Gustavo Dudamel Debuts as NY Philharmonic Conductor — SkimNews
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- Gustavo Dudamel officially took over as conductor and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic on Thursday, leading an inaugural concert at Radio City Music Hall.
- Liev Schreiber hosted the evening, with Lizzo showcasing her classical training as a flutist alongside pop hits, joined by St. Vincent, Joaquina (a Grammy-winning Venezuelan singer-songwriter), and Tony winner Aaron Tveit.
- The program opened with Gershwin's "Overture to Strike Up the Band" and interspersed 21st-century pieces by Philip Glass, Jessie Montgomery, and Arturo Márquez between the pop collaborations.
- Schreiber joked that Dudamel is "a New Yorker by way of Venezuela," described him as a "musical arepa," and compared the orchestra's new unity under Dudamel to the New York Knicks' recent NBA title run.
- The New York Philharmonic, founded in 1842, has been previously led by Toscanini, Mahler, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, and Zubin Mehta; Dudamel was appointed in 2023 but only now formally takes the post.
- Radio City Music Hall recently installed Sphere Immersive Sound — a 3D audio "beamforming" and wave-field-synthesis system shared with MSG's Las Vegas Sphere — delivering consistent sound to all 6,000 seats.
Why it matters: Dudamel now leads the oldest major U.S. orchestra — founded in 1842 and recently upgraded at David Geffen Hall — with a Radio City debut that doubles as a 6,000-seat public showcase of Sphere Immersive Sound, the 3D audio system shared by MSG's New York and Las Vegas venues.
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