The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced that Esa-Pekka Salonen is its first Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen Creative Director.
Salonen will assume the newly designed position during the 2026-27 season and will conduct and curate six weeks of concerts with the LA Phil. He will also focus on multi-disciplinary projects, festivals, and innovative programming.
The company also announced a partnership with the Philharmonie de Paris to create new opportunities for audiences and artists worldwide.
“It makes a lot of sense from my point of view,” Salonen told the Los Angeles Times. “I don’t have to be part of the daily grind and carry the responsibilities of music director, but still, it’s more than being a guest conductor. It’s an opportunity [to] work on a different time perspective.”
Salonen recently stepped down from the San Francisco Symphony after the organization failed to support his vision.
““I have decided not to continue as Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony because I do not share the same goals for the future of the institution as the Board of Governors does,” Salonen said at the time.
The decision is also a major one for the Los Angeles Philharmonic who is in the midst of seeking out the successor for Gustavo Dudamel, who is poised to become the Music Director of the New York Philharmonic.
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