March 10, 2026

Announcing Gustavo's Inaugural Season as Music & Artistic Director of the New York Philharmonic

On March 10, the New York Philharmonic announced the 2026–27 season, the inaugural season of Gustavo Dudamel as Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Music & Artistic Director, marking the beginning of a dynamic new chapter for the Orchestra and for New York City. The announcement event can be viewed via YouTube Livestream at THIS link on March 10 at 7:00PM ET.

Dudamel said, "As I begin this new chapter with the New York Philharmonic, I feel that every step of my life — as a student, as a teacher, as a musician, as a citizen — has led me to this moment. This season is built on a single belief: that music, like this great city, can unite us across cultures, generations, and art forms, in a single, shared human experience."

"When we truly listen together, we can begin to imagine a better world. This season is an invitation to honor the past, embrace the present, and envision a future filled with more beauty — to remember not only who we are, but who we can become."

The 2026–27 season launches a bold artistic vision filled with major premieres, landmark collaborations, and performances across New York City and around the world.

Highlights of Dudamel’s inaugural season include:

  • Opening Month (Sept 10–Oct 3, 2026) launching the Dudamel era, including the Inaugural Gala and world premieres by Zosha Di Castri and Tania León
  • A 25th-anniversary memorial concert for 9/11 and performances of John Adams’s On the Transmigration of Souls
  • A two-week European tour with concerts in Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, Hamburg, and Vienna
  • A new five-year opera partnership with Carnegie Hall, beginning with Puccini’s Tosca featuring Marina Rebeka, Jonas Kaufmann, and Ludovic Tézier
  • Major collaborations with artists including Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Mitsuko Uchida, and many others
  • Multimedia artistic residencies with Marina Abramović and Gustavo Santaolalla
  • A three-week Beethoven spotlight marking the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death
  • The season’s finale: the New York Philharmonic’s first-ever performances of Bernstein’s MASS
  • The season also features 12 world, US, and New York premieres, milestone birthday celebrations for John Adams and Steve Reich, and community programming throughout the city, from a 9/11 memorial concert in Lower Manhattan to the free Concerts in the Parks in summer 2027.

View full season details HERE.