Get ready: The wild ride of the Venezuelan wunderkind, 28-year-old Gustavo Dudamel, has begun. The new conductor of the L.A. Philharmonic wowed a crowd of 18,000 in his free debut at the Hollywood Bowl last Saturday, then dazzled the celebs and money bunch in his official inaugural performance Thursday night at Disney Hall.
Dudamel's arrival promises an expanded repertoire of Latin American music, an extraordinary ability to infuse his orchestra with energy and skill, and a charismatic buoyancy that excites audiences.
Music critics were hailing his Thursday debut of Mahler's First Symphony. This from Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times: "For all the sheer energy of the music-making, here was a probing, rigorous and richly characterized interpretation, which Mr. Dudamel conducted from memory."
But as high as musical expectations are among classical aficionados, Dudamel's potential for transforming the L.A. cultural scene is even greater. He took part in El Sistema, a Venezuelan youth orchestra that trains young children from poor backgrounds in classical music. He is passionate about sharing classical music with the widest possible public -- including kids from impoverished backgrounds -- and he's already helping develop a classical program in L.A. like the one that's made his success possible.
As a sign of his seriousness, he opened the Hollywood Bowl premiere by conducting an orchestra of young musicians, mostly from South-Central L.A., many of whom didn't even play an instrument a year ago. "Of course, we need education," Dudamel told the crowd. "Of course, we need food. Of course, we need health care. But arts culture is the soul of the community of the world."
He is passionate about sharing classical music with the widest possible public.
Posted by: ClubPenguin | 05/06/2011 at 01:53 AM