Hong Kong-born conductor Elim Chan wows LA Phil audience in sublime Hollywood Bowl concert
- Conjuring magic with her baton, Elim Chan made a strong case for succeeding Gustavo Dudamel as the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s music director
It was a lovely Hollywood Bowl opening night for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Warm day led to a pleasant evening with but a hint of chill in the air.
Scheherazade was the main fare. Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonic suite sounded brighter and fresher and more alluring than ever, thanks both to the sheer virtuosity of the orchestra and the excellent amplification.
Thanks, too, to Gustavo Dudamel, but only indirectly. For the first time in the 15 seasons that he has been music director, he will not appear at his beloved bowl until the summer’s final weeks. But it is still his orchestra, and on the podium on July 9, a former Dudamel Fellow made her bowl debut.
Hong Kong-born Elim Chan, who is music director of the Antwerp Symphony in Belgium, may not yet be well known to the Los Angeles general public. That will change. She has just released her first recording with her orchestra, and it is terrific, ending with a ravishing performance of the second suite from Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé.
Along with the attention-getting invitation to conduct the Hollywood Bowl opening, Chan can expect exceptional visibility in London next week, when she oversees the first night of the BBC Proms – the world’s largest classical music festival and the one with the widest reach, featuring live-streams on BBC Radio 3 of the nightly concerts.
