Performances Magazine | LA Phil Gala , October 2021

HOMECOMING G A L A

Saturday, October 9, 2021

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HOMECOMING G A L A Saturday, October 9, 2021 Los Angeles Philharmonic Gustavo Dudamel featuring

Cynthia Erivo and Seong-Jin Cho 4

Welcome

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Letter from the CEO

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Board of Directors

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Board Chair Letter

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The Program

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About the Program

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About the Artists

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Los Angeles Philharmonic

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Welcome from the LA Phil Homecoming Gala Co-Chairs Gregory A. Adams Judy and Tom Beckmen David C. Bohnett Jane B. Eisner Lisa Field Jennifer Miller Goff Carol Colburn Grigor Antonia Hernandez Barbara and David Meline Diane and David Paul Barbara and Jay Rasulo Ann Ronus Deanie and Jay Stein Alyce de Roulet Williamson

Thank you for your support of our Homecoming Concert & Gala. As Co-Chairs of the Gala Committee, we are thrilled to share this deeply meaningful occasion with you, when the Los Angeles Philharmonic comes home to Walt Disney Concert Hall for the first time in 579 days.

Tonight, Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, along with the musicians of the orchestra and very special guests, will remind us all of the power of live music and what it means to share this performance space that is unlike any in the world.

But this incredible and cathartic moment would not have been possible without each of you—our devoted donors, patrons, subscribers, and friends. It is because of your ongoing generosity that the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association begins this new season on the strongest possible footing, not only here at Walt Disney Concert Hall, but also at the Hollywood Bowl, The Ford, the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center at Inglewood, and in communities all across Los Angeles.

Thank you, as always, for your dedication. We are pleased and honored to welcome you back to Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Gratefully, LA Phil Homecoming Gala Co-Chairs

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Welcome from the CEO As the lights go down tonight, we settle into our seat, and the oboe plays an A for the rest of the orchestra to tune, it will have been 579 days since the LA Phil last performed for an audience at Walt Disney Concert Hall. As I write to you now, I know I will be overcome with many emotions in that moment, reflecting on what this experience means for us all. But at the top of that list is an incredible feeling of gratitude: gratitude for the reaffirmation that we should never take this community experience we love for granted, and gratitude to you, our incredible donors and supporters, for your generosity, which made this possible.

As the specter of the pandemic shutdown became a reality, we faced many difficult choices. In conversations with our great Board and leaders, Gustavo Dudamel said, “The arts must now play a stronger role than ever in our new society,” and we committed ourselves to find new ways to continue our work. Our musician and artist family worked to create radio and TV shows, living room recitals, and digital concerts. Our educators doubled down on their commitment to YOLA musicians and families, working virtually and providing any support they could. Construction continued on the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center in Inglewood, and this month we celebrate the official opening of the first-ever purpose-built home for our YOLA musicians, designed by our dear friend and supporter Frank Gehry.

We were only able to continue all this work because of you. Your unbelievable generosity and belief in the value of art meant the music didn’t have to stop. And so, I am truly honored to be able to welcome you back to Walt Disney Concert Hall once again. We are all so grateful you are here with us for this celebratory night.

Chad Smith Chief Executive Officer Los Angeles Philharmonic Association

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“ M U S IC I S

MOR E T H A N E N T E RTA I N M E N T …it is a social action, an expression of the desire for social harmony which includes an element of hope for the future.

- Gustavo Dudamel

”

Gives a standing ovation to Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for its faithful efforts to make the show go on. Amidst a pandemic, Dudamel illustrated that nothing can stop the sharing of music. Thank you for bringing joy, hope and extraordinary music into our homes during difficult times. Music truly unites.

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The Los Angeles Philharmonic Homecoming Gala is made possible with the proud support of

Rolex is the Official Timepiece of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and we are appreciative of their generous support.

L Y P

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Los Angeles Philharmonic Association Board of Directors Chair

Directors

Thomas L. Beckmen*

Gregory A. Adams Julie Andrews Reveta F. Bowers* Linda Brittan Jennifer Broder Kawanna Brown Andrea Chao-Kharma* R. Martin Chavez Christian D. Chivaroli, JD Mari L. Danihel Donald P. de Brier* Louise D. Edgerton Marti Farley Lisa Field David A. Ford Alfred Fraijo, Jr. David Gindler Jennifer Miller Goff* Lenore S. Greenberg Carol Colburn Grigor Antonia Hernandez Megan Hernandez Teena Hostovich Jonathan Kagan* Darioush Khaledi

Vice Chairs David C. Bohnett* Jerrold L. Eberhardt* Jane B. Eisner* David Meline* Diane Paul* Jay Rasulo*

Francois Mobasser Margaret Morgan Leith O’Leary Louise Peebles R. Joseph Plascencia* Sandy Pressman Ann Ronus Laura Rosenwald Nancy S. Sanders G. Gabrielle Starr Jay Stein* Christian Stracke* Jason Subotky Ronald D. Sugar* Jack Suzar Sue Tsao Jon Vein Megan Watanabe Alyce de Roulet Williamson Irwin Winkler Debra Wong Yang

Honorary Life Directors Frank Gehry Ginny Mancini Bowen H. “Buzz” McCoy

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*Executive Committee Member as of October 1, 2020

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Board Chair Letter When I was elected to the role of Board Chair of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association in 2019, I knew the years ahead would be momentous ones for the institution, but I could not have imagined just how transformational they would be.

Two years ago, the LA Phil was the steward of two iconic venues: Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. Today, we have the privilege to steward two more beloved musical homes: the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center at Inglewood (Beckmen YOLA Center) and The Ford (formerly, the John Anson Ford Theatre).

The Beckmen YOLA Center is the first permanent, purpose-built facility for the young musicians of YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles). My wife Judy and I could not have been more honored to make a leadership commitment to name the Center and help bring this state-of-the-art music learning hub to life. Inspired by the vision of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel and beautifully designed by Frank Gehry (who donated his services to the project), the Center will be a welcoming home for music learning for hundreds of children from Inglewood and its surrounding communities.

Across the 101 freeway from the Hollywood Bowl, The Ford is a beautiful, intimate, and historic open-air amphitheater that has become a beloved stage for artists from across Los Angeles and around the world. The LA Phil’s first summer there has been simply magical, and—if you haven’t been—I highly recommend you make a point of it next summer.

Tonight, I thank you so very much for returning with us to the LA Phil’s first Frank Gehry–designed concert hall—the building he hoped would become “a living room for the city.” The significance of coming home to Walt Disney Concert Hall—for the LA Phil and for music lovers in Los Angeles—simply cannot be overstated.

On behalf of the LA Phil’s Board of Directors, I am thrilled to welcome you home.

Thomas L. Beckmen Board Chair Los Angeles Philharmonic Association

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LA Phil Homecoming Concert & Gala Los Angeles Philharmonic Gustavo Dudamel, conductor Cynthia Erivo, vocalist Seong-Jin Cho, piano

Saturday October 9, 2021 7PM

Program Tchaikovsky

Presenting Cynthia Erivo

Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23: First movement (c. 20 minutes) Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso— Allegro con spirito

Seong-Jin Cho

Song selections (c. 12 minutes)

Gabriela Ortiz

Kauyumari (world premiere, LA Phil commission) (c. 6 minutes)

Mahler

Symphony No. 1 in D major: Finale (c. 21 minutes) Stürmisch bewegt (With stormy motion)

This evening is made possible with the proud support of Rolex.

Proceeds from the Homecoming Gala will support the LA Phil and its community programs, which bring the joy of music and music making into the lives of 150,000 children and families each year.

Moritaka Kina is chief piano technician for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.

Program and artists subject to change.

Tonight’s program will be presented without intermission.

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ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23: first movement (1874–75, rev. 1876–79, 1888–90?)

On Christmas Eve of 1874, Tchaikovsky took the completed score of his First Piano Concerto to the piano virtuoso Nikolay Rubinstein, hoping that the player would premiere the work and, through his advocacy, find a place for it in the repertoire. Rubinstein had played other works

by Tchaikovsky and, until this point, had been one of the composer’s strongest supporters.

No wonder that Tchaikovsky was stunned when the pianist gave the new concerto a reception that made the Siberian tundra seem warm and welcoming. The composer described the incident in a letter to his benefactress, Nadezhda von Meck, written in January, 1878.

“I played the first movement. Never a word, never a single remark. Do you know the awkward and ridiculous sensation of putting before a friend a meal which you have cooked yourself, which he eats—and then holds his tongue? Oh, for a single word, for friendly abuse, for anything to break the silence! For God’s sake say something! But Rubinstein never opened his lips…”

The run-through continued, but the composer still got no reaction from the stonefaced Rubinstein. The master pianist held his tongue until Tchaikovsky had played through the entire concerto, at which point Rubinstein

could no longer contain his disgust. “‘Well?’ I asked, and rose from the piano.

Then a torrent broke from Rubinstein’s lips, gentle at first, gathering volume as it proceeded, and finally bursting into the fury of a Jupiter. My concerto was worthless, absolutely unplayable; the passages so broken, so disconnected, so unskillfully written, that they could not even be improved; the work itself was bad, trivial, common; here and there I had stolen from other people; only one or two pages were worth anything; all the rest had better be destroyed. I left the room without a word. Presently Rubinstein came to me and, seeing how upset I was, repeated that my concerto was impossible but said if I would suit it to his requirements he would bring it out at his concert. ‘I shall not alter a single note,’ I replied.”

Luckily, Tchaikovsky didn’t. He immediately banished the idea of dedicating the concerto to Rubinstein, eventually settling on the German pianist and conductor Hans von Bülow for the honor. Bülow premiered the work in Boston on October 13, 1875, where it was a triumphant success, marking the beginning of a string of American performances that increased Tchaikovsky’s popularity here.

The opening Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso is certainly that—majestic and measured. After an introductory flourish dominated by the brass, a series of inevitable chords from the piano ride a passionate melody in the orchestra. Before this first theme has completely run out of steam, snatches of the second steal in, foreshadowing its imminent appearance in a uniquely structured double exposition. The stormy development builds to two shattering climaxes, first for the piano, punctuated by the orchestra, and then for the orchestra, with a searing figure for the strings taken up by the piano with thundering bravura. The movement closes with great assurance and authority, with dazzling passagework for the soloist giving melodic shape to a series of resolute chords played by the orchestra.

Several years after he trashed Tchaikovsky’s work, a contrite Rubinstein took up the concerto, becoming its most ardent and renowned exponent. Tchaikovsky had known all along that the piece and Rubinstein were made for each other; it just took the pianist a while to come around. Since then, it has become one of the most popular and beloved works in the concerto repertoire.

—From a program note by John Mangum

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2021/2022 season

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ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Selected Songs with Cynthia Erivo

Grammy ®, Tony ®, and Emmy ® Award winner and Oscar ® nominee Cynthia Erivo shows off her incredible vocal power as she makes her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut with a selection of songs.

Gabriela Ortiz (b. 1964) Kauyumari (2021)

Among the Huichol people of Mexico, “Kauyumari” means “blue deer.” The blue deer represents a spiritual guide, one that is transformed through an extended pilgrimage into a hallucinogenic cactus called peyote. It allows the Huichol to communicate with their ancestors, do their bidding, and take on their role as guardians of the planet. Each year, these Native Mexicans embark on a symbolic journey to “hunt” the blue deer, making offerings in gratitude for having been granted access to the invisible world, through which they also are able to heal the wounds of the soul.

When I received the commission from the Los Angeles Philharmonic to compose a piece that would reflect on our return to the stage following the pandemic, I immediately thought of the blue deer and its power to enter the world of the intangible as akin to a celebration of the

reopening of live music. Specifically, I thought of a Huichol melody sung by the De La Cruz family— dedicated to recording ancestral folklore—that I used for the final movement of my piece Altar de Muertos (Altar of the Dead), commissioned by the Kronos Quartet in 1997.

I used this material within the orchestral context and elaborated on the construction and progressive development of the melody and its accompaniment in such a way that it would symbolize the blue deer. This in turn was transformed into an orchestral texture that gradually evolves into a complex rhythm pattern, to such a degree that the melody itself becomes unrecognizable (the imaginary effect of peyote and our awareness of the invisible realm), giving rise to a choral wind section while maintaining an incisive rhythmic accompaniment as a form of reassurance that the world will naturally follow its course.

While composing this piece, I noted once again how music has the power to grant us access to the intangible, healing our wounds and binding us to what can only be expressed through sound.

Although life is filled with interruptions, Kauyumari is a comprehension and celebration of the fact that each of these rifts is also a new beginning.

—Gabriela Ortiz

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ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Gustav Mahler (1860–1911)

Symphony No. 1 in D major: finale (1884-88, rev. 1893, 1896, 1899) The genesis of Mahler’s First Symphony was protracted—15 years separate his first thoughts from his final revision. During that time, the young composer went from apprentice to journeyman to master. In 1884, when he first scribbled down themes that would eventually find their way into the Symphony, Mahler was conductor of the opera in Kassel, a modest post; by the time the work achieved its final form, he was director of the Court Opera in Vienna. The years in between had taken him to Prague, Leipzig, Budapest (where the First Symphony premiered in its original, fivemovement version in 1889), and Hamburg, as well as a two-month stint as a guest conductor at Covent Garden in London.

The Symphony, too, had seen as many cities: After its Budapest premiere, Mahler revised it for performances in Hamburg (1893) and Weimar (1894), finally excising an entire movement and premiering the work in (nearly) its present form in Berlin in 1896. The version published in 1899 reflects further revision, primarily to the work’s orchestration.

Several facts about Mahler the composer emerge in connection with this Symphony. First and foremost, his activities as a composer of songs were inextricably intertwined with his work as a symphonist.

Mahler also needed an extramusical stimulus to get started on his symphonies, but would later discard that program, usually a mark that the work had achieved its final form. Here, Mahler began with an elaborate program derived from early German Romantic writers Jean Paul and E.T.A. Hoffmann—writers whose ecstatic nature imagery and descriptions of the grotesque and macabre certainly left their mark on Mahler’s music—and the Italian medieval poet Dante Alighieri—the Symphony’s finale at one time bore the descriptive title “Dall’Inferno al Paradiso.”

But Mahler eventually distanced himself from these influences, leaving a four-movement Symphony with an opening sonata-allegro, a spirited and earthy dance movement, the funeral procession, and a finale [the movement performed tonight] whose storm dissolves in light. And though a product of his journeyman years, the Symphony, in its final form, already affirms Mahler’s complete mastery, an unequivocal announcement that the wayfarer has definitely arrived.

—John Mangum

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Gustavo Dudamel Gustavo Dudamel is driven by the belief that music has the power to transform lives, to inspire, and to change the world.

Through his dynamic presence on the podium and his tireless advocacy for arts education, Dudamel has introduced classical music to new audiences around the world and has helped to provide access to the arts for countless people in underserved communities. As the Music & Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, now in his 12th season, Dudamel’s bold programming and expansive vision led The New York Times to herald the LA Phil as “the most important orchestra in America—period.”

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dudamel has committed even more time and energy to his mission of bringing music to people across the globe, firm in his conviction that the arts play an essential role in creating a more just, peaceful, and integrated society.

A landmark event was the highly anticipated launch of Symphony, a touring virtual reality project in collaboration with “la Caixa” Foundation that features Dudamel and 101 musicians from 22 countries in a state-of-the-art, immersive VR film experience. The free touring exhibition, housed in two mobile pop-up cinemas, launched in Barcelona and will travel to hundreds of towns across Spain and Portugal in order to allow tens of thousands of people to have access to the power of symphonic music.

In April 2021, it was announced that Dudamel would join the Paris Opera as its next Music Director, for six seasons beginning in August 2021. Dudamel has led more than 30 staged, semistaged, and concert opera productions across the world’s major stages, including five staged productions with Teatro

alla Scala, productions at the Berlin and Vienna State Operas, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and 13 operas in Los Angeles, with repertoire ranging from Così fan tutte to Carmen, from Otello to Tannhäuser, from West Side Story to contemporary operas by composers like John Adams and Oliver Knussen. As part of his inaugural season as Music Director of the Paris Opera, in fall of 2021, Dudamel will conduct performances of Puccini’s Turandot and Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro.

Following his U.S. debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in 2005, Dudamel became the orchestra’s music director starting in the 2009/10 season, and, under his direction, the LA Phil has secured its place as one of the leading orchestras in the world.

Inspired by El Sistema, Dudamel, the LA Phil, and its community partners founded YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) in 2007, providing 1,300 young people with free instruments, intensive music instruction, academic support, and leadership training.

In fall of 2021, YOLA opened its own permanent, purpose-built facility: The Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center at

Inglewood, designed by architect Frank Gehry.

One of the few classical musicians to become a bona fide pop culture phenomenon, Dudamel will conduct the score to Bernstein’s iconic score for Steven Spielberg’s new adaptation of West Side Story. His extensive, multiple-Grammy Award®winning discography includes 57 releases, including recent Deutsche Grammophon LA Phil recordings of the complete Charles Ives symphonies and Andrew Norman’s Sustain (both of which won the Grammy Award® for Best Orchestral Performance).

Dudamel’s advocacy for the power of music to unite, heal, and inspire is global in scope.

Shaped by his transformative experience as a youth in Venezuela’s immersive musical training program El Sistema, he created the Dudamel Foundation in 2012 with the goal “to expand access to music and the arts by providing tools and opportunities for young people to shape their creative futures.”

For more information about Gustavo Dudamel, visit his official website at gustavodudamel.com and Dudamel Foundation at dudamelfoundation.org.

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Cynthia Erivo Cynthia Erivo is a Grammy®, Emmy®, and Tony® Awardwinning actress, singer, and producer, as well as an Academy Award®, Golden Globe®, and SAG Award nominee. Erivo burst onto West End and Broadway stages in The Color Purple and has since taken the world by storm.

Erivo was recently nominated for an Emmy ® for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in National Geographic’s global anthology series Genius: Aretha.

In addition to her illustrious acting career, Erivo is a Grammy®-nominated songwriter and performer. Erivo released her debut album, Ch. 1 Vs. 1, with Verve/Universal Music Group on September 17, 2021.

Erivo co-wrote every song, with no more than three writers on each track.

On September 28, Erivo released her first children’s book, titled Remember to Dream, Ebere. The book follows a young girl named Ebere, whose mother encourages her to dream

as big as possible. Erivo wrote the book as an ode to a child’s imagination, to a parent’s love, and the big dreams shared by both.

Erivo recently wrapped production on Disney’s liveaction retelling of Pinocchio, in which she will take on the iconic role of the Blue Fairy and will soon star in Apple’s anthology series Roar.

Upcoming, she will produce and star in the MRC Television original Steel and in a film based on the life of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, developed through her production company, Edith’s Daughter.

It was recently announced that Erivo will star in and produce a remake of The Rose for Searchlight. While the new production will pay homage to the classic film, Erivo’s take on the story will put a contemporary lens on the high price of fame.

Erivo recently starred in the HBO series The Outsider, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.

In 2019, Erivo starred in Kasi Lemmons’ Harriet, in which she brought the legacy of Harriet Tubman to the big screen. Erivo’s performance was met with critical acclaim. Additionally, Erivo lent her voice to the movie’s title song, “Stand Up,” which she co-wrote.

“Stand Up” won Best Original Song at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Both Cynthia and “Stand Up” were nominated for two Academy Awards as well as two Golden Globe Awards. “Stand Up” also received a nomination for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Song Written for Visual Media. The film also garnered 10 NAACP nominations as well as AAFCA and Society of Composers & Lyricists Award wins.

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Seong-Jin Cho With overwhelming talent and innate musicality, SeongJin Cho has made his mark as one of the consummate talents of his generation and most distinctive artists on the current music scene.

His thoughtful and poetic, assertive and tender, virtuosic and colorful playing can combine panache with purity and is driven by an impressive natural sense of balance.

Seong-Jin Cho was brought to the world’s attention in 2015 when he won the First Prize at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw. In January 2016, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. The first recording, released in November 2016, featured Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the London Symphony Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda, coupled with the four Ballades. A solo Debussy recital was released in November 2017, followed in 2018 by a Mozart album featuring the Sonatas K. 281 and K. 332 and the Piano Concerto No. 20, with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. All albums won impressive critical acclaim worldwide. Cho’s latest album on the Yellow Label, titled The Wanderer and released in May of 2020, featured Schubert’s “Wanderer” Fantasy, Berg’s Piano Sonata Op. 1, and Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor.

Highlights of Cho’s 2021/22 season include performances with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Alain Altinoglu, New York Philharmonic and Jaap van Zweden, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, as well as return invitations to the Philadelphia Orchestra with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and the

Hong Kong Philharmonic with Jaap van Zweden. His 2020/21 season included a return to the Berliner Philharmoniker with Andris Nelsons and debuts with the Münchner Philharmoniker and Valery Gergiev. Recent orchestral highlights include performances with Boston Symphony Orchestra with Hannu Lintu, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with Manfred Honeck, and Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Jakub Hrůša.

An active recitalist much in demand, Seong-Jin Cho performs in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including the main stage of Carnegie Hall as part of the Keyboard Virtuoso series, Concertgebouw Amsterdam in the Master Pianists series, Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal (on the orchestra’s concert series), Konzerthaus Vienna, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Walt Disney Concert

Hall, Prinzregententheater in Munich, Liederhalle in Stuttgart, Festival International de piano de la Roque d’Anthéron, Verbier Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, and Rheingau Musik Festival. During the coming season, he gives debut solo recitals at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Festspielhaus in Bregenz, Victoria Hall in Geneva, and Wigmore Hall in London.

Born in 1994 in Seoul, SeongJin Cho started learning the piano at the age of six and gave his first public recital at 11. In 2009, he became the youngestever winner of Japan’s Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. In 2011, he won Third Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at the age of 17. From 2012 to 2015, he studied with Michel Béroff at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, and he is now based in Berlin.

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ABOUT THE LA PHIL

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the vibrant leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of music through a commitment to foundational works and adventurous explorations.

Both at home and abroad, the LA Phil—recognized as one of the world’s outstanding orchestras—is leading the way in groundbreaking and diverse programming, on stage and in the community, that reflects the orchestra’s artistry and demonstrates its vision. 2021/22 marks the orchestra’s 103rd season.

More than 250 concerts are either performed or presented by the LA Phil at its three iconic venues: the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Ford, and the famed Hollywood Bowl. During its winter season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, with approximately 165 performances, the LA Phil creates festivals, artist residencies, and other thematic programs designed to enhance the audience’s experience of orchestral music. Since 1922, its summer home has been the worldfamous Hollywood Bowl, host to the finest artists from all genres of music. Situated in a 32-acre park and under the stewardship of the LA Phil since December 2019, The Ford presents an eclectic summer season of music, dance, film, and family events that are reflective of the communities that comprise Los Angeles.

The orchestra’s involvement with Los Angeles extends far beyond its venues, with wide-ranging performances in the schools, churches, and neighborhood centers of a vastly diverse community.

Among its influential and multifaceted learning initiatives is YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), inspired by Venezuela’s revolutionary El Sistema. Through YOLA, the LA Phil and its community partners provide free instruments, intensive music instruction, and leadership training to nearly 1,300 students from underserved neighborhoods, empowering them to become vital citizens, leaders, and agents of change.

In fall of 2021, YOLA opened its own permanent, purposebuilt facility: the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center at Inglewood, designed by architect Frank Gehry.

The orchestra also undertakes tours, both domestically and internationally, including regular visits to New York, London (where the orchestra is the Barbican Centre’s International Orchestral Partner), Paris, and Tokyo. As part of its global Centennial activities, the orchestra visited Seoul, Tokyo, Mexico City, London, Boston, and New York. The LA Phil’s first tour was in 1921, and the orchestra

has made annual tours since the 1969/70 season.

The LA Phil has released an array of critically acclaimed recordings, including world premieres of the music of John Adams and Louis Andriessen, along with Grammy ® Award-winning recordings featuring the music of Johannes Brahms, Charles Ives, and Andrew Norman.

Deutsche Grammophon has released a comprehensive box set in honor of the orchestra’s Centennial.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic was founded in 1919 by William Andrews Clark, Jr., a wealthy amateur musician. Walter Henry Rothwell became its first Music Director, serving until 1927; since then, 10 renowned conductors have served in that capacity. Their names are: Georg Schnéevoigt (1927-1929); Artur Rodziński (1929-1933); Otto Klemperer (1933-1939); Alfred Wallenstein (1943-1956); Eduard van Beinum (1956-1959); Zubin Mehta (1962-1978); Carlo Maria Giulini (1978-1984); André Previn (1985-1989); Esa-Pekka Salonen (1992-2009); and Gustavo Dudamel (2009-present).

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ABOUT THE LA PHIL

Los Angeles Philharmonic Gustavo Dudamel Music & Artistic Director Walt and Lilly Disney Chair

Zubin Mehta Conductor Emeritus Esa-Pekka Salonen Conductor Laureate Susanna Mälkki Principal Guest Conductor

Ann Ronus Chair

Paolo Bortolameolli Associate Conductor John Adams

John and Samantha Williams Creative Chair

First Violins Martin Chalifour Principal Concertmaster Marjorie Connell Wilson Chair

Nathan Cole First Associate Concertmaster

Ernest Fleischmann Chair

Bing Wang Associate Concertmaster

Barbara and Jay Rasulo Chair

Akiko Tarumoto Assistant Concertmaster Philharmonic Affiliates Chair

Rebecca Reale Michele Bovyer Deanie and Jay Stein Chair

Rochelle Abramson

Camille Avellano Margaret and Jerrold L. Eberhardt Chair

Minyoung Chang

on sabbatical

Dana Lawson

Flutes

Bassoons

Paul Radke

Denis Bouriakov Principal

Whitney Crockett Principal

Bass Trombone John Lofton

Virginia and Henry Mancini Chair

Miika Gregg Tianyun Jia Jordan Koransky Mischa Lefkowitz Edith Markman Stacy Wetzel Justin Woo

Richard Elegino John Hayhurst Ingrid Hutman Michael Larco Hui Liu Meredith Snow Leticia Oaks Strong Minor L. Wetzel Jarrett Threadgill*

Second Violins

Cellos

Sarah Jackson

Robert deMaine Principal

Piccolo Sarah Jackson

I.H. Albert Sutnick Chair

Lyndon Johnston Taylor+ Principal Dorothy Rossel Lay Chair

Mark Kashper Associate Principal Kristine Whitson Johnny Lee Dale Breidenthal

Mark Houston Dalzell and James Dao-Dalzell Chair for Artistic Service to the Community

Ingrid Chun Jin-Shan Dai Chao-Hua Jin Nickolai Kurganov Varty Manouelian Michelle Tseng Suli Xue Gabriela Peña-Kim* Sydney Adedamola* Eugene and Marilyn Stein LA Phil Resident Fellow Chair

Bram and Elaine Goldsmith Chair

Ben Hong Associate Principal Sadie and Norman Lee Chair

Dahae Kim Assistant Principal Jonathan Karoly David Garrett Barry Gold Jason Lippmann Gloria Lum

Linda and Maynard Brittan Chair

Serge Oskotsky Brent Samuel

Basses Christopher Hanulik Principal Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller Chair

Oscar M. Meza Assistant Principal

Violas

David Allen Moore

Teng Li Principal

Ted Botsford Jack Cousin Jory Herman Brian Johnson Peter Rofé Michael Fuller*

John Connell Chair

Dale Hikawa Silverman Associate Principal

* Judith and Thomas Beckmen LA Phil Resident Fellows +

Ben Ullery Assistant Principal

Catherine Ransom Karoly Associate Principal Mr. and Mrs. H. Russell Smith Chair

Elise Shope Henry Mari L. Danihel Chair

Oboes Principal (Vacant) Carol Colburn Grigor Chair

Marion Arthur Kuszyk+ Associate Principal Anne Marie Gabriele Carolyn Hove English Horn Carolyn Hove

Alyce de Roulet Williamson Chair

Clarinets Boris Allakhverdyan Principal

Michele and Dudley Rauch Chair

Burt Hara Associate Principal Andrew Lowy David Howard E-Flat Clarinet Andrew Lowy Bass Clarinet David Howard

The Los Angeles Philharmonic string section utilizes revolving seating on a systematic basis. Players listed alphabetically change seats periodically.

Shawn Mouser Associate Principal

Miller and Goff Family Chair

Tuba

Michele Grego Evan Kuhlmann

(Vacant)

Contrabassoon Evan Kuhlmann

Horns

Timpani Joseph Pereira Principal

Cecilia and Dudley Rauch Chair

Andrew Bain Principal

John Cecil Bessell Chair

Percussion

Gregory Roosa

Alan Scott Klee Chair

Amy Jo Rhine

Loring Charitable Trust Chair

(Vacant)

Reese and Doris Gothie Chair

Ethan Bearman Assistant

Bud and Barbara Hellman Chair

Trumpets Thomas Hooten Principal

M. David and Diane Paul Chair

James Wilt Associate Principal Nancy and Donald de Brier Chair

Christopher Still

Ronald and Valerie Sugar Chair

Matthew Howard Principal James Babor Perry Dreiman Wesley Sumpter*

Nancy and Leslie Abell LA Phil Resident Fellow Chair

Keyboards Joanne Pearce Martin Katharine Bixby Hotchkis Chair

Harp Emmanuel Ceysson

Librarians Stephen Biagini Benjamin Picard KT Somero

Personnel Manager

Jeffrey Strong

Jeffrey Neville

Trombones

Conducting Fellows

David Rejano Cantero Principal James Miller Associate Principal Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen Chair

François López-Ferrer Enluis Montes Olivar Camilo Téllez Chloé van Soeterstède

The musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic are represented by Professional Musicians Local 47, AFM.

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ABOUT THE LA PHIL

Los Angeles Philharmonic Association Chad Smith

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David C. Bohnett Chief Executive Officer Chair

Paula Michea

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CEO

Executive Team Renae Williams Niles

CHIEF CONTENT & ENGAGEMENT OFFICER

Summer Bjork CHIEF OF STAFF

Margie Kim

CHIEF PHILANTHROPY OFFICER

Emanuel Maxwell

CHIEF TALENT & EQUITY OFFICER

Mona Patel

GENERAL COUNSEL

Daniel Song

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Karen Sturges

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Artistic Planning and Presentations Kristen Flock-Ritchie ASSISTANT MANAGER, ARTISTIC PLANNING AND HUMANITIES

Brian Grohl

PROGRAM MANAGER, POPS / MANAGER, HOLLYWOOD BOWL ORCHESTRA

VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Laura Connelly

TICKET SELLER

Carlie Tomasulo 2ND ASSISTANT TREASURER

Box Office — Group Services Nancy Fitzgerald

Rafael Mariño

TICKET SELLER

Maren Quanbeck

Finance Jyoti Aaron

Tomorrow Kitchen

COORDINATOR, ARTISTIC & HUMANITIES

Jose Villasenor

CONCERT MANAGER, THE FORD MANAGER, ARTIST SERVICES

Meredith Reese

Ebner Sobalvarro ASSISTANT TO THE MUSIC & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Audience Services Denise Alfred

CONTROLLER

Adriana Aguilar PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR

Steven Cao

AUDIENCE SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE

Stephen Gluck

Julia Ward

Jennifer Hugus

PATRON / AUDIENCE SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE

Bernie Keating

AUDIENCE SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE

Rosa Ochoa

AUDIENCE SERVICES SUPERVISOR

Shoaib Ghafoor Lisa Hernandez

Nina Phay

PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR

Lisa Renteria

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SPECIALIST

Elizabeth Rojo

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE MANAGER

Sierra Shultz

Alex Hennich

Sergio Menendez

Amy Lackow

Angela Morrell

Elia Luna

Learning Emily Bourne

Sean Pinto

Page Messerly

Phil Bravo

Miguel A. Ponce, Jr.

Ariana Morales

Christopher Prince

Carolina Orellana

Aly Zacharias

Cathy Ramos

DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

2ND ASSISTANT TREASURER

HR COORDINATOR

TICKET SELLER

SYSTEM SUPPORT I

2ND ASSISTANT TREASURER

TESSITURA SUPPORT

TICKET SELLER

DATABASE APPLICATIONS MANAGER

TREASURER

SYSTEM SUPPORT I

1ST ASSISTANT TREASURER

TESSITURA SUPPORT

2ND ASSISTANT TREASURER

STAFF ATTORNEY

TICKET SELLER

Elias Santos

2ND ASSISTANT TREASURER

Philanthropy Robert Albini

DIRECTOR, MARKETING

Charles Carroll MANAGER, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Joe Carter

INTERIM DIRECTOR, MAJOR GIFTS

Joshua Alvarenga

SENIOR MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER

Malorie Barbee

Toi Duckworth

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, ANNUAL FUND/MEMBERSHIP

Elias Feghali

DIRECTOR, INSTITUTIONAL GIVING AND STEWARDSHIP

Justin Foo

MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, SALES AND CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

Chelsea Downes ANNUAL FUND OFFICER

Jennifer Hoffner

FINANCIAL PLANNING ANALYST

Maria Mejia

1ST ASSISTANT TREASURER

Lisa Burlingham

Yuri Park

Veronika Garcia

HR GENERALIST

PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR

DIRECTOR, RETAIL SERVICES

Bill Williams

Jeffery Glover

PAYROLL MANAGER

Jeff Matchan

2ND ASSISTANT TREASURER

Janice Bartczak

Annisha Hinkle

Kristina Louie

INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGER

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR, DIGITAL

Wade Mueller

Christy Galasso

2ND ASSISTANT TREASURER

Kelvin Vu

Scott Arenstein

Genevieve Goetz

FINANCIAL PLANNING MANAGER

Donella Coffey

SYSTEM SUPPORT III

DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION

Paul Gibson

Charles Koo

TICKET SELLER

Michael Vitale

Debbie Marcelo

Toliman Au

CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEER

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Valeri Estrada

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE COORDINATOR

Dean Hughes

MANAGER, OFFICE SERVICES

Christopher Slaughter

Tara Gardner

Kevin Higa

Alex Hernandez

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

LaTonya Lindsey

ARTIST PAYMENT SPECIALIST

Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office Spring Ake

DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Alex Rehberger

Victoria Dinu

VICE PRESIDENT, PRESENTATIONS

Johanna Rees

Kimberly Mitchell

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, AUDIENCE GROWTH & ENGAGEMENT

AUDIENCE SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE

Jacqueline Ferger

PROJECT MANAGER, MEDIA INITIATIVES

Julia Cole

VICE PRESIDENT, ARTISTIC PLANNING

Meghan Martineau

Raymond Horwitz

DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER

Katherine Franklin

AUDIENCE SERVICES SUPERVISOR

Brendan Broms

PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE

STAFF ACCOUNTANT

Jonathan Clemente

VICE PRESIDENT, LEARNING

Elsje Kibler-Vermaas

Isabella Gorden

ACCOUNTING MANAGER

AUDIENCE SERVICES SUPERVISOR

Leni Isaacs Boorstin

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, MEDIA INITIATIVES

DIRECTOR, SALES & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

ADVISOR, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Vilma Alvarez

Jessie Farber

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Daniel Mallampalli

ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATOR

Gloria Balcom

Michael Chang

MANAGER, YOLA

2ND ASSISTANT TREASURER

Laurel Harris

DIRECTOR, THE FORD

ASSISTANT, OFFICE SERVICES

Stephen Smith

Lushia Anson

WILLIAM POWERS & CAROLYN POWERS CREATIVE CHAIR FOR JAZZ

Angelia Franco

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

Administration Jason Abbott

YOLA ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATOR

1ST ASSISTANT TREASURER

Herbie Hancock

TICKET SELLER

PATRON / AUDIENCE SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE

DIRECTOR, HUMANITIES

Gaudy Sanchez

Christine Lim

ARCHIVES AND MUSEUM DIRECTOR

VENUE OPERATIONS ACCOUNTANT

Cynthia Fuentes

PROGRAM MANAGER, YOLA AT INGLEWOOD

TICKET SELLER

Ljiljana Grubisic

AUDIENCE SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE

GENERAL MANAGER, HOLLYWOOD BOWL; VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION

Lorenzo Johnson

Marketing & Communications Mary Allen

DIGITAL ASSET MANAGER

Senior Management Team Nora Brady

John Tadena

STAFF ACCOUNTANT

Hollywood Bowl Mark Ladd

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS

Gina Leoni

OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Patrice Lozano EVENT MANAGER

Edgar Tom

DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS

Tom Waldron HOUSE MANAGER

MANAGER, DIGITAL MARKETING

PHILANTHROPY OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

CREATIVE COPYWRITER

MANAGER, GIFT PLANNING

SENIOR MANAGER, PROMOTIONS & PARTNERSHIPS

ASSISTANT MANAGER, ANNUAL FUND

SENIOR ADVERTISING MANAGER

Linda Holloway

PATRON SERVICES MANAGER

Sophie Jefferies

DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS

Alexis Kaneshiro GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Brant Markley

MANAGER, REVENUE STRATEGIES & ANALYTICS

Ricky O’Bannon DIRECTOR, CONTENT

Erin Puckett

MARKETING COORDINATOR, PROMOTIONS & PARTNERSHIPS

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, SOCIAL INNOVATION

Anthony Crespo

PROGRAM MANAGER, YOLA AT TORRES

Camille Delaney-McNeil MANAGER, YOLA

Julie Hernandez FACILITIES MANAGER, BECKMEN YOLA CENTER

Madison Huckaby

ASSISTANT MANAGER, SPECIAL EVENTS

Julian Kehs

MANAGER, INSTITUTIONAL GIVING

Sara Kim

DIRECTOR, INDIVIDUAL GIVING

Anita Lawson

DIRECTOR, PHILANTHROPY OPERATIONS

Christina Magaña

DONOR RELATIONS ASSOCIATE

Jediah McCourt

MANAGER, CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

Allison Mitchell

BOARD LIAISON / SENIOR GIFT OFFICER

Susan Erburu Reardon

Richard Rubio

Carina Sanchez

Martin Sartini Garner

Erica Sitko

Mary Smudde

Peter Szumlas

DIGITAL PRODUCER

AUDIENCE SERVICES MANAGER CREATIVE COPYWRITER

Natalie Suarez CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Kahler Suzuki VIDEO PRODUCER

Jonathan Thomas

MARKETING DATABASE SPECIALIST

Lauren Winn

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER, CREATIVE SERVICES

DIRECTOR, BECKMEN YOLA CENTER

Fabian Fuertes

SENIOR MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER

Tristan Rodman

ART DIRECTOR

MANAGER, LEARNING

Gerry Heise

Orchestra Management & Production Shana Bey

DIRECTOR, GIFT PLANNING RESEARCH ANALYST

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC ADVANCEMENT SENIOR MANAGER, PHILANTHROPY OPERATIONS AND ANALYTICS

Tyler Teich

PHILANTHROPY OPERATIONS, GIFT AND DATA SPECIALIST

Derek Traub

MANAGER, PHILANTHROPY COMMUNICATIONS

Kevin Tsao

ANNUAL FUND COORDINATOR

Morgan Walton

MANAGER, SPECIAL EVENTS

Richard T. Watkins

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, PHILANTHROPY

ASSOCIATE ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER

The Philharmonic Box Office and Audience Services Center are staffed by members of IATSE Local 857, Treasurers and Ticket Sellers.

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FEATURE

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS THROUGH MUSIC Gustavo Dudamel and Gabriela Ortiz Talk About the LA Phil’s Pan-American Music Initiative

The 2021/22 season marks the start of the long-awaited Pan-American Music Initiative at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The initiative grows out of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel’s work to build musical bridges between the Americas, and the five-year undertaking celebrates the explosive creativity of the region through the commissioning of at least 30 new works as well as performances for Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and The Ford.

The first year of the initiative is curated by Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz, whose music was featured on the latest episode of the LA Phil’s free digital concert series Sound/Stage—as well as tonight’s program. Ortiz sat down with Dudamel to talk about their hope for the Pan-American Music Initiative.

DUDAMEL: Gaby, our Latin American art, this rich art that makes us proud and continues expanding, through literature, through poetry, through dance, how do you see that? How does Latin American art embrace more and more and more people over time?

ORTIZ: I do believe that there are some artistic disciplines in Latin America that have been able to position themselves more [than music has.] For example, if you think of visual arts in Mexico, you have muralists such as Diego Rivera, Siqueiros, Orozco, and even Frida Kahlo who already have recognition at the international level. But I do feel that music has not been able to position itself like these other disciplines [like art, literature, or film.] I think that we have important work to do.

If you review books about music, for example, in the 20th century, I remember that I reviewed one published by Oxford University Press.

And what they talked about concerning Latin American

music was the conga and percussion instruments. It didn’t even discuss renowned Latin American composers such as Villa-Lobos, Ginastera, Revueltas, or Carlos Chávez.

That’s why this Pan-American Music Initiative will play a fundamental and essential role. So we can make it known. We have to open up opportunities because there are talented people. I have no doubt about that.

DUDAMEL: Well, I think, like you said, through this initiative, we have an important undertaking, which is to bring Latin American music to the important place where it deserves to be. It can enrich what’s already there and expand it even more, diversify it much more.

We have played your music so many times on our tours […] and now Arrecife [as part of Sound/Stage.]

There are always [musical motives] that connect you to your identity, that Latin American aspect. Why are those elements there?

ORTIZ: It’s a part of me, and I recall an instance when a professor in England was trying to get me to not be so rhythmic, until one day I finally said to him, “Professor, asking me to not use rhythm is like amputating my arm.” I mean, this is part of who I am. It’s like asking a Mexican chef to not use chiles, you know, or corn, right? They’re ingredients that are so representative of Mexican culture.

I also love popular culture. I mean, I am a true consumer of popular culture. I can listen to Perez Prado and then I can listen to Mahler without any apology. I can dance the mambo, do the danzón, and then listen to Charles Ives. My parents also played in a Mexican folk music group called Los Folkloristas.

So, yes, my childhood was peppered with lots of folk music.

DUDAMEL: That’s wonderful, and that’s one of the things that we try most to work into our programming: to break those barriers a bit that have been built over time and that have, in some way, forced that disconnect between classical music, academic music, and the younger generations where people don’t feel like it’s theirs. What you said shows that there are no barriers.

ORTIZ: No, of course not. And I believe that talking about diversity, gender equality, or racial equality is fundamental. Those are issues that should be on all agendas of all cultural institutions today. Diversity has always been there, what has been lacking is inclusion. And I do believe the vision you and the LA Phil have [sees] diversity as a strength, not a weakness. Diversity should be viewed as a strength. I think that this city, the city of Los Angeles, is wonderful because of that multicultural aspect. That’s what makes it a fascinating city.

To hear more from this conversation and watch Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic perform Ortiz’ Arrecife for free, visit laphil.com/soundstage PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 29

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FEATURE

THE VISION OF THE BECKMEN YOLA CENTER The Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center is a state-of-the-art music learning and performance facility and a home base for YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) and the YOLA National Festival, which brings together young musicians from around the country. But it’s not just that. The building, which was designed by Frank Gehry, is in the heart of Inglewood, California, and is central to the LA Phil’s mission to engage with communities across Los Angeles County. And to that end, it’s also a gathering place, a neighborhood center, a blank space where the musicians of the future are able to project—and chase—their artistic visions. We asked Gustavo Dudamel, LA Phil Vice President of Learning Elsje Kibler-Vermaas, and YOLA musicians Laura and Dalanie to tell us more about the YOLA Center and what it will mean to young musicians and the community.

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FEATURE

GUSTAVO DUDAMEL (MUSIC & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR): It’s such an important thing for young artists to have a good space to build their dreams and to be inspired. Spaces inspire us, they inspire the orchestra to play better and to connect with the audience.

It will be a place where people will come and listen to beautiful music, and also, at the same time, it will be full of children and young people learning and playing around.

Music fills the community with the power of harmony—and we need that in our society.

Our young people need to have the best: the best instruments, the best teachers, and of course, the best venues. […] It will be an inspirational temple for all these kids.

DALANIE HARRIS (YOLA ALUMNA): YOLA hasn’t had a chance to have full control over what [its] spaces are used for, because it’s always been in collaboration with someone else. I think it’s cool that they’re able to think about stuff like that. It’s not like you drop your kid off here, and then you just go do something and come back. You can be here and be a part of what’s going on. […] I feel like there [will be] a rush of curiosity, like what is all this for and in kind of disbelief. I don’t know of any other place like this in Inglewood or close to Inglewood.

ELSJE KIBLER-VERMAAS (LA PHIL VICE PRESIDENT OF LEARNING): It’s really important for us and for the city also to acknowledge that our programs are specifically designed for the community.

The students who enter the program are recruited from within the local schools here. It will also be the space where we’re able to gather all our national programs.

The YOLA National Symposium will be hosted from the Beckmen YOLA Center in person, but we’ll also be fully equipped to invite people to come in through digital learning—and we will be able to stream our concerts from within the performance hall.

LAURA GARCIA (YOLA ALUMNA): I think it’s definitely going to develop community relationships both within YOLA and with the city of Inglewood. […] I think working with YOLA National and seeing students from different El Sistema–based programs who have different ideas about it—it was interesting to see them come together as one and build something completely new out of their ideas and learn how to become comfortable with each other.

Photos by Joshua White / JWPictures.com

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County of Los Angeles

from left to right :

Holly Mitchell, Sheila J. Kuehl, Hilda L. Solis, Janice K. Hahn, and Kathryn Barger

The mission of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture is to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout Los Angeles County. It provides leadership, services, and support in areas including grants and technical assistance for nonprofit organizations, countywide arts education initiatives, commissioning and care for civic art collections, research and evaluation, access to creative career pathways, professional development, free community programs, and cross-sector creative strategies that address civic issues. Visit LACountyArts.org.

Board of Supervisors Hilda L. Solis Chair Holly Mitchell Janice K. Hahn Sheila J. Kuehl Kathryn Barger

Department of Arts and Culture The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association’s programs are made possible, in part, by generous grants from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Kristin Sakoda Director

County Arts Commission Constance Jolcuvar President Darnella Davidson Vice President Liane Weintraub Secretary Tim Dang Executive Committee Eric Hanks Immediate Past President Pamela Bright-Moon Leticia Buckley Patrisse Cullors Madeline Di Nonno Eric R. Eisenberg Helen Hernandez Alis Clausen Odenthal Jennifer Price-Letscher Rosalind Wyman

32 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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PARTIN G TH O U G H T

reprogra mmed!

Performances Magazine unveils new platform for shows and concerts.

DROP DOWN MENU Table of app contents.

SEARCH Find whatever it is you want to know—easily.

REGISTER Stay arts-engaged, access past programs.

SIGN IN Link to your performing-arts companies and venues.

THE ESSENTIALS Acts, scenes, synopses, repertory and notes.

THE PLAYERS Bios and background for cast, crew and creators.

CONTRIBUTORS Donors and sponsors who make it all possible—you!

NO RUSTLING PAGES, no killing trees.... Of all the innovations to have come out of the pandemic, the new Performances program platform, accessed on any digital device, may be least likely to disappear in the foreseeable future.

Not only has its time come—it was long overdue.

Performances provides the programs for 20 SoCal performingarts organizations, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Ahmanson to San Diego Opera, where the app made its debut.

by caleb wachs

WHAT’S ON What’s coming at a glance with ticket information.

The touchless platform provides cast and player bios, donor and season updates and arts-centric features. Audiences receive a link and code word that instantly activate the app; QR codes are posted, too.

Screens go dark when curtains rise and return with the house lights.

Updates—repertory changes, understudy substitutions, significant donations—can be made right up to showtime, no inserts necessary.

Other features include video and audio streams, translations and expanded biographies.

For those who consider printed programs keepsakes, a limited number, as well as commemorative issues for special events, will continue to be produced. Collectibles!

Meanwhile, there will be less deforestation, consumption of petroleum inks and programs headed for landfills. For the ecologically minded, the platform gets a standing ovation.

Theaters and concert halls are reopening after a year-long intermission. The stage is set, excitement is mounting. Activate your link and enjoy the shows.

30 PERFORMANCES SPRING 2021

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