The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced Tuesday that 29-year-old German conductor Anna Handler will serve as conductor-in-residence beginning with the 2026/27 season.
Handler’s responsibilities will include an annual three-week commitment at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and Beckmen YOLA Center, leading the LA Phil and conducting an annual project with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. She will also curate and perform on keyboards in a chamber music program that will highlight Beethoven and include a collaboration with Luna Lab.
“Anna is such a talent on the podium, and her artistry and musical ideas have cultivated a deep connection with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, galvanizing the musicians and supporting the orchestra’s continued artistic evolution,” LA Phil President and CEO Kim Noltem said. “Her work furthers our broader vision of a leadership model that reflects artistic excellence, expansive and innovative programming and our dedication to the communities we serve.”
The rising star, who was recently named chief conductor of the Ulster Orchestra, has a history with the LA Phil in 2023 through the Dudamel Fellowship Program, where she worked alongside LA Phil Music Director Gustavo Dudamel.
She will also serve as Artist-in-Residence at Beethoven-Haus Bonn during its 2026/27 season, which will mark the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death.
“I feel very honored to return to the LA Phil as conductor-in-residence,” Handler said. “I have long admired the LA Phil as one of the most dynamic and innovative orchestras in the world. My time as a Dudamel Fellow was profoundly formative, and it is especially meaningful to deepen this relationship with an orchestra that has played such an important role in my artistic journey. I look forward to collaborating with these remarkable musicians, creating new concert experiences and engaging with audiences across Los Angeles.”
Handler will conduct the orchestra in a series of performances in the coming year, including “Beethoven’s Fifth” on Aug. 25 at the Hollywood Bowl, “Minimalist Icons: Philip Glass” on March 12-13, 2027, and a program featuring John Williams’ “Piano Concerto” and Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1,” “Titan,” on May 27-28 and May 30, 2027, at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
“One of my greatest joys has been to watch our Dudamel Fellows continue to rise and share their incredible musical talents across the globe. Anna — with her boundless skill, curiosity, passion, and inspiration — is a perfect example, and I am so proud to welcome her back to our LA Phil family in this new capacity,” Dudamel said.