Ricardo Muti announced Wednesday that he will not succeed Kurt Masur as music director of the New York Philharmonic.

"After thoughtful discussions with the New York Philharmonic, realized that due to my commitments at La Scala and elsewhere, I don't have the time necessary to do what I would like to do artistically with the New York Philharmonic," Muti said in a statement.

Muti has been the music director of La Scala opera in Milan, Italy,

since 1986. Previously, he occupied the same position with the Philadelphia Symphony from 1980–92.

His decision leaves wide open the search for a replacement for Masur, whose contract expires at the end of the 2001–02 season.

While Muti's name had been mentioned for some time as a possible successor, there had been a constant question of whether he had the time. Muti recently turned down an offer to succeed Lorin Maazel as music director of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich, Germany, for similar reasons. But in April it was announced he had been chosen by the New York Philharmonic's board, and formal negotiations began.

"After some discussions, it became clear that, given Maestro Muti's dedication to his position [with] Milan's Teatro alla Scala, as well as to other conducting obligations, he would not be able to give the level of commitment which he and we feel is necessary for this orchestra," Paul B. Guenther, chairman of the Philharmonic board, said in a statement. "The board, the musicians and management look forward to continuing the very warm relationship we have established with [him]."

Apart from La Scala, Muti has conducted opera productions in Philadelphia; Munich; Vienna, Austria; and London, and he's been a frequent guest conductor at the New York Philharmonic.

Since 1971 he's been a regular participant at Austria's Salzburg Festival, conducting operas and concerts. His performances of Mozart operas have become an important tradition of the festival throughout the years.

In May, Muti won the Wolf Prize, the Israeli equivalent of the Nobel with a cash prize of $100,000.

Other names on the short list for music director that were floated in April included Daniel Barenboim, music director of the Chicago Symphony and the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, and Mariss Jansons, music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony and the associate principal conductor of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic in Russia. Christoph Eschenbach of the NDR Symphony of Hamburg also was regarded as a favorite of incoming Philharmonic Executive Director Zubin Mehta, according to a New York Times report.

Mehta had been rumored to be weighing his decision to join the orchestra based on the orchestra's choice of music director before accepting the position in June. He succeeds Deborah Borda, who held the office from 1991–99.

The Philharmonic has not set a deadline to come up with a replacement.