# Dudamel Opens the NY Phil With Lizzo and a Red Guitar

> Gustavo Dudamel's first night leading the New York Philharmonic mixed Gershwin, Sondheim and pop stars at Radio City.
- Title: Dudamel Opens the NY Phil With Lizzo and a Red Guitar
- Summary: Gustavo Dudamel's first night leading the New York Philharmonic mixed Gershwin, Sondheim and pop stars at Radio City. Dudamel's opening night was a thesis…
- Keywords: classical music, gustavo dudamel, new york philharmonic, lizzo, latin music, Dudamel, Opens, Phil, Red, Guitar, Billboard
- Source: Billboard — https://billboard.com/music/latin/gustavo-dudamel-new-york-philharmonic-season-debut-recap-1236338305
- Author: Sigal Ratner-Arias
- Published: 2026-09-11T18:26:38+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: classical music, gustavo dudamel, new york philharmonic, lizzo, latin music
## A new era at Radio City
The New York Philharmonic opened its 2026-27 season on Sept. 10 with Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel at the podium, before a multigenerational crowd at Radio City Music Hall.

> “Welcome Gustavo!” read an image at the back of the stage.
## Gershwin, then a rock star
The night started with the overture to Gershwin's "Strike Up the Band" from 1927, then handed the stage to St. Vincent in a black balloon skirt with a bright red electric guitar.
## St. Vincent goes Bond
She and the orchestra turned "Smoking Section" into something haunting and cinematic, then played "New York," telling the room the city was very happy to have Dudamel.
## The funniest introduction
Host Liev Schreiber described Dudamel as a recipe: Billy Joel, Basquiat, Tito Puente, a dash of Streisand, and no Messi at all, baked into a giant musical arepa.

> “Several thousand volts of electricity, an unreasonable amount of hair… and give it a baton.”
## Broadway takes a turn
After Philip Glass' "Anniversary Concert Overture," Aaron Tveit sang "Something's Coming" and "Maria" from West Side Story, plus "Being Alive" from Company.
## A Venezuelan homecoming
Joaquina sang "Pesimista" and "El Alquimista" in a long red dress, with producer Julio Reyes Copello at the piano. She called sharing the night with a fellow Venezuelan a point of pride.

> “It is a vote of confidence that I do not take lightly.”
## Lizzo closes it out
In a white floor-length dress, Lizzo sang and played flute through "Cuz I Love You" and "Truth Hurts." Dudamel now joins a line that runs through Mahler, Bernstein and Mehta.
## Key takeaway

Dudamel's opening night was a thesis statement: classical music belongs to everyone, so the program pulled from Broadway, rock, Latin pop and the concert hall in one sitting.