Stand in the lobby of Walt Disney Concert Hall—the Los Angeles Philharmonic's home—and poll the folks streaming by you. So many will tell you this is their first time in the hall. Why'd they come? "To see Gustavo."

Is it the hair? The musicians who play their hearts out for him? Or is it watching Leno chatting him up on the Tonight Show? How about the energy he throws off like a Fourth of July sparkler? Whatever. Gustavo Dudamel, the Philharmonic's music director, is hot.

He and the Philharmonic will play two nights this week at London's Barbican Centre in their first European tour together. The hall's been long sold out. So now Brits are trying to snag the odd scalped ticket. Those I've talked to sound as if they're from southern California. "We want to see Gustavo."

It's the same story in Portugal and Spain where the Philharmonic packed the halls last week; and in Paris and Vienna where the halls are already sold out for next week's concerts.

With all that adulation, you think Mr. Dudamel might be in need of a slightly enlarged hat size. But he has a graceful deflection.

"It's lovely that they're coming because of one person," he says, "but it's really about the joy of the music. This is the most important thing. It's beautiful to share this energy. When you walk on stage and feel the energy of thousands of people. That is very important. But I hope they always come to enjoy the music."

It's a long way for Yanks to come and witness the Dudamel phenomenon. So our mics have done the traveling for you. We've got them in the sweet spot of the Barbican for the Thursday (2:00 p.m. EST) concert. I and my KUSC colleague, Brian Lauritzen, will bring it all to you as it happens. See you then!

- Brian Newhouse

Program
John Adams: Slonimsky's Earbox
Leonard Bernstein: Symphony No 1 'Jeremiah'
Beethoven: Symphony No 7

Artists
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel conductor
Kelley O'Connor mezzo-soprano