Show New conductor steps up Mark Swed Los Angeles Times After helping make Los Angeles Philharmonic one of the worlds world's most adventurous and versatile orchestras Pekka Esa-Pekka is stepping down as music director at the end of the 2008 09 season His successor the Philharmonic will wil l announce Monday will be Gustavo a charismatic 26 year-old year conductor from Venezuela who will remain in Los Angeles intends to concentrate on compos composing ng although he also will conduct the Philharmonic as well as other orchestras I always felt that one day I would have to make the change in my own life bite the bullet and see what it is to be a composer who conducts rather than the other way around he said Despite his departure departure still will be the serving longest-serving music director in the history of the philharmonic which was founded in 1919 Signing to a year five-year contract as music director beginning in the 2009 10 season is a daring move by the orchestra Audiences respond to his ebullience and boyish good looks Although several major orchestras are believed to be vying for him had never stood before a professional orchestra before taking partin part partin in iii a conducting competition sponsored by the Bamberg Symphony in Germany three years ago |