Conductor Gustavo Dudamel (photo: Rolex/Monika Rittershaus)

A Rolex Arts Testimonee since 2008, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel began his career young, making his conducting debut at age 12. He has remained busy since then, serving as musical director for several orchestras before turning thirty years old. Most recently he conducted the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra at the 2016 Salzburg Festival in collaboration with Testimonee Cecilia Bartoli on a new production of the broadway musical West Side Story.

In addition to serving as the musical director for the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, he has fulfilled the same role for the El Sistema project of Venezuela, a program that brings classical music to the country's youth. He has also directed the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in Sweden and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the US. He has also been a favorite at the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. He has an extensive discography that goes back a decade and has won Grammy and Classic Brit awards for his work.

More recently, the young musical talent conducted the opening and ending credits of the latest film from the Star Wars franchise. In the YouTube video embedded below, Dudamel conducts the Star Wars theme for the film's famed composter John Williams. For more information on Gustavo Dudamel's schedule, bio and recordings, visit his official website at gustavodudamel.com.

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