According to the Times last week, the LA Philharmonic Orchestra’s resident conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, is “the coolest man in the classical music”, an extraordinary musical talent with the charisma of a Clooney, Pitt or Depp. The young Venezuelan conductor, known to the LA locals as the ‘Dude’, rose to fame as the world-conquering maestro of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra and since October has been music director of the LA Philharmonic.
As part of their first international tour with the Dude, the LA Philharmonic are playing two sell out concerts at the Barbican later this week and Classical Partners has secured 16 tickets for the second of these on Friday 28 January, featuring Mahler’s epic Ninth Symphony.
Classical Partners also saw Dudamel in 2009 at the Royal Festival Hall when he conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra in a performance of Mahler’s 5th Symphony. Those who were with us that evening will I am sure remember what an exciting and moving concert it was, culminating in a long standing ovation for Dudamel and an almost unprecedented level (for a British classical audience) of whooping and cheering!
Dudamel seems to forge a very special connection with the orchestras he conducts and gets memorable performances out of his musicians. He has a special wisdom and humanity for Mahler’s symphonies and, still only at the age of 29, has already twice conducted the Ninth (for which he no longer requires a score) with other orchestras.
We should be in for a treat on Friday!
