Dudamel to lead Israel Philharmonic on US tour

Venezuela's acclaimed young conductor Gustavo Dudamel will lead the Israel Philharmonic on a seven-city tour of America to help celebrate the Jewish state's 60th anniversary. The orchestra said Tuesday it will perform eight concerts during the Nov. 15-24 tour. Concerts are scheduled for Newark, N.J.; New York; Washington; Philadelphia; San Diego; Costa Mesa, Calif.; and Los Angeles. A product of Venezuela's musical education program 'El Sistema,' Dudamel has conducted the world's finest orchestras. He was recently named music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the fall 2009. Dudamel, 27, made his first appearance with the Israel Philharmonic three years ago in Tel Aviv. When asked to conduct this year's United States tour, Dudamel immediately accepted, the orchestra said. 'I love to play with the Israel Philharmonic, the musicians and the energy they bring to every performance is something special,' he said in a statement.