The Dudamel Phenomenon

It may be an exaggeration to call Gustavo Dudamel the savior of classical music. He's only one man, but the excitement he has generated is unbelievable. Unfortunately, I've never seem him in person, but thankfully there's YouTube. This clip is the 2nd movement of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 from a BBC Proms concert with the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. The size of the orchestra is obscene–huge strings, double winds and brass–but the performance is electrifying. Just make sure you're sitting down to watch it!

Dudamel was also recently interviewed for 60 Minutes on CBS. That profile can be seen here.

The End of the (Classical Music) World?

For those of us who love classical music, doomsday predictions are a part of everyday life. While the Chicago Symphony is (reportedly) courting the ultra-conservative Riccardo Muti as its new music director, two of the country's most prominent orchestras are charting a new course. Alan Gilbert (age 40) is the new music director of the New York Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel (age 26!!) is set to take over the Los Angeles Philharmonic in two years.

In fascinating recent articles, The New York Times has profiled both conductors. And if their talent is equal to their youthful energy and enthusiasm, they could breath new life into this supposedly floundering genre.

(Photo by Dan Porges)