LA Phil's new conductor: 'Classical music is cool'

Gustavo Dudamel held his first rehearsal with the Los Angeles Philharmonic wearing trendy black sneakers and a persistent smile that showed the sheer fun he's having directing one of the world's premiere orchestras.

As the 28-year-old conductor arrived at the gleaming Walt Disney Concert Hall Wednesday with his ballerina wife, Eloisa Maturen, he greeted onlookers with a fist bump and hugged musicians.

Later he told reporters at a standing-room only press conference, "Classical music is cool," and they seemed to believe him.

But much is expected of the musical phenom who first picked up the baton at age 11, as part of Venezuela's extensive classical music education program called El Sistema.

Dudamel said his first priority is to make beautiful music with the Philharmonic as musical director, his dream job.

"It's a huge step," he said. "I think we will have a beautiful journey, like going to the stars."

Philharmonic President Debra Borda said the orchestra musicians enjoy seeing Dudamel at the podium and respond to his leadership, despite his age.

"He's intense in rehearsal," she said. "The real work happens in the rehearsal, not in the concert hall. You could have heard a pin drop in there."

Los Angeles' cultural community has high expectations for their new maestro, starting with his first performance as musical director, a free concert for 18,000 people at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday.

The young maestro seemed to take it in stride, gamely discussing the contents of his IPod (mostly classic salsa like Oscar D'Leon with some album rock like Pink Floyd and smattering of Spanish singer Pasion Vega and Dominican singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra).

"I'm doing what I love to do. People call it passion, ideas, electricity, whatever. This is part of my natural life," he said.

Dudamel, who will spend a good part of his time in Los Angeles working with the Youth Orchestra LA, said he feels responsible for sharing the joy of orchestral music to a new generation, and start several other youth ensembles in Southern California.

"One very important thing is to bring all the community to music. It can sound romantic, it can sound crazy. People can say, 'Oh, the boy is just talking,' but dreams can come true," he said.