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Inside Gustavo Dudamel’s impact on L.A.

A conductor with a baton
Word spread Tuesday that Gustavo Dudamel is leaving the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the end of his contract in 2026.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Gustavo Dudamel, the celebrated conductor and music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, will leave the L.A. Phil for the New York Philharmonic at the conclusion of his contract in 2026. In a phone call with The Times, Dudamel said the decision was extremely complex and difficult, and that his heart is in Los Angeles.

In a statement, he expanded: “My time with the LA Phil has been, and will continue to be, the most transformative period of my life. I have learned so much, grown so much, and together we have created something truly unique and beautiful — not only with this incredible orchestra, but in the community that we have built around ourselves, from Walt Disney Concert Hall to the Hollywood Bowl, to The Ford, and beyond.”

Here is a sampling of our coverage and our conversations with the maestro during his remarkable tenure is Los Angeles.

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