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 Grammophon. He conducted "Don Giovanni" at La Scala, Milan, in November 2006. On September 10, 2007, he conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time at the Lucerne Festival. In March 2008, he first conducted the San Francisco Symphony. 