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LA Philharmonic extends Gustavo Dudamel contract
Venezuelan Music Director Gustavo Dudamel conducts 200 musicians of the Symphonic Orchestras from Colombia and of the Venezuelan Youth's Symphonic Orchestra Simón Bolívar during the presentation of the 'Concierto Sinfonico Binacional' (Binational Symphonic Concert) at the Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo´s theatre in Bogota, on December 15, 2010.
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LA Philharmonic extends Gustavo Dudamel contract
LA Philharmonic extends Gustavo Dudamel contract
The marriage appears to be going well; the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo Dudamel have agreed to add another four years to his contract.
Dudamel’s five-year contract as conductor and music director with the L.A. Phil was set to end in three years. The Phil announced that Dudamel has signed on until the 2018-2019 season.
Phil officials wouldn’t disclose Dudamel’s salary. Income tax records indicate that previous conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen earned about a million-and-a-half dollars a year.
Dudamel said he extended his contract because of a special connection he feels with the L.A. Phil musicians, the organization and the people of Los Angeles. L.A. Phil executive David Bohnett said Dudamel will be on board for the orchestra’s big centennial celebration in eight years – and will continue to grow the L.A. Phil’s youth orchestra program and live broadcasts of L.A. Phil concerts in movie theaters across the country.
Despite the contract extension, the L.A. Phil will continue to share Dudamel’s conducting talents with two other orchestras: the Gothenburg Symphony in Sweden and Venezuela’s Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, where he got his start as a conductor 12 years ago.
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