Grand Performances to Kick Off 30th Season in Los Angeles

Amidst the bustling traffic of The Broad and MOCA Grand lies a summer urban oasis of music, dance, multimedia, and spoken word where shows are always free and open to the public. Hailed as the "Best Free Outdoor Summer Concert Series," Grand Performances returns this June for its 30th Anniversary season with an international and local lineup of artists that reflect the diversity and cultural depth of Los Angeles.

A stage set into a waterfall at Grand Avenue's California Plaza comes alive with a state of the art sound and lighting system that rivals any venue in the area. Audience members picnic, dance, or simply sit and enjoy the performances amongst the tall office and residential skyscrapers and the stars. Performances run from June 10 through August 21.

Highlights of the 11-week season include worldwide sensation of Mexrrissey (July 9), Rolling Stone's Coachella 2016 must-see pick from the Democratic Republic of Congo Mbongwana Star (August 6), the only Arab band with openly LGBT members, Lebanon's Mashrou' Leila (June 17), Armenian super-group 1 To 3 (July 2), fan-favorite and L.A.'s own daKAH Hip Hop Orchestra (July 16), electro-gypsy jazz beats with Paris' Gingkoa (July 22), a reinterpretation of classical music via Latin, gypsy and straight-up jazz at Classical Remix featuring Trio Dinicu in partnership with the Colburn School (June 25), and more.

Each season Grand Performances curates a series of programs to address important social and racial issues. Evolución L.A.tino explores Latino and Chicano culture, power, influence and experiences from a local and global perspective through music, theater, film, culinary arts, and expert panels/lectures. Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and Sony Pictures, the series includes:

· A tribute to Latina power, Chicana Moratorium: Su Voz, Su Canto led by Martha Gonzalez of the East LA rock band Quetzal (June 24)

· Soy Africano dives into the Latin-Afro scene of West Africa (June 18)

· Los Lobos founding member Louie Perez, LA Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriquez, and journalist Luis Torres in an East-LA riff on the joys and absurdities of life, The Three Louies (June 26)

· Making Escabeche with Ernie Miller - LA's master food preserver guides a hands-on demonstration of making the pickled carrot, jalapeño, and vegetable medley served on Latin tables. RSVP required at www.grandperformances.org. (June 30)

· L.A. artist Rafa Esparza creates a site specific performance piece exploring the depths of Brown creativity/identity, Se Mueve: Aqui / Here: It Moves (July 30)

The extraordinary works by female composers of film, television, video games, and interactive media will be celebrated during The Women Who Score: Soundtracks Live (August 19). The program includes selections from Academy Award winner Rachel Portman (Emma, The Cider House Rules), four-time Emmy Award winner Laura Karpman (Underground, Taken), Emmy Award winners Wendy & Lisa (Nurse Jackie) and Lolita Ritmanis (Marvel's Avengers Assemble, Batman: The Brave and the Bold), and more.

Southeast and Central Asian Muslim cultures continue to be explored for the second year through Re:ARRANGED - Muslim Cultures Illuminated, programming partnered with immersive and educational exchanges with Los Angeles musicians, students and community members supported in part, by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Arts. This includes Super Everything*, a Malaysian-U.K. collaboration of a live cinematic and music experience (July 8), Sanubar who in her U.S. debut introduces her classical Chinese Muslim culture to LA (August 7), and Pakistani Sufi rock Fuzon paired with Qawwali legends, Ayaz Farid and Abu Muammad Qawwal (August 21).

Families and the young at heart will enjoy the Sunday afternoon concert series featuring a hands-on activity. Kids will make flutes to play during an interactive jam session at Flutes Across the World (June 19), and create magic wands for Cinderella by Sock Puppet Sitcom Theater (June 12). Also of note, the face of "kindie" music, Emmy and Latin Grammy Award winners Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band (July 3), and beloved children's entertainer José-Luis Orozco (June 26) will appear this season.

The next new wave of global groove music is the resurgence of the Manila Sound. Disco Manila (August 13) promises an evening where disco never dies, it thrives. Dress up in your best boogie gear.

For a complete schedule of the 30th Anniversary season, go to www.grandperformances.org.

Grand Performances programs are free and open to the public. Events are held on a stage outfitted with state of the art lighting and sound equipment built into a water fountain at California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. California Plaza is accessible by numerous bus routes and is conveniently located next to the Metro Rail Pershing Square Station.

Seating is open and is filled on a first-come, first-served basis starting two hours before performance. Blankets and low backed chairs are welcome as long as they don't block designated walking, dancing or wheelchair areas. Audience capacity is 5,000+ people spread out on the upper and lower levels surrounding the fountain. There are 350 amphitheater seats and 800 chairs on the lower plaza. Additionally, dozens of benches dot both levels of the concourse. Reserved seats as well as access to special lounges and artist meet-and-greets are available by becoming a Grand Performances member. For directions, parking and more information, visit www.grandperformances.org or call 213-687-2190.

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