Dudamel will lead concert performances of ‘Die Walküre’ in final Los Angeles Philharmonic season

LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gustavo Dudamel will conduct concert performances of Wagner’s “Die Walküre” in a highlight of his 17th and final season as the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s music director.

He will lead one act per performance from May 19-21 and repeat the programs from May 22-24 with a cast that includes Christine Goerke and Ryan Speedo Green, the orchestra said Thursday in announcing a 2025-26 season it is calling “Gracias Gustavo.” Scenic design will be by Frank Gehry, the architect of Walt Disney Hall.

Dudamel will conduct John Adams’ “Harmonium” and Antonio Estévez’s “Cantata Criolla” from June 5-7, 2026, in his final concerts at Disney Hall as music director. Dudamel chose the works to honor his Venezuelan and American identities.

He will lead the orchestra in its 2026 Hollywood Bowl season before starting as music director of the New York Philharmonic in 2026.

LA’s season opens on Sept. 25 with Dudamel and a world premiere of a currently untitled work for orchestra and choir by Pulitzer Prize winner composer Ellen Reid that was co-commissioned with the New York Philharmonic.

He takes the orchestra on a tour of Seoul, South Korea; Tokyo; and Taipei, Taiwan, from Oct. 20-30.