Daniel Harding: British conductor named LA Philharmonic's music director - and keeps part-time pilot job

British conductor Daniel Harding, who expertly balances his career in classical music with a part-time role as a commercial airline pilot, has been appointed music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, one of the premier orchestras in the United States.

Harding, 50, will assume the position in 2027, succeeding the esteemed Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

Raised in Oxford, Harding's professional journey began as a teenage protégé of Sir Simon Rattle. He has since conducted prestigious orchestras in cities such as Rome, Paris, and Stockholm, in addition to serving as the principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for ten years.

Since 2022, Harding has also been performing as a pilot for Air France, a commitment he will maintain alongside his new role in Los Angeles.

'Conducting genius'

Esa-Pekka Salonen, the creative director of the LA Philharmonic, praised Harding as "absolutely one of the most important conductors of our time."

Chairman Jason Subotky emphasized, "His conducting genius has been widely recognized since the outset of his career, and we are equally impressed by his vision for the role of music director in Los Angeles and his intention to engage with our community."

Dudamel expressed his admiration for Harding, noting, “I have a deep respect for Daniel's artistry and the strong relationship he has fostered with the orchestra’s musicians during previous collaborations.”

Harding stated, "Making music with the magnificent LA musicians is a thrill and an inspiration. Over recent years, the LA Phil has developed something extraordinary that cannot be manufactured: a kind of institutional charisma."

He further remarked, "So many great artists have found possibilities here that simply do not exist anywhere else, and I come to California full of excitement for what we will discover and create together."

Harding's musical education began at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester. He garnered mentorship from Sir Simon after submitting a tape to the acclaimed conductor, then leading the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Sir Simon recognized Harding's potential and appointed him as his assistant.

By the age of 21, Harding conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, becoming the youngest conductor in the history of the BBC Proms.

He co-founded the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and won a Grammy Award in 2010 for best opera recording for Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Harding has held esteemed positions such as music director of the Orchestre de Paris, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Upon turning 40, Harding pursued his pilot's license and now flies Airbus planes for Air France on medium-haul flights across Europe and North Africa for approximately one week each month.

"In flying, we have to identify all the threats and make sure we don't go anywhere near them," he conveyed to the New York Times last year. "In music, it's the opposite. We have to get as close as we can to catastrophe."

With his recent appointment to the LA Philharmonic, a long-haul journey is now on the horizon for Harding.

He joins a notable lineage of British music directors who have led major U.S. orchestras over the years. This includes figures such as Sir John Barbirolli, Leopold Stokowski, and Eugene Goossens in the early 20th century, Hungarian-British Sir Georg Solti's tenure with the Chicago Symphony from 1969 to 1991, and Sir Neville Marriner's leadership of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra in the 1970s and 80s.