Dudamel and LA Phil to perform in London

Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will make his first London appearance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in January 2011, at the Barbican.

The 28-year-old began his tenure as Music Director of the LA Phil in October 2009, with a free concert in LA attended by 17,400 people and broadcast on Classic FM.

Other highlights of the recently announced 2010-11 Great Performers series at the Barbican include concerts by the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle, Cecilia Bartoli, a Steve Reich weekend and a staged concert featuring John Malkovich as a serial-killer.

An impressive line-up of singers includes, aside from Cecilia Bartoli, Andreas Scholl, Ian Bostridge, Gerald Finley, Natalie Dessay, Simon Keenlyside, Sally Matthews, Joyce DiDonato, Jennifer Larmore and Elizabeth Watts.

The opening performance, on 16 October, features the Houston Symphony playing The Planets to the backdrop of a new film of the solar system by Dr Duncan Copp, a member of the NASA team responsible for creating the first detailed geological maps of Venus.

In May 2011, the Barbican dedicates a weekend to Steve Reich, who will be celebrating his 75th year. The weekend will include four London and UK premieres of Reich’s works, as well as featuring a wide variety of composers including Louis Andriessen, Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe, David Lang, Bryce Dessner and Thurston Moore.

Three big Mozart vocal works will be performed in June 2011: his first opera seria Idomeneo, second opera seria La Finta Giardiniera and Mass in C minor.

Tickets are on sale for the Great Performers series at the Barbican’s website.