British conductor Daniel Harding appointed music director of LA Philharmonic
British conductor Daniel Harding, who balances his career in classical music with being a part-time commercial airline pilot, has been appointed as the music director of one of the United States' premier orchestras.
The 50-year-old Harding will succeed the renowned Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel as the Los Angeles Philharmonic's music director in 2027.
Born in Oxford, Harding's career began to ascend when he was a teenage protégé of Sir Simon Rattle. He subsequently led orchestras in Rome, Paris, and Stockholm, and served as the London Symphony Orchestra's principal guest conductor for ten years.
Since 2022, Harding has maintained a dual career as a pilot for Air France, a role he intends to continue alongside his new position in Los Angeles.
'Conducting genius'
LA Philharmonic's creative director Esa-Pekka Salonen described Harding as "absolutely one of the most important conductors of our time."
Chairman Jason Subotky commented,
"His conducting genius has been widely hailed since the start of his career, and we are equally impressed by his vision for the role of music director in Los Angeles and his desire to connect to our community."
Gustavo Dudamel expressed his respect for Harding, stating,
"I have a deep admiration for Daniel's artistry, and for the profound connection he has built" with the orchestra's musicians during previous collaborations.
Harding himself said,
"Making music with the magnificent LA musicians is a thrill and an inspiration.
Over recent years, the LA Phil has developed something extraordinary that cannot be manufactured: a kind of institutional charisma."
"So many great artists have found possibilities here that don't exist anywhere else, and I come to California full of excitement for what we will discover and create together."
Early life and career
Harding studied at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester. As a teenager, he sent a tape to Sir Simon Rattle, then leading the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, who recognized his talent and appointed him as his assistant.
By age 21, Harding was conducting the Berlin Philharmonic and became the youngest conductor in the history of the BBC Proms.
He co-founded the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and won a Grammy Award in 2010 for best opera recording for Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Harding has also held music director positions at the Orchestre de Paris, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Dual career as conductor and pilot
After turning 40, Harding learned to fly and currently pilots Airbus aircraft for Air France on medium-haul flights across Europe and North Africa approximately one week per month.
He explained to the New York Times last year,
"In flying, we have to identify all the threats and make sure we don't go anywhere near them.
In music, it's the opposite. We have to get as close as we can to catastrophe."
With his appointment to the LA Philharmonic, a long-haul journey is now ahead.
Legacy of British conductors in US orchestras
Harding will join a distinguished list of British music directors who have led major US orchestras over the years.
Notable predecessors include Sir John Barbirolli, Leopold Stokowski, and Eugene Goossens, who led US orchestras in the early 20th century; Hungarian-British Sir Georg Solti, who directed the Chicago Symphony from 1969 to 1991; and Sir Neville Marriner, who led the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra during the 1970s and 1980s.
