Sawt Falasteen - Hitting the high notes: Pilot Daniel Harding named as chief of LA Philharmonic

Harding, 50, who currently serves as director of Italy's Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, will make his Los Angeles debut in the 2027/2028 season.

The conductor said the opportunity is "a thrill and an inspiration," but confessed to finding it a little daunting.

"Perhaps the hardest task in music is to take something already exceptional and to help it grow further," he said.

"Over recent years, the LA Phil has developed something extraordinary that cannot be manufactured: a kind of institutional charisma."

This will be Harding's first American posting, following jobs in Sweden, France, Germany, and London.

When he is not conducting orchestras, Harding works as a pilot for Air France.

Harding takes over from Gustavo Dudamel, who is leaving Los Angeles to become music director of the New York Philharmonic in September.

Dudamel became a cultural icon in Los Angeles during his nearly two decades at the helm of the West Coast's premier orchestra.

Dudamel fostered connections between classical music and other genres, collaborating with stars like Ricky Martin and Natalia Lafourcade in the Hollywood Bowl's summer series, and at Coachella, where he performed with artists such as Dave Grohl, Becky G, and LL Cool J.

N.Awad--SF-PST