Venezuelan maestro Dudamel inaugural concert in Los Angeles

(AFP PHOTO / THOMAS COEX)

(Relaxnews) -

Gustavo Dudamel, the 28-year-old Venezuelan celebrity maestro, premieres as the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra with a free concert at the Hollywood Bowl on October 3.

The free concert can also be seen live in a webcast starting at 4 pm PST at www.laphil.com.

His inaugural gala concert on October 8, at the Frank O. Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, officially starts his five-year appointment. The program includes the world premiere of John Adams' "City Noir," commissioned by the LA Phil, and concludes with Mahler's joyous First Symphony.

The sold-out performance will be simulcast on giant screens across the street at the Music Center Plaza in downtown Los Angeles. The program will be recorded for a later DVD release.

Britain's The Guardian newspaper called him the "Barack Obama of classical music," for the benefit his media attention does to help struggling orchestras around the world. There is even a Bravo Gustavo online game.

In high demand, Dudamel will split his time with Sweden's Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, where he will conduct 18 concerts, also as music director. From February to April, the classical music star is committed to work in Caracas with his beloved Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

With 30 concerts in Los Angeles and guest appearances in Vienna, Berlin and New York, the conductor's recording schedule with Deutsch Grammaphon/Decca will have to take a backseat for now.

RC