Latino musical prodigy schedules performances

Dudamel unveils LA Phil's 2009 concert season
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic will begin their first season together with a free concert at the Hollywood Bowl to introduce classical music's current it-boy to the city.

Dudamel gave a news conference Thursday to announce the orchestra's 2009-10 season. The classical music world has been eagerly anticipating the Venezuela native's debut as music director in Los Angeles, hoping his star power and Spanish-language skills will generate interest in the Philharmonic and orchestral music.

"This is a beautiful challenge and second, it's a wonderful opportunity to make great music with my new LA Phil family," said Dudamel, who turns 28 on Monday. "The most important thing is to enjoy our time together."

Dudamel will conduct Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 on Oct. 3 at the Hollywood Bowl. The free concert is titled, "Bienvenido Gustavo!"

The season officially begins Oct. 8 with an international telecast from the Walt Disney Concert Hall featuring the world premiere of "City Noir" by composer John Adams, who was recently appointed creative chair for the orchestra.

Adams said "City Noir" was commissioned by the orchestra and "inspired by the peculiar ambiance and mood of Los Angeles "noir" films, especially those produced in the late '40s and early '50s."

The season also will include a three-week multidisciplinary festival called "West Coast: Left Coast" to celebrate California's distinct musical culture, with the Kronos Quartet as ensemble-in-residence.

Another festival will be dedicated to music of the Americas, one of Dudamel's passions.

"This is our music," Dudamel said. "It is the language which links us as a people — borders dissolve, colors emerge and mix, and we find those voices which unite North, Central and South America as one."

The orchestra and its new music director will also tour the country in May, making stops in cities including San Francisco, Chicago and New York.

Dudamel, a charismatic and gifted conductor who was educated in Venezuela's far-reaching classical music education program, also said he is looking forward to expanding Los Angeles' youth orchestras.