Risk-taking, rigour and radicalism – Daniel Harding is an exciting prospect for Los Angeles
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- Los Angeles Philharmonic announced Daniel Harding will become its music director starting in 2027.
- Elim Chan was named music director of the San Francisco Symphony, also effective 2027, after Esa‑Pekka Salonen’s exit.
- Daniel Harding, 50, co‑founded the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in 1997 and is celebrated for a forensic, adventurous style, evident in his fast, lean Don Giovanni and analytical Berlioz recordings.
- Elim Chan, under 40, has conducted the First Night of the Proms (2024) and the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, and plans to revitalize the SFS repertoire with new works and cross‑disciplinary collaborations.
- San Francisco Symphony had faced instability after Salonen’s departure amid pandemic challenges, but is now stable enough for Chan’s vision.
Why it matters: The Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony gain visionary leaders by 2027, securing a forward‑looking artistic direction that promises fresh programming for audiences after the uncertainty following Salonen’s pandemic‑era exit.
