Stuart Canning, has been appointed director of development for the San Francisco Symphony. Canning joins SFS from United Way of the Bay Area where he served as chief development officer. Prior to his work at the United Way, Canning was associate director of Development at SFS from 2007-10, associate dean for external relations at Stanford University, and has led development campaigns and international advancement strategies at The American University of Paris as well as at Brown University.

Gustavo Dudamel has extended his contract as music director with the Los Angeles Philharmonic through the 2021/22 season. He is also adding the title of artistic director. Dudamel, 34, came to Los Angeles from Venezuela in 2009 and is also music director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela. In Los Angeles, he has overseen the creation of Yola, Youth Orchestra L.A., based on El Sistema.

As part of its search for a new music director after Jahja Ling prepares to step down at the end of the 2016-17 season, the San Diego Symphony will feature eight guest conductors in its programming during the 2015-16 season. Guest conductors include Karina Canellakis, David Danzmayr, Edo de Waart, Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla, Rory Macdonald, Cristan Macelaru, Carlos Miguel Prieto, and Joshua Weilerstein.