LA Phil's LA FEST Explores The Sounds Of Los Angeles
By: A.A. Cristi Sep. 20, 2018
The LA Phil celebrates its centennial year with LA Fest, a genre-spanning exploration of the sounds of the city that has inspired it for the last 100 years. Across six performances between October 4 to 14, LA Fest will offer a glimpse into Los Angeles' complex musical makeup, featuring orchestral collaborations, led by Gustavo Dudamel, with some of LA's most world-renowned musicians, including Herbie Hancock, Andrew Bird, and Moby; the world premiere of Sustain, a new work by Andrew Norman; additional world premieres of LA Phil-commissioned pieces; performances from LA favorites La Santa Cecilia and Cuco; and more at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Highlighting the LA Phil's commitment to new music, programs will open with performances of LA Phil-commissioned works from past seasons by Esa-Pekka Salonen, Steven Stucky, Gabriela Ortiz, Julia Adolphe, and John Adams.
LA Fest will also include the world premiere of an immersive sound and art installation by LA-based composer and sound artist Ellen Reid. Oscillations: One Hundred Years and Forever, commissioned by the LA Phil, will take place in Walt Disney Concert Hall's outdoor Keck Amphitheatre from October 9 to 14. On October 9 and 11, the installation will feature live performers including a choir (composed of selected singers from USC Thornton Choral Artists, Donald Brinegar Singers, and UCI Chamber Singers), vocal soloists, and percussionists. On October 10, 12, 13 and 14, the installation will feature prerecorded music. These performances can be heard starting at 7 PM or during intermission. The audience is encouraged to wander through the space during this short and luxurious piece, an immersive work made all the more hypnotic by Reid's visual projections.
As part of the LA Phil's Fluxus Festival, LA Fest will include Christopher Rountree's Fluxus Commitment Booth, which can be experienced in the Walt Disney Concert Hall Lobby on October 4, 6, 7 and 9. Fluxus Festival is a season-long survey of the experimental and deeply influential Fluxus movement of the 1960s and 1970s, curated by Christopher Rountree in collaboration with the Getty Research Institute.
Preceding the performances on October 11 to 14, an LA Fest Lounge in Walt Disney Concert Hall's BP Hall will host complimentary tastings of a special LA Phil 100 Brut IPAbrewed in collaboration with LA Ale Works. The Hawthorne-based brewery worked with members of the LA Phil to create a unique beer that spotlights the dynamic aromas of Los Angeles, with bright notes of lemon peel and mountain pine, lime and honey fragrances, and packed with orange zest, inspired by the pastoral groves that blanketed Los Angeles during the LA Phil's founding.
"100 years of bringing music to Los Angeles deserves an appropriate celebration - one that is big, accessible, vibrant, fun, and representative of the amazingly diverse communities that define the City of Angels," says Gustavo Dudamel. "We have drawn inspiration from all corners of Los Angeles, which will be manifested in a stunningly eclectic range of music - literally, something for everyone, from orchestral music to Latin, pop and jazz, complemented by immersive visual art and experiences. Please join us and prepare to be amazed."
October 4-7: Dudamel Kicks Off the 100th Season
LA Fest will kick off with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil performing the ultimate L.A.-centric piece, Esa-Pekka Salonen's breakthrough work LA Variations. The program also includes Beethoven's Triple Concerto performed by the LA Phil's own principals, Martin Chalifour, Robert deMaine, and Joanne Pearce Martin. The evening will conclude with the world premiere of Sustain, a major new work by LA-based composer Andrew Norman, winner of the prestigious Grawemeyer Award. Sustain is commissioned by the LA Phil with generous support from the Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Fund.
October 9: LA's Newest Music
The LA Phil's new music-focused Green Umbrella series will commence in the 2018/19 season with Gustavo Dudamel taking the podium to showcase the virtuosos and leading lights of Southern California's living music scene. The program, curated by Andrew Norman, will feature new works by Daniel Allas, Ethan Braun, Carolyn Chen, Natacha Diels, and Tina Tallon. LA Phil Assistant Conductor Paolo Bortolameolli and 2018/19 Dudamel Fellow Nuno Coelho will also conduct. This evening will feature the premiere of Ellen Reid's sound and art installation, Oscillations: One Hundred Years and Forever, in Keck Amphitheatre.
October 11: Andrew Bird & Los Angeles Philharmonic
LA-based singer/songwriter/violinist Andrew Bird will make his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut in his first performance with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil. The classically trained violinist, known for mastering delicately layered pop melodies with nuanced creativity, began his recording career in 1997. He has released 14 albums, his most recent being Echolocations: River, which was recorded ankle deep in the Los Angeles River under the Hyperion Bridge. The performance will open with Symphony, written by the LA Phil's former composer-in-residence and consulting composer for new music, Steven Stucky. This concert will kick off the LA Phil's 2018/19 Songbook series.
October 12: Moby & Los Angeles Philharmonic
Revolutionary artist, activist, and musical maverick Moby will showcase the breadth of his career with a world premiere event. For his first performance with an orchestra, Moby will be joined by Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil to play his many hits. Moby, whose records have sold over 20,000,000 copies worldwide, most recently released Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt, an album that found him returning to his orchestral, soul, trip-hop, and gospel roots. The performance will open with Gabriela Ortiz's Téenek - Invenciones de Territorio, commissioned last season by Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil. This will be followed by LA-based composer Julia Adolphe's Underneath the Sheen, written for the LA Phil's Centennial season and for which Adolphe drew inspiration from California's Redwood trees. Preceding the program, the Jason White Singers will be performing a set of gospel selections in BP Hall, starting at 7 PM.
October 13: Herbie Hancock & Los Angeles Philharmonic
Like the city he calls home, Herbie Hancock - LA Phil's William Powers & Carolyn Powers Creative Chair for Jazz - played a profound role in the shaping of modern culture. He is part of the evolution of jazz and he continues to innovate with every concert. Hancock will bring his future-facing vision to bear for a night of epic improvisations and mind-expanding zeal in collaboration with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil. This performance will open with City Noir, written by John Adams, LA Phil's John and Samantha Williams Creative Chair. City Noir is inspired by Los Angeles in the late 1940s and '50s, and was premiered during Gustavo Dudamel's first gala concert as the LA Phil's music director in 2009. The concert will kick off the LA Phil's 2018/19 Jazz series.
October 14: LA Fest: La Santa Cecilia and Cuco
Blending the Pan-American beats of cumbia, bossa nova, and bolero with rock, ska, and R&B, Los Angeles natives and Grammy® Award winners La Santa Cecilia will celebrate the sounds of their hometown as part of their Muerto Boogie Tour. Buzzing LA singer Cuco and his band, who reinvent electronic bedroom pop, will be joined by Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas. This performance will kick off the LA Phil's 2018/19 World Musicseries.
PROGRAM DETAILS:
Thursday, October 4, 2018, at 8 PM
Friday, October 5, 2018, at 11 AM
Saturday, October 6, 2018, at 8 PM
Sunday, October 7, 2018, at 2 PM
LA Fest: Dudamel Kicks Off the 100th Season
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Martin Chalifour, violin
Robert deMaine, cello
Joanne Pearce Martin, piano
Esa-Pekka SALONEN LA Variations
BEETHOVEN Triple Concerto
Andrew Norman Sustain (World premiere, LA Phil co-commission with generous support from Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg)
Fluxus Festival Activation (except Friday, October 5)
What: Chris ROUNTREE Fluxus Commitment Booth (LA Phil Commission, world premiere)
Where: WDCH Lobby
Chris Rountree's Commitment Booth can be experienced in the WDCH Lobby on October 4, 6, 7 and 9.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at 8 PM
Green Umbrella
LA Fest: LA's Newest Music
LA Phil New Music Group
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Paolo Bortolameolli, conductor
Nuno Coelho, conductor
Boris Allakhverdyan, clarinet
Denis Bouriakov, flute
Nathan Cole, violin
Curated by Andrew Norman
Ethan BRAUN: The Lost Ones*
Natacha DIELS: Laughing to Forget* (with generous support from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation)
Daniel ALLAS: to be tender* (with generous support from Nancy S. and Barry Sanders)
Tina TALLON: ...for we who keep our lives in our throats...* (with generous support from the Hillenburg Family)
Carolyn CHEN: The Sleeper and the Drinker* (with generous support from the Deborah Borda Women in the Arts Initiative)
(*World premiere, LA Phil commission)
Fluxus Festival Activation
What: Chris ROUNTREE Fluxus Commitment Booth (LA Phil Commission, world premiere)
Where: WDCH Lobby
Chris Rountree's Commitment Booth can be experienced in the WDCH Lobby on October 4, 6, 7 and 9.
Keck Amphitheatre Installation
What: Ellen REID Oscillations: One Hundred Years and Forever (LA Phil commission, world premiere)
Where: Keck Amphitheatre
Visit an immersive sound and art installation in Keck Amphitheatre before this evening's concert. Live performances can be heard starting at 7pm, or during the intermission.
Thursday, October 11, 2018, at 8 PM
Songbook
LA Fest: Andrew Bird & Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Andrew Bird
STUCKY Symphony (LA Phil commission)
Andrew BIRD Time Is a Crooked Bow (Song Suite with Orchestra)
Additional solo selections by Andrew Bird to be announced from the stage
Pre-Concert Event
What: Before the show, stop by the LA Fest Lounge for free tastings of our LA Phil 100 beer brewed in collaboration with LA Ale Works and tunes from some of our favorite local artists. From October 11 through 14.
Where: BP Hall.
Keck Amphitheatre Installation
What: Ellen REID Oscillations: One Hundred Years and Forever (LA Phil commission, world premiere)
Where: Keck Amphitheatre
Visit an immersive sound and art installation in Keck Amphitheatre before this evening's concert. Live performances can be heard starting at 7pm, or during the intermission.
Friday, October 12, 2018, at 8 PM
LA Fest: Moby & Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Moby
Jason White Singers
Gabriela ORTIZ Téenek - Invenciones de Territorio (LA Phil commission)
Julia ADOLPHE Underneath the Sheen (LA Phil commission)
MOBY God Moving Over the Face of the Waters
Selections by Moby with and without orchestra to be announced from the stage
Pre-Concert Event
What: Before the show, stop by the LA Fest Lounge for free tastings of our LA Phil 100 beer brewed in collaboration with LA Ale Works. A pre-show performance featuring Jason White Singers will begin at 7 PM.
Where: BP Hall
Keck Amphitheatre Installation
What: Ellen REID Oscillations: One Hundred Years and Forever (LA Phil commission, world premiere)
Where: Keck Amphitheatre
Visit an immersive sound and art installation in Keck Amphitheatre before this evening's concert. Recorded performances can be heard starting at 7pm, or during the intermission.
Saturday, October 13, 2018, at 8 PM
Jazz
LA Fest: Herbie Hancock & Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
John Adams City Noir (LA Phil commission)
Selections by Herbie Hancock with and without orchestra to be announced from the stage
Pre-Concert Event
What: Before the show, stop by the LA Fest Lounge for free tastings of our LA Phil 100 beer brewed in collaboration with LA Ale Works and tunes from some of our favorite local artists. From October 11 through 14.
Where: BP Hall.
Keck Amphitheatre Installation
What: Ellen REID Oscillations: One Hundred Years and Forever (LA Phil commission, world premiere)
Where: Keck Amphitheatre
Visit an immersive sound and art installation in Keck Amphitheatre before this evening's concert. Recorded performances can be heard starting at 7pm, or during the intermission.
Sunday, October 14, 2018, at 7:30 PM
World Music
LA Fest: La Santa Cecilia
Cuco
Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas
Pre-Concert Event
What: Before the show, stop by the LA Fest Lounge for free tastings of our LA Phil 100 beer brewed in collaboration with LA Ale Works and tunes from some of our favorite local artists. From October 11 through 14.
Where: BP Hall.
Keck Amphitheatre Installation
What: Ellen REID Oscillations: One Hundred Years and Forever (LA Phil commission, world premiere)
Where: Keck Amphitheatre
Visit an immersive sound and art installation in Keck Amphitheatre before this evening's concert. Recorded performances can be heard starting at 7pm, or during the intermission.
More information can be found at laphil.com/lafest
Tickets for the Los Angeles Philharmonic's 2018/19 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall are currently available. To purchase, please visit laphil.com or the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office. For more information, please call 323 850 2000.
LA Phil 100:
In its Centennial year (September 2018 through October 2019), the LA Phil is inviting people from Los Angeles and around the world to join them in envisioning a future that music can help create. Major initiatives include presenting the orchestra's most ambitious artistic season to date, featuring over 50 commissioned works and the LA Phil's largest roster of artistic collaborations; investing in the future of young people by creating a permanent YOLA center, The Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center @ Inglewood, designed by Frank Gehry; establishing the LA Phil Resident Fellows Program, which will provide musicians representing or serving historically underrepresented populations opportunities for professional advancement; welcoming all of Los Angeles to Celebrate LA!: LA Phil 100 x CicLAvia, a free, massive, street festival featuring performances by hundreds of musicians, dancers and visual artists, stretching from Grand Avenue in front of Walt Disney Concert Hall all the way to the Hollywood Bowl, and concluding with LA Phil 100 at the Bowl, a free concert at the Hollywood Bowl; the "100 for the 100th: Be Our Guest" free ticket initiative, which will invite thousands of new listeners into Walt Disney Concert Hall; and a $500 Million Centennial Campaign to fund the future.
LA Phil:
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of music from all genres - orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music and pop - at two of L.A.'s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (laphil.com) and the Hollywood Bowl (hollywoodbowl.com). The LA Phil's season at Walt Disney Concert Hall extends from September through May and throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. With the preeminent Los Angeles Philharmonic at the foundation of its offerings, the LA Phil aims to enrich and transform lives through music, with a robust mix of artistic, education and community programs.
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