a cornerstone of Dudamel’s artistic vision and a defining part of his enduring legacy with the LA Phil and the city of Los Angeles.

The program opens with Ravel’s vibrant and festive Feria, followed by selected movements from two of Dudamel’s favorite symphonies: the jubilant energy of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and the bold, sweeping drama of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9. The journey continues with the magical, dreamlike Le jardin féerique from Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye, and culminates in the exhilarating and hypnotic Noche de encantamiento from Revueltas’s La noche de los Mayas.

RAVEL Feria from Rapsodie espagnole
BEETHOVEN Symphony No.7: IV. Allegro con brio
DVORAK Symphony No. 9: Allegro con fuoco (w/ members of YOLA)
RAVEL Le jardin feerique from Ma Mere l’Oye
REVUELTAS Noche de encantamiento from Le noche de los Mayas

The festivities continue post-gala with acclaimed Venezuelan trombonist Oscar Dudamel –father of world-renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel– performing a bold fusion of salsa, bolero, and classical music from his debut studio album, Sueño Alcanzado ("Dream Fulfilled"), at the gala afterparty. Produced in Caracas and released on the Platoon label, the album is dedicated to Gustavo, who, as a child, dreamed of playing salsa music like his father. 

The title track, “Sueño Alcanzado,” is both the emotional centerpiece and narrative foundation of the album. Co-written with Maestro Alberto Crespo (arranger), Eliel Rivero (composer), and Solange Ramírez (voice teacher) —the mother of his son, Gustavo Dudamel—the song features a special guest appearance by the acclaimed conductor himself. Maestro Dudamel’s performance on violin completes a deeply personal and artistic journey that has unfolded over decades. Sueño Alcanzado is more than an album—it’s a musical journey through generations, genres and dreams fulfilled.

Sueño Alcanzado is a rich, genre-defying blend of salsa, bolero, Latin jazz and classical music. The album draws inspiration from the golden era of 1970s “salsa brava” while charting new territory in contemporary Latin music. Widely praised by critics and audiences alike, Sueño Alcanzado is a masterful reimagining of ‘progressive salsa,’ weaving together orchestral textures, cultural memory and emotional depth. The project has quickly become one of the strongest salsa albums of the year. That artistic identity is already resonating widely: Oscar Dudamel earned the #1 Tropical Song of the Week on Music Choice in both the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and reached #15 nationwide among the most-played tracks in the Tropical genre—marking a powerful prelude to his debut album release. 

The first single, “La Rumba Me Llama” (“The Rhythm Is Calling Me”), was released in March 2025 and quickly gained traction with audiences and DJs alike. In May, Dudamel followed with “El Beso,” further building anticipation for the full album.

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