High-flying British conductor and part-time pilot lands top job with US orchestra

High-flying British conductor and part-time pilot lands top job with US orchestraJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleIan YoungsCulture reporterGetty ImagesDaniel Harding combines conducting orchestras around the world with being a pilot for Air France British conductor Daniel Harding, who combines classical music with being a part-time commercial airline pilot, has landed the top job with one of the leading orchestras in the US.The 50-year-old will take over as the Los Angeles Philharmonic's music director from celebrated Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel in 2027.Born in Oxford, Harding's career took off when he was a teenage protege of Sir Simon Rattle, before he led orchestras in Rome, Paris and Stockholm and was the London Symphony Orchestra's principal guest conductor for a decade.Since 2022, he has led a double life as a pilot for Air France - a job he will continue after he takes up his position in LA.'Conducting genius'The LA Philharmonic's creative director Esa-Pekka Salonen described Harding as "absolutely one of the most important conductors of our time".Chairman Jason Subotky added: "His conducting genius has been widely hailed since the start of his career, and we are equally impressed by his vision for the role of music director in Los Angeles and his desire to connect to our community."Dudamel said he had "a deep admiration for Daniel's artistry, and for the profound connection he has built" with the orchestra's musicians when conducting them in the past.Harding said: "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 added: "So many great artists have found possibilities here that don't exist anywhere else, and I come to California full of excitement for what we will discover and create...