What is Gustavo Dudamel?
{{Infobox musical artist | Name = Gustavo Dudamel | Img = GustavoDudamel.jpg |Img_capt=Dudamel at the European Tour, 2008 | Background = classical_ensemble | Birth_name = Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez | birth_date= {{birth date and age|1981|1|26}} | Instrument = [[Violin]] | Genre = [[Classical music|Classical]] | Occupation = [[Composer]], [[Conducting|conductor]] | Years_active = 1999-''present'' | Associated_acts = | URL = [http://www.gustavodudamel.com www.GustavoDudamel.com] }} '''Gustavo Dudamel''' (born January 26, 1981 in Barquisimeto, Lara, [[Venezuela]]) is a [[Venezuela]]n [[conducting|conductor]] and violinist. He became famous as the conductor of the Venezuelan youth orchestra [[Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar]]. Today he is the principal conductor of the [[Gothenburg Symphony]] in [[Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]], and music director of the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]] in [[Los Angeles, California]]. Dudamel is also the artistic director of the [[Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar]] in Caracas, Venezuela. ==Life and career== Dudamel was born in Barquisimeto, [[Venezuela]]. His father played the [[trombone]]. He studied music when he was quite young, and learned the violin when he was ten. He also studied [[Composition (music)|composition]]. He became involved with [[El Sistema]], an organization in Venezuela to help children from poorer families to learn musical instruments. He went to the Jacinto Lara Conservatory and then the Latin-American Violin Academy, learning the violin. He began to study conducting in 1995. In 1999, he became music director of the [[Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar]], the national youth orchestra of Venezuela, and toured several countries. Dudamel won many prizes for conducting. He soon became well-known and conducted the [[Philharmonia]], the [[Israel Philharmonic]], and the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]]. He signed a recording contract with [[Deutsche Grammopho