The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced its 2026–27 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, marking the beginning of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s tenure as Creative Director and the launch of a season-long festival titled Rituals.
Unveiled by President and CEO Kim Noltemy, the season also reflects a new leadership structure following the departure of Gustavo Dudamel, who will conclude his tenure as Music & Artistic Director at the end of the 2025–26 season before joining the New York Philharmonic.
A transition without a single music director
Rather than appointing an immediate successor to Dudamel, the LA Phil will enter the 2026–27 season without a chief conductor, adopting a more collaborative artistic model while the search for a new Music Director continues.
At the centre of this structure is Esa-Pekka Salonen, who returns to the orchestra in the newly created role of Creative Director. In this position, he will lead several weeks of concerts each season while shaping large-scale artistic projects, including the newly announced Rituals festival.
Composer John Adams continues as Creative Chair, curating the Green Umbrella new music series and contributing to the orchestra’s broader artistic direction, while Zubin Mehta retains his honorary title of Conductor Emeritus.
According to the organisation, the search for a new Music Director remains ongoing, with the expectation that the orchestra may spend at least a season without a permanent appointment.
A season shaped by Salonen
Salonen’s first season in his new role places a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary work and contemporary creation. At its centre is Rituals, a festival spanning the subscription, Green Umbrella, and Insight series, exploring the idea of ritual across sacred traditions and everyday life.
Among the highlights, Salonen reunites with Peter Sellars for One Morning Turns Into an Eternity, a staged programme combining music by Mahler, Webern, and Schoenberg, previously presented at the Salzburg Festival. He also conducts major works including Mozart’s Requiem and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring.
His opening programmes include Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with Mitsuko Uchida, as well as the US premiere of Gabriella Smith’s violin concerto How To Be A Bird with Alexi Kenney.
Salonen will also collaborate with media artist Refik Anadol on a new project linked to DATALAND, the forthcoming Museum of AI Arts.
Dudamel returns
After beginning his tenure with the New York Philharmonic, Dudamel returns to Los Angeles to lead three programmes.
Together with pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, he launches a cycle of Beethoven’s piano concertos, pairing the first three concertos with the Eroica Symphony and later combining the Fourth Concerto with the Fifth Symphony.
In spring, Dudamel conducts a new LA Phil co-commission by Zosha Di Castri, alongside Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony.
A strong focus on new music
The season includes 22 commissioned works, with 15 world premieres and three US premieres. Composers featured include John Adams, Samuel Adams, Zosha Di Castri, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Gabriella Smith, Miroslav Srnka, and Jlin, among others.
As Creative Chair, Adams also marks his 80th birthday with programmes including excerpts from Nixon in China, The Death of Klinghoffer, and El Niño, alongside the Doctor Atomic Symphony.
Minimalism and thematic programming
A significant strand of the season is devoted to minimalism and its legacy, with anniversary celebrations for Philip Glass and Steve Reich (both turning 90), as well as programmes featuring Arvo Pärt, Henryk Górecki, and Julius Eastman.
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers performs Glass’s First Violin Concerto, while a portrait concert dedicated to Reich includes works such as Jacob’s Ladder and Music for Ensemble and Orchestra.
Guest artists and collaborations
The season brings a wide range of guest conductors, including Susanna Mälkki, Joana Mallwitz, Daniel Harding, Paavo Järvi, and Xian Zhang.
Among the soloists are Yuja Wang, Hilary Hahn, Lang Lang, Víkingur Ólafsson, Seong-Jin Cho, Hélène Grimaud, Emanuel Ax, and Mitsuko Uchida.
Baroque specialist Emmanuelle Haïm continues her residency with programmes dedicated to Handel and Vivaldi, including a performance of Messiah.
Beyond the classical core
In addition to orchestral programming, the season includes appearances by artists such as Herbie Hancock, Kamasi Washington, Andrew Bird, and Bernadette Peters, reflecting the LA Phil’s multi-genre approach.
The orchestra also continues its community and education initiatives through YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), neighbourhood concerts, and family programmes.
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