Gustavo Dudamel and the NY Philharmonic received a seven-minute standing applause Friday night following his first performance with the orchestra since he agreed to become music director. Dudamel conducted a performance of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony at David Geffen Hall, a program he's scheduled to repeat on Saturday night and Sun afternoon.

The 42-year-old Venezuelan has been music director of the LA Philharmonic since two thousand nine and will leave at the finish of the 2025-2026 season. He agreed in Feb to a five-year contract as New York’s artistic and music director starting in 2026-2027. Dudamel will stay music director of the Paris Opéra, a role he’s held since two thousand twenty-one.