High-flying British conductor and part-time pilot lands top job with US orchestra

The Los Angeles Philharmonic named Daniel Harding, a British conductor and Air France pilot, as its next music director after Gustavo Dudamel leaves for New York.

1. Frame 1LA Phil names Daniel Harding, British conductor and Air France pilot, as its next music director in Los Angeles.
2. Frame 2The choice follows Gustavo Dudamel, whose LA tenure ends this summer before he leads the New York Philharmonic.
3. Frame 3Harding accepts a six-year contract beginning with the 2027-28 season, the orchestra announced Tuesday.
4. Frame 4It is his first American orchestra post, with the ensemble that gave him a U.S. professional debut in 1997.
5. Frame 5Harding conducts eight LA weeks in season one, then expands to 12 weeks annually while still flying Air France.
6. Frame 6The open test is LA’s shared podium: Harding, Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Anna Handler divide the next era.