For Memorial Day 2018, I offer this video of a 2016 performance by the US Marine Band (“The President’s Own”) featuring soloist Thomas Hooten, Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal Trumpet, playing an arrangement of “With Malice Toward None” from the John Williams soundtrack to the movie Lincoln. Mr. Hooten was a member of the US Marine …
Expectations have been rather high for the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2018/19 season. After all, they’ve had some rather impressive seasons leading up to it, and you’d guess that they’d make an even bigger splash for their 100th Anniversary season. The full season announcement was to have been made this morning Alas, we’ll have to wait … Continue reading
The multi-talented Arturo Sandoval, best known as a jazz trumpeter, is in the middle of a four-day residency at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. He plays a concert tonight, but the bulk of the “Sandoval Jazz Weekend” at The Wallis is devoted to showcasing and engaging young jazz talent … Continue reading
Los Angeles Opera and Plácido Domingo, their General Director, issued a press release last week announcing details of their 2018/19 (full details are below). In short, here’s what we’ve got to look forward to: Mainstage (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion) Six performances each of: Don Carlo (Verdi): September 22 through October 14, 2018; revival. James Conlon conducts. Ramón Vargas (Don … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced yesterday that Simon Woods will be their new Chief Executive Officer effective January 22, 2018. The 54-year old native of London has been President and CEO of the Seattle Symphony since 2011. Overall, I think this is good news. Some thoughts and observations on the announcement: Continue reading
Sad news yesterday from the Los Angeles Philharmonic that Mitchell Peters, member of the orchestra from 1969 until his retirement in 2006, has passed away at the age of 82. Mr. Peters was named Co-Principal Percussionist in 1972 and took over the Principal Timpani in 1982. He was also well-known as a composer, arranger, and … Continue reading
![The next LA Phil Principal Oboe will be Ramón Ortega Quero [UPDATED]](https://allisyar.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/ramonortegaquero04-1024x678-1024x678.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "The next LA Phil Principal Oboe will be Ramón Ortega Quero [UPDATED]")
Spanish oboist Ramón Ortega Quero — aka Ramon Ortega — has been offered the position of Principal Oboe of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He will take over the position vacated by Ariana Ghez earlier this year if he chooses to accept the offer. [UPDATE: 2 NOV 2017: An earlier version of this article stated that Mr. … Continue reading
It started with Michael Thornton, Principal Horn of the LA Chamber Orchestra, doing his one-man, four-part rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” The social media folks at LACO tweeted it out with a cheeky question directed at Houston’s River Oaks Chamber Orchestra: “You got anything?” Um, Game On, ladies and gentlemen. Game. On. … Continue reading
