The LA Phil’s Next Music Director

Daniel Harding

Daniel Harding joins the LA Phil as its Music Director starting in the 27/28 season, spearheading the LA Phil’s evolving artistic leadership team. Acclaimed for his artistic leadership and craftsmanship, Harding’s repertoire is wide-ranging, from award winning recordings of baroque music to countless premieres of new works.

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"Making music with the magnificent LA Phil musicians is a thrill and an inspiration... 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."
– Daniel Harding

Photo Credit: Polly Brown

Daniel Harding conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 at the Hollywood Bowl in 2025. (Photo Credit: Elizabeth Asher)

Meet Our Next Music Director

Daniel Harding is currently Music Director of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. He was the Artistic and Music Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and following his tenure was named Conductor Laureate of both orchestras. He previously served as Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for ten years. In 2024, he succeeded Yo-Yo Ma as leader of a Pan-Asian youth orchestra program (YMCG) in China.

As Music Director of the LA Phil, Harding will conduct eight weeks of programming in his inaugural 2027/28 season, increasing to 12 weeks of programming in subsequent years. He will also lead the LA Phil’s ambitious commitment to commissioning new works and expanding the orchestra’s global presence through touring, media projects, and new ventures for international collaboration and cultural exchange.

Upcoming Events

Artistic Leadership

The LA Phil’s artistic leadership team is comprised of the incredible artists below. Within the next year, this illustrious assembly will be completed with the appointments of two new positions: Creative Chair for Latin Music, representing the LA Phil’s continued investment in supporting Latin artists; and Creative Chair for Film, fostering deeper connections between the worlds of film and music.

Daniel Harding
Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Walt and Lilly Disney Chair

Anna Handler, Conductor-in-Residence

John Adams, John and Samantha Williams Creative Chair

Emanuelle Haïm, Artist Collaborator

Esa-Pekka Salonen
Judith & Thomas L. Beckmen Creative Director and Conductor Laureate

Gustavo Dudamel
Diane and M. David Paul Artistic and Cultural Laureate of the LA Phil and the Jane and Michael Eisner Founding Director and Conductor Laureate of Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA)