LA Philharmonic Appoints Eska-Pekka Salonen In Newly Established Creative Director Role

The Los Angeles Philharmonic executives is expanding its leadership and announced the appointment of Eska-Pekka Salonen to the newly established position of Judith & Thomas L. Beckmen Creative Director.

LA Phil President and CEO Kim Noltemy announced the hiring of Salonen, who will begin the 2026-27 season conducting and curating about six weeks of concerts with the LA Phil and focusing on multidisciplinary projects, festivals and innovative programming.

“Esa-Pekka Salonen is a transformational artist whose vision helped shape the LA Phil into what it has become today,” Noltemy said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have Esa-Pekka join the LA Phil in this historic new role, and we look forward to seeing how his innovative spirit will build on his highly celebrated legacy here and around the world.

“The addition of a Creative Director to our artistic team gives us an even greater ability to serve our audiences, bring unparalleled musical experiences to our iconic stages and push the boundaries of what an orchestra can do,” she added.

The LA Phil has seen much growth over the past two decades, and some of the success comes from Salonen’s efforts. He was the LA Phil’s Music Director from 1992-2009 and currently serves as conductor laureate of the orchestra. He’s recently concluded his five-year stint as music director of the San Francisco Symphony.

“The first time I ever came to the U.S. was to conduct the LA Phil,” Salonen said. “Coming from Finland, where we tend toward understatement, the LA Phil’s bold vision for what an orchestra could mean to a city and to the world was surreal — a Californian optimism with which I was not familiar. But we understood that an orchestra isn’t just about maintaining tradition; it’s about pushing boundaries, taking risks. Now, no place has been more central to my artistic life than the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It’s an honor and a privilege to continue to work with the musicians and the organization in this new capacity.”

Salonen’s role will help usher in a new era for the LA Phil, which includes an artistic partnership between him and the Philharmonie de Paris performing arts center, where he was appointed as creativity and innovation chair and principal conductor. The partnership will include collaborative projects between the organizations, such as a series of ballet commissions, a new Salonen International Conducting Fellowship to develop future conductors, festivals and immersive experiences that combine media and technology.

“Esa-Pekka Salonen is an unmatched visionary, and we are proud to be able to present his expertise and creativity to audiences in Los Angeles in a much larger way,” said Jason Subotky, board chair of the LA Phil. “These groundbreaking projects will be manifested in ways that are possible only in Los Angeles with the LA Phil. On behalf of the LA Phil Board of Directors, we extend our deepest thanks to Judith and Thomas Beckmen, who have made a major gift to endow and name the Creative Director position and for their ongoing commitment to helping the LA Phil extend its reputation for excellence and innovation.”

The organization’s search for a music director, however, is still ongoing. Many in the L.A. music scene have been waiting for the local organization to announce the successor of Gustavo Dudamel, who is beginning his final season as music director before leaving his post next summer to work for the New York Philharmonic.