Gustavo Dudamel concludes 17-year LA Phil tenure with farewell concerts

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel has concluded his 17-year tenure as Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic with a series of farewell concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. Following his time in Los Angeles, Dudamel is set to become the Music Director of the New York Philharmonic on September 10.

The farewell series included a high-profile collaborative performance on August 22 featuring the rock band Foo Fighters. This marked the band's first-ever appearance at the Hollywood Bowl. Accompanied by the LA Phil and the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), the Foo Fighters performed a 15-song set that blended hits like ‘Learn To Fly’ and ‘Best Of You’ with rare tracks such as ‘Razor’ and ‘Home’. The band also dedicated the song ‘Aurora’ to their late drummer, Taylor Hawkins.

The final concert in the series, held on August 23, served as a benefit for Venezuela to support recovery efforts following catastrophic earthquakes in June. The event featured guest appearances by artists including Chris Martin of Coldplay, who performed ‘Viva la Vida’, as well as Beck, Natalia Lafourcade, and Carlos Vives. Proceeds from the benefit are being directed through the United Nations Development Programme and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, supplemented by a $50,000 contribution from the orchestra.