Artistic Leadership
The LA Phil’s artistic vision and direction is driven by a collaborative team of creative leaders, including innovators from the worlds of jazz, classical, baroque, contemporary music, and more.
Daniel Harding
Walt and Lilly Disney Chair
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. 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.
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen Creative Director, Conductor Laureate
After serving as Music Director since 1992, Esa-Pekka Salonen was named Conductor Laureate of the LA Phil in 2009. A renowned composer, he combines intricacy and technical virtuosity with playful rhythmic and melodic innovations, marking him as one of the most important artists in classical music today. As of the 2026/27 season, he holds the LA Phil’s first-ever Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen Creative Director position.
Gustavo Dudamel
Diane and M. David Paul Artistic and Cultural Laureate of the LA Phil, Jane and Michael Eisner Founding Director and Conductor Laureate of YOLA
After serving 17 years as Music & Artistic Director, Gustavo Dudamel continues a meaningful presence with the LA Phil, performing with the orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall, bringing his singular energy and leadership to his deeply cherished educational initiative YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), and curating an annual genre-less festival at the Hollywood Bowl that blends orchestral music with artists and traditions from around the world.
Anna Handler
Ellen and Arnold Zetcher Conductor-in-Residence
Beginning in the 2026/27 season, Anna Handler takes on the new role of Conductor-in-Residence at the LA Phil. A rapidly ascending presence on the international stage, Handler was a member of the 2023/24 class of Dudamel Fellows and has since been named Chief Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra, where she begins her tenure in 2026/27, and Artist-in-Residence at Beethoven-Haus Bonn during its 2026/27 season.
John Adams
John and Samantha Williams Creative Chair for New Music
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. Over the past 25 years, his music has played a decisive role in the shaping of contemporary music. After 18 years in this position, Adams will step into the role of Creative Chair for New Music Emeritus in the 2027/28 season.
Thomas Adès
John and Samantha Williams Creative Chair for New Music
starting in the 2027/28 season
Acclaimed composer, conductor, and pianist Thomas Adès, whose collaborations with the LA Phil have received critical praise and a Grammy Award, will assume the role of Creative Chair for New Music in the 2027/28 season. In this position, he will build on this fruitful relationship through curating concert series, leading concerts, and spearheading commissioning projects.
Silvana Estrada
Creative Chair for Latin Music
generously supported by Alicia Miñana and Rob Lovelace
starting in the 2027/28 season
One of the most compelling voices in contemporary Latin music, Silvana Estrada becomes the LA Phil's first Creative Chair for Latin Music, starting in the 2027/28 season. In this position she will elevate Latin music traditions across the LA Phil’s venues and deepen the organization's longstanding support of artists from these backgrounds.
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Herbie Hancock
Creative Chair for Jazz
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. Having served as the LA Phil's Creative Chair for Jazz since 2010, he will assume an emeritus position in the 2027/28 season.
Samara Joy
Creative Chair for Jazz
starting in the 2027/28 season
Multi-Grammy Award-winning vocalist Samara Joy will inherit the Creative Chair for Jazz in the 2027/28 season, succeeding Herbie Hancock in the role. In this position Joy will oversee the LA Phil's annual jazz series and participate in educational initiatives.
Thomas Wilkins
Principal Conductor, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
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.
Joe Hisaishi
Composer-in-Residence
The internationally acclaimed composer and conductor Joe Hisaishi will serve as LA Phil Composer-in-Residence for the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford, beginning in 2027/28 season. This multifaceted artistic partnership between Hisaishi and the LA Phil encompasses performances across our venues, new commissions, recording projects, and educational and community engagement initiatives developed in collaboration with the Joe Hisaishi Foundation.
Emmanuelle Haïm
Artist Collaborator
Emmanuelle Haïm is highly acclaimed as a performer and champion of the Baroque repertoire, both as a keyboard player and conductor. Her tenure with the LA Phil will explore the complex beauty and evocative sophistication of the Baroque era with an annual residency by Le Concert d’Astrée, performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and additional concerts and events.
Zubin Mehta
Conductor Emeritus
Zubin Mehta—the LA Phil’s Music Director from 1962 to 1978 and current Conductor Emeritus—has conducted the world’s most esteemed orchestras and introduced generations to classical music through more than 50 years of recordings and performances. Through his humanitarian work, he has also given us a model of music’s ability to bridge cultures and bring people together in healing and in harmony.
The Artists Who Shape Our Sound
Explore additional artists who define the LA Phil—through long-standing collaborations, bold new voices, and the creative partnerships that bring our stages to life.
Experience our collaborators live
