Los Angeles Philharmonic Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel will bring Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals,” a 14-movement orchestral suite, to a national audience this fall, it was announced Wednesday.
The half-hour program, featuring a live recording by Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, will premiere Nov. 16 on PBS KIDS and PBS stations nationwide, according to PBS and the LA Phil.
The animated special tells the story of a young hero searching for a stolen lion’s crown while introducing children to Saint-Saens’ orchestral suite through music rather than dialogue.
The special also includes a short introduction narrated by Dudamel’s 15-year-old son, MartÃn Dudamel.
“Music has a beautiful way of opening the imagination and helping us see the world with fresh eyes,” Dudamel said in a statement.
“That is why Carnival of the Animals has remained so beloved for generations. Sharing this project with my son MartÃn has filled it with even deeper meaning for me, because together we are inviting young people to discover the joy, humor, and wonder that live inside this extraordinary music.”
In conjunction with the program, PBS KIDS will release five companion digital shorts featuring Dudamel, Los Angeles Philharmonic musicians and members of Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, or YOLA, officials said. The shorts are designed to introduce young viewers to the instruments and music featured in the program.
“My hope is that every child who watches will discover that music is a place where curiosity, creativity and possibility can always grow,” Dudamel said.
Dudamel, who concludes his tenure as the LA Phil’s music and artistic director this month, is set to become music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic for the 2026-27 season.