How to sum up Gustavo Dudamel’s career? Simple: he has done it all, everywhere. “I’m not a young conductor anymore,” the ex-wunderkind noted recently. And indeed, it was a moment for reflection. At 42, the longtime music and artistic director of the LA Phil was announcing his move to the New York Phil in 2026. “Driven by an unwavering belief in the power of music to heal, unite, and inspire,” his official biography informs us, “Gustavo Dudamel is one of the most distinguished conductors of our day.” Mahler’s Ninth is the sort of score with which to substantiate such a claim. The classical-music world is all ears. —Matthew Gurewitsch