Gustavo Dudamel
Conductor
Born in 1981 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel grew up listening to music and conducting his toys to old recordings. He began violin lessons as a child, but being drawn to conducting from an early age, as a member of his youth orchestra, he put down his violin at 13 and picked up the baton when the conductor was running late. A natural, he began studying conducting with Rodolfo Saglimbeni and in 1996, was named Music Director of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, where his talent was spotted by José Antonio Abreu, who would become his mentor. In 1999, at the age of 18, he was appointed Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. Dudamel gained international attention when he won the inaugural Bamberger Symphoniker Gustav Mahler Competition in 2004 and made his US debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in 2005. He went on to become the Music Director of the Gothenburg Symphony, where he now holds the title of Honorary Conductor.
In 2009, the Los Angeles Philharmonic appointed the 27-year-old Dudamel as their music director. Under his direction, they have secured their place as one of the leading orchestras in the world, extending its reach into the community, pushing boundaries, and bringing new sounds, voices, and faces into the concert hall. Inspired by El Sistema, Dudamel, the LA Phil, and its community partners founded YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), and what started out as a music program in South Los Angeles for 80 musicians now serves over 1,300 musicians across four sites, providing young people with free instruments, intensive music instruction, academic support, and leadership training.
Dudamel’s talent has been widely recognised and he has become one of the most decorated conductors of his generation. He continues to exert influence as a musical leader and mentor to young musicians. The Gustavo Dudamel Foundation, a registered charity, was created with the goal to expand access to music and the arts by providing tools and opportunities for young people to shape their creative futures.
