Conducting Dudamel won a number of competitions, including the
Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in Germany in 2004. His reputation began to spread, attracting the attention of conductors such as
Simon Rattle and
Claudio Abbado, who accepted invitations to conduct the
Simón Bolívar Orchestra in Veneite. In April 2006 Dudamel was appointed as principal conductor of the
Gothenburg Symphony for the 2007/2008 season. Dudamel made his debut at
La Scala, Milan, with
Don Giovanni in November 2006. On 10 September 2007, he conducted the
Vienna Philharmonic for the first time at the
Lucerne Festival. On 16 April 2007 he conducted the
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Vatican's
Paul VI Audience Hall in a concert in commemoration of the 80th birthday of
Pope Benedict XVI, with
Hilary Hahn as solo violinist, the Pope and many other Church dignitaries were among the audience. In 2013, El Sistema arranged for Dudamel to conduct the
Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra during the funeral of
Hugo Chávez, which was attended by nearly two dozen heads of state. In 2015, Dudamel conducted both the opening and end titles, at the request of
John Williams, for the official motion picture soundtrack and film of
Star Wars: The Force Awakens. At the 2016
Super Bowl, Dudamel and
Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) accompanied
Coldplay and sang along with
Chris Martin,
Beyoncé, and
Bruno Mars. On 1 January 2017, Dudamel conducted the
Vienna Philharmonic in the
New Year's Day Concert, the youngest conductor to lead this event. In December 2018, he made his debut at the
Metropolitan Opera in
New York City, conducting Verdi's
Otello. Dudamel served as the 2018–2019 artist-in-residence at
Princeton University in
New Jersey near
New York, in celebration of Princeton University Concerts' 125th anniversary. This engagement included cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural panels & discussions, chamber concerts featuring musicians from his associated orchestras (the
Met, in NYC; Los Angeles; and Berlin), and in April 2019, Dudamel conducted the
Princeton University Orchestra and the
Princeton University Glee Club as the culmination of his year-long residency. Dudamel first guest-conducted at the
Opéra national de Paris in 2017. In April 2021, the Opéra National de Paris announced the appointment of Dudamel as its next music director, effective 1 August 2021, with an initial contract of six seasons. In May 2023, Dudamel announced his resignation as music director of the Opéra National de Paris, effective August 2023. Dudamel conducted the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra during its appearance at the 2023
Edinburgh International Festival. It was the first time he had conducted the orchestra since 2017.
Los Angeles Philharmonic Dudamel made his US conducting debut with the
Los Angeles Philharmonic (LAP) at the
Hollywood Bowl on 13 September 2005 in a program consisting of "
La Noche de los Mayas" by
Silvestre Revueltas and
Tchaikovsky's
Symphony No. 5. Dudamel was subsequently invited back to conduct the orchestra at
Walt Disney Concert Hall in January 2007 in performances of "
Dances of Galánta" by
Zoltán Kodály, the
third piano concerto of
Sergei Rachmaninoff with
Yefim Bronfman as soloist, and
Béla Bartók's
Concerto for Orchestra (the latter of which was recorded live and subsequently released by
Deutsche Grammophon). In April 2007, the LAP announced the appointment of Dudamel as its next music director, effective with the 2009–2010 season. His initial contract in Los Angeles was for five years, beginning in September 2009. In February 2011, the orchestra announced the extension of Dudamel's contract through the end of the 2018–2019 season. In March 2015, the orchestra announced a further extension of his Los Angeles Philharmonic contract through the 2021–2022 season. In January 2020, the LAP announced a further extension of his contract through the 2025–2026 season. In February 2023, the LAP announced that Dudamel is to conclude his music directorship of the orchestra at the close of the 2025–2026 season.
New York Philharmonic Dudamel first guest-conducted the
New York Philharmonic in 2007. Following 26 additional guest-conducting appearances with the orchestra, the New York Philharmonic announced the appointment of Dudamel as its next Music and Artistic Director, the first
Latin American named to the post, effective with the 2026–2027 season, with an initial contract of five years.''' ==Awards and media==