Artists and the LA Phil

Artist in Spotlight:

Esa-Pekka Salonen

Beginning with the 2026/27 season, Salonen will conduct and curate approximately six weeks of concerts with the LA Phil and focus on multi-disciplinary projects, festivals, and the innovative programming for which the orchestra is renowned.

Artistic leadership

Since our founding in 1919, the LA Phil has cultivated relationships with some of the greatest artists in the world. It’s a tradition of excellence we uphold today.

Gustavo Dudamel

Gustavo Dudamel is committed to creating a better world through music.

Meet Gustavo

Daniel Harding

Daniel Harding joins the LA Phil as its Music Director starting in the 2027/28 season, spearheading the LA Phil’s evolving artistic leadership team.

Meet Daniel

Esa-Pekka Salonen

As of the 2026/27 season, Esa-Pekka Salonen holds the LA Phil’s first-ever Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen Creative Director position.

Meet Esa-Pekka

Anna Handler

Beginning in the 2026/27 season, Anna Handler will take on the new role of Conductor-in-Residence at the LA Phil.

Meet Anna

John Adams

John Adams, one of the most admired and respected composers in North America and winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Music, serves as Creative Chair of the LA Phil.

Meet John

Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock is an icon of modern music. Over his illustrious five-decade career, he has won 14 Grammy awards, and his spirit helped to define both post-war jazz and hip-hop. Few artists have had greater influence on acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B.

Meet Herbie

Emmanuelle Haïm

Emmanuelle Haïm is highly acclaimed as a performer and champion of the Baroque repertoire, both as a keyboard player and conductor.

Meet Emmanuelle

Smiling man in white shirt standing in front of a modern stadium with tall white arches under blue sky

Thomas Wilkins

Thomas Wilkins is Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. He has held a titled position at the Hollywood Bowl since 2008, when he was named Principal Guest Conductor; in the spring of 2014, he became Principal Conductor.

Meet Thomas

Elderly conductor in dark suit smiling and conducting an orchestra with musicians blurred in foreground and background

Zubin Mehta

Zubin Mehta – the LA Phil’s Music Director from 1962-1978 and now Conductor Emeritus – is one of the greatest musicians of our time.

Meet Zubin

Ben Ullery

Viola

Principal

Melody Ye Yuan

Second Violin

Principal

Bing Wang

First Violin

Acting Concertmaster

Isabella Brown

Second Violin

Assistant Principal

David Rejano Cantero

Trombone

Principal

Shaping the Sound of the Future

Artists We’ve Commissioned

In a typical year, the LA Phil commissions about 25 pieces from both emerging and established composers. All this raises one big question: How did the LA Phil become such a thriving hub for new music?

Learn more

A quadrant of images of artists that have been commissioned to create musical works for the LA Phil.

Your Next Visit

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Artists and the LA Phil

Esa-Pekka Salonen