Few 21st-century classical artists have received the acclaim accorded to Gustavo Dudamel, whose charismatic flair and force of personality, notably in the symphonic repertoire and music of the later 20th century, has communicated itself to audiences around the world. Born in Barquisimeto in 1981, he studied through El Sistema, Venezuela’s lauded programme of music education, and became director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra in 1999, with whom he toured internationally. In 2004 his success at Bamberg’s Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition led to Dudamel being made principal conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony (2007-12). Having worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he became its 11th music director in 2009. His discography extends from Beethoven through Mahler’s symphonies to the present, including first recordings of John Adams’ symphony City Noir and passion oratorio The Gospel According to the Other Mary. In 2017, aged 35, he was the youngest-ever conductor at the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Day Concert and, in 2021, became the music director of Opéra National de Paris. He resides in Spain.