Los Angeles Philharmonic Announces Details for 2022 at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Los Angeles Philharmonic Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel and Chief Executive Officer and David C. Bohnett Chief Executive Officer Chair Chad Smith announced new details of the LA Phil's winter-spring programs at Walt Disney Concert Hall, from January 7 through June 14, 2022. In addition, starting January 18, all audience members who are eligible must have received a COVID-19 booster dose in addition to being fully vaccinated in order to attend performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The 2022 programs include signature LA Phil initiatives: the Power to the People! Festival organized by Gustavo Dudamel and Creative Chair for Jazz Herbie Hancock; the multi-year Pan-American Music Initiative (PAMI), curated this season by composer Gabriela Ortiz; the multidisciplinary, multi-genre Gen X Festival curated in part by composer Thomas Adès; newly announced concerts with Father John Misty (Feb 25), Nas (May 1) and Liz Phair (May 10) on sale this Friday, January 7; highly anticipated concerts from Damon Albarn (Jan 24), Sparks (Feb 7 & 8), Andy Shauf (Mar 11) and José González (Mar 15); and significantly expanded humanities events throughout the season that explore ideas and themes beyond the stage.

Gustavo Dudamel said, "Even though there are many challenges still ahead, we enter this new year full of hope. After returning to live performances this past fall, we were reminded once again of the power and impact of art. These upcoming events are a beautiful expression of that impact and of the way that music can speak to us across any divide. It can speak to us through time and generations, as we see in our Gen X Festival. It can reach across continents, as the rhythms of our Pan-American Music Initiative resonate over walls and borders. It can converse with empathy and urgency, as in our Power to the People! Festival. And, as we will show in our collaboration with Deaf West Theatre in Beethoven's Fidelio, it can even speak without making a sound, touching the most profoundly universal aspects of humanity."

Chad Smith said, "The programs we're announcing for the second half of the season include a wealth of humanities events that support the LA Phil's mission of engaging and inspiring the broadest possible audience. Under Gustavo's artistic leadership, we are reaching out more and more to connect our community with the meanings and values of the music on our stage. This is part of the future of the LA Phil: deepening the experience of our concerts and exploring all the dimensions of our music."

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR THE 2021/22 SEASON

The Pan-American Music Initiative now includes the world premiere of a work commissioned from Colombian composer Victor Agudelo, in addition to the previously announced world premieres by Gabriela Ortiz (Mexico), Ricardo Lorenz (Venezuela), Alex Nante (Argentina) Francisco Cortéz-Álvarez (Mexico), Gonzalo Garrido-Lecca (Peru), and Angélica Negrón (Puerto Rico). The Toyota Symphonies for Youth series, for fully vaccinated children ages 5-11 and their families, will also include a Pan-American Music Initiative program, inviting the audience to follow the orchestra on a journey through the Americas to explore different Latin American musical styles. Power to the People! will overlap with the Pan-American Music Initiative to present a newly announced program of music of resistance from Latin America, Canto en resistencia, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel (June 4), on sale this Friday, January 7, and a program of hymns and spirituals with organist Nathaniel Gumbs.

For the Gen X Festival, the LA Phil has announced a concert of works by John Corigliano and Andrew Norman led by Thomas Adès; a "Voices of a Generation" concert led by Adès with works by an international selection of Gen X composers; an evening of Gen X anthems curated by Liz Phair; and a free online concert presentation of Ani DiFranco, as part of the third season of Sound/Stage. Additionally, new post-concert programs will include Thomas Adès and Pekka Kuusisto (April 22) and Alarm Will Sound (April 24).

Conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and co-directed by Alberto Arvelo and Joaquín Solano and in collaboration with acclaimed Tony Award®-winning Deaf West Theatre produced by Artistic Director David Kurs, a semi-staged production of the opera Fidelio will draw on both the expressive power of American Sign Language (ASL) and Beethoven's music. Performed by Deaf actors as well as sung by hearing performers, the production is intended for both Deaf and hearing audiences.

Adding to the impact of the concerts will be humanities programs, including a newly announced conversation with author Sarah Schulman speaking about the AIDS crisis; a recording session of the podcast "Waiting to X-Hale" with co-hosts Karen Tongson and Wynter Mitchell-Rohrbaugh for the Gen X Festival; conversations with scholar/activist Dr. Angela Davis and poet/librettist Saul Williams (co-author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated Place) for Power to the People!; and an artist talk with Christine Sun Kim in conjunction with the presentation of Beethoven's Fidelio.

In an innovative visual arts addition to the season, the LA Phil will present the immersive installation Wishful Thinking, designed by Frank Gehry, in BP Hall, on view from February 19 to March 20 and free to ticket holders and Walt Disney Concert Hall tour-goers. Based on a scene from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the work envisions the Mad Hatter's tea party as a group of 10 surreal figures fashioned from brilliantly painted metal and situated around a glowing, internally lit table. Three overlapping woven steel "tapestries" of trees evoke the episode's forest setting, while a mirror on the wall brings viewers into the scene. With their crumpled surfaces, the figures in Wishful Thinking establish a visual connection with some of Gehry's best-known designs.

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OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF WINTER-SPRING 2022

In other highlights of the second half of the 2021/22 season, Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen will lead programs that include the U.S. premiere of the orchestral version of his own composition Fog and the world premiere of Daniel Bjarnason's Piano Concerto with soloist Víkingur Ólafsson. In his annual return to Walt Disney Concert Hall, guest conductor Michael Tilson Thomas will conduct works including his own Meditations on Rilke with mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and bass-baritone Dashon Burton, Alban Berg's Three Pieces for Orchestra and Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 with soloist Emanuel Ax. Conductor Emeritus Zubin Mehta will lead the orchestra in Mozart's "Great" Mass in C minor, Berg's Violin Concerto with soloist Vilde Frang and Bruckner's Symphony No. 9. Thomas Wilkins, Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, will celebrate the orchestral music of Duke Ellington in four concerts with the LA Phil, and Associate Conductor Paolo Bortolameolli will return with Elgar's Cello Concerto featuring soloist Camille Thomas in her LA Phil debut, Chilean composer Miguel Farías' Estallido and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, "Pathétique."

Gustavo Dudamel will conduct a dozen wide-ranging programs throughout the winter-spring season, including the world premiere of Thomas Adès' Dante (an LA Phil commission supported by the Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Fund) as part of the Gen X Festival, two world premieres by Gabriela Ortiz and programs pairing Stravinsky's major ballet scores with ballet and film scores by Ginastera, Villa-Lobos and Revueltas for the Pan-American Music Initiative, and a season-capping Power to the People! concert including the world premiere of an LA Phil commission from Angélica Negrón paired with William Grant Still's Symphony No. 1, "Afro-American."

Guest conductors for the 2021/22 season include John Adams, Semyon Bychkov, Elim Chan, Paavo Järvi, and Philippe Jordan.

World-renowned guest artists sharing the Walt Disney Concert Hall stage include LA Phil Creative Chair for Jazz Herbie Hancock, Ólafur Arnalds, Emanuel Ax, J'Nai Bridges, Yefim Bronfman, Robert Glasper, Jeff Goldblum, Hilary Hahn, Emmylou Harris, Mon Laferte, Lang Lang, Igor Levit, Víkingur Ólafsson, Itzhak Perlman, Andy Shauf, Sparks, Sergio Tiempo, Daniil Trifonov, and Yuja Wang. Gerald Clayton, Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, and Dashon Burton will be making their debuts.

NEWLY ANNOUNCED GEN X FESTIVAL PROGRAMS

All programs are free with RSVP. Event registration opens on February 1, 2022.

I Heart the Valley - Zev Terrace, The Ford

Thursday, April 28

The Valley came into the national consciousness with Gen X film classics like Karate Kid, Valley Girl, Foxes and Encino Man, but the Valley is also home to a racially and economically diverse population that was rarely if ever represented in popular culture. Hosted by Wynter Mitchell-Rohrbaugh and featuring special guests, this multimedia panel event goes beyond the white gaze of the era's filmmakers and into the real-life legacies of the Valley.

Let the Record Show: A Conversation with Sarah Schulman

Tuesday, May 3

In conjunction with the orchestra's performance of John Corigliano's Symphony No. 1, a memorial to those he lost to AIDS at the height of the epidemic, the LA Phil welcomes Sarah Schulman, author of Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993. Twenty years in the making, Schulman's Let the Record Show is the most comprehensive political history ever assembled of ACT UP and American AIDS activism. In just six years, ACT UP, New York, a broad and unlikely coalition of activists from all races, genders, sexualities and backgrounds changed the world. Armed with rancor, desperation, intelligence and creativity, it took on the AIDS crisis with an indefatigable, ingenious and multifaceted attack on the corporations, institutions, governments and individuals who stood in the way of AIDS treatment for all. Join Schulman, one of the most revered queer writers and thinkers of her generation, for a combined reading and conversation about how a group of desperate outcasts changed America forever, and in the process created a livable future for generations of people across the world.

From Spago to Chin Chin: LA Food in the '80s with Evan Kleiman - Second Home Hollywood

Wednesday, May 4

During Generation X's formative years, the LA food scene was on the rise with media making Wolfgang Puck a household name and the trickle-down trends of everything from pesto to sundried tomatoes making their way into America's pantries. Hosted by Evan Kleiman of KCRW's Good Food, this combined panel and tasting examines how Gen X-era chefs, home cooks and latch-key kids in the City of Angels were shaping the tastes of a nation.

Groove Is in the Heart: LA's Queer '90s - Zebulon

Saturday, May 7

Facing the AIDS crisis and an indifferent mainstream culture at best, an outright hostile one at worst, LA's Gen X LGBTQ+ community found a home for themselves on the dance floors of clubs like Jewel's Catch One, Arena, Club Chico, The Palms, Paradise Ballroom, Outer Limits, Circus and the Que Sera. While many of these places no longer exist, lost to forces like gentrification and the march of time, their groove forever remains in our hearts. Join us for a screening, performance and dance party resurrecting the sounds and sensations of LA's Queer '90s.

NEWLY ANNOUNCED CONCERTS (On Sale Friday, January 7, at 10AM PST):

Father John Misty with the LA Phil

Friday, February 25

Father John Misty, a.k.a. Josh Tillman, has become one of the preeminent songwriters of his generation. His gently warped classic songs, with their bent critiques and bared humanity, are akin to the melodies and rich orchestration of Harry Nilsson and to the poison-pen lyricism of Randy Newman. He and his touring band will perform accompanied by the LA Phil.

Nas with the LA Phil

Sunday, May 1

With his debut album, Nas became one of the most important rappers in history. Illmatic was an instant classic upon its release in 1994, awarded the rare and coveted 5-mic rating by The Source, who raved, "Your mind races to keep up with Nas' lyricism, while your body dips to the beat." Now, Nas joins forces with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to present the album in its entirety on this very special evening.

Liz Phair

Don't Holdyrbreath

Thursday, May 10

From Zoomers to Boomers, everyone knows the significance of Liz Phair on the soundtrack of our lives. For this very special show, Liz will perform the greatest songs from her impressive catalog, probably swear and also host some special guests playing the lamest hits of Gen X.

Canto en resistencia

Saturday, June 4

Sounds of protest take center stage when Gustavo Dudamel leads the LA Phil in music by Paul Desenne and a world premiere by Victor Agudelo. Special guest singers join the orchestra to celebrate iconic protest music from Latin America and the U.S., ranging from the pro-democracy and workers' rights Nueva canción songs made famous by legendary artists like Mercedes Sosa, Violeta Parra and Victor Jara to contemporary anthems that resonate with today's activists.

SPECIAL CONCERTS:

Damon Albarn (Monday, January 24)

Sparks (Monday and Tuesday, February 7 and 8)

Andy Shauf (Friday, March 11)

José González (Tuesday, March 15)

GREEN UMBRELLA

Continuing its steadfast commitment to the future of music, the LA Phil will present five Green Umbrella series concerts in the second half of the 2021/22 season, guided by John and Samantha Williams Creative Chair John Adams:

Storytelling, curated by Nathalie Joachim and Pamela Z, conducted by Jenny Wong (January 11)

A program curated by Pekka Kuusisto and Ellen Reid and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, featuring the west coast premiere of Shrink by Nico Muhly (February 15)

Installation, curated by inti figgis-vizueta and Jay Campbell (March 8)

Noon to Midnight: anchored by the LA Phil New Music Group's performance of music by Louis Andriessen, curated and conducted by John Adams, and also including Pauline Oliveros' Tuning Meditation led by flutist Claire Chase and world premieres of LA Phil commissions by Rajna Swaminathan, Mazz Swift, and Annie Gosfield (supported by the Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Fund) (April 9)

Place (LA Phil commission), written by Ted Hearne and Saul Williams, directed by Patricia McGregor (part of Power to the People! festival) (June 7)

RECITALS, ORGAN & ENSEMBLES

In 2022, Walt Disney Concert Hall welcomes an exceptional roster of guest artists. Recitalists include Itzhak Perlman, Yuja Wang, Garrick Ohlsson, Midori, Lang Lang, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Isata Kanneh-Mason, and Daniil Trifonov. Ensembles scheduled to take the stage for Sounds About Town include the American Youth Symphony and the Colburn Orchestra. Organist Nathaniel Gumbs, who has championed traditional spirituals as well as underperformed music of Black composers, will perform a program titled Hold On, We Shall Overcome!, which will include world premiere arrangements of traditional hymns and spirituals. The organ series will also include Chelsea Chen, and Monica Czausz Berney.

JAZZ

Jazz concerts in 2021/22, curated by Herbie Hancock, feature Robert Glasper Reimagines Ellington (January 15); Herbie Hancock (February 27); a Wayne Shorter Celebration (March 9) featuring Brian Blade (drums), John Patitucci (bass), Danilo Pérez (piano) plus special guests Terence Blanchard, Kenny Garrett and Joe Lovano, on a program that also includes trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire's Origami Harvest; and the Maria Schneider Orchestra paired with Soul on Soul: A Tribute to Mary Lou Williams (March 25).

WORLD MUSIC

World Music programs include Chilean singer Mon Laferte (February 26) and the Icelandic multi-instrumentalist Ólafur Arnalds (June 14).

SONGBOOK

The Songbook series this season features Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra (April 29). The series will conclude with the return of Emmylou Harris to Walt Disney Concert Hall (June 11).

Additional details for the complete 2021/22 season can be found at laphil.com.

COVID PROTOCOLS

Continuing our efforts to do all we can to keep our audiences, musicians, guest artists, staff, and community safe and healthy, beginning January 18, 2022, the LA Phil will require all visitors to Walt Disney Concert Hall to present proof of receiving a COVID-19 booster shot for those eligible to receive it, in addition to proof of full vaccination. Both the CDC and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are recommending that everyone receive a booster shot when eligible. To view the updated guidelines, visit LAPhil.com/safety.

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