REVIEW: Paavo Järvi opens eyes and ears with latest LA Phil appearance
You still pondering who could be the next Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic? Paavo Järvi has entered the chat.
Latest Entries
LA Phil adds a timpanist/percussionist
The Los Angeles Philharmonic held open auditions earlier this week for a new “Assistant Principal Timpani / Section Percussion” player. Continue reading
RIP Bramwell Tovey, former LA Phil Principal Guest Conductor at the Hollywood Bowl
Conductor Bramwell Tovey has passed away. He had been Music Director of the Sarasota Orchestra since 2021, and that orchestra made the announcement a few hours ago, noting that he was “[d]iagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma in May of 2019 . . . from which he was ultimately unable to recover.” He was … Continue reading
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra / Los Angeles Philharmonic / Music News & Info: Classical / Other classical music concerts and recitals (in So Cal and beyond)
New Hollywood String Quartet, Anne Akiko Meyers, LA Phil principals, and others will be in new “Summer of Beethoven Chamber Music Festival”
The New Hollywood String Quartet and The Da Camera Society have announced the “Summer of Beethoven Chamber Music Festival.” Four concerts of 11 works will be performed in Los Angeles at the Pompeian Room of the Doheny Mansion from July 14 to July 17, 2022. The Quartet — violinists Tereza Stanislav and Rafael Rishik, violist … Continue reading
Marc Lachat will be the next LA Phil Principal Oboe
I hate to say that I told you so, but I told you so. Continue reading
Inside info about LA Phil auditions from Nathan Cole, First Associate Concertmaster
On the heels of all the talk about various auditions in Part 1 and Part 2 of the Spring 2022 edition of “Comings and Goings at the LA Phil” published earlier this week, I thought All is Yar readers would find this interesting . . . Continue reading
Comings and goings at the LA Phil (Spring 2022 edition, part 2 of 2): Principal Oboe candidates — and a bold prediction or two
The last time we talked in detail about the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s attempts to find a new Principal Oboe was three years ago. The previous person in the job, Ramon Ortega, managed to begin and end his tenure in the short span of six weeks [to understand why, go HERE]. The orchestra then held open … Continue reading
Comings and goings at the LA Phil (Spring 2022 edition, part 1 of 2): five empty chairs filled, including new Tuba and Associate Principal Bass
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has been busy trying to plug multiple holes in its roster throughout this season. The COVID-19 pandemic had prevented it from trying to hire anyone for over a year. That changed beginning Fall of 2021 when they held auditions for Section 1st and 2nd Violin and Fourth Horn. The orchestra followed … Continue reading
Appointments / Auditions & Appointments / Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra / Music News & Info: Classical
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra has a new Principal Viola
Yesterday, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra announced that Yura Lee will be its new Principal Viola effective at the start of the 2022/2023 season this October. The dual resident of Los Angeles and Portland is a lauded soloist and chamber musician on both violin and viola. She is also on the faculty of the USC … Continue reading
A chat with Whitney Crockett: the LA Phil’s Principal Bassoon talks about his approach to The Rite of Spring and why this week’s performances required extra practice
The Rite of Spring can be frightening for some bassoonists, but Whitney Crockett doesn’t really get scared by it. At least not anymore. The famously high opening solo of Stravinsky’s ballet is something he started preparing in high school, and he’s worked on it over 1,000 times since. The first time he played it in … Continue reading
A chat with Arturo Sandoval about tonight’s holiday concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Arturo Sandoval returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall tonight to help everyone get into the holiday spirit in his own Latin-infused jazz style. Last week, funk/jazz musician Matt TC Lucas and I had the pleasure to chat with the legendary trumpeter about the concert and more. Here is much of that conversation: ————— CK Dexter … Continue reading
A chat with Tom Hooten: LA Phil’s Principal Trumpet talks about the world premiere of “Shivaree: Fantasy for Trumpet and Orchestra”
Tom Hooten, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s distinguished Principal Trumpet, was thrilled to learn that the orchestra had commissioned a new work featuring him as soloist. His excitement grew when he found out that Steven Mackey would be the composer. He was eager to jump in with both feet. Yet when he was told that Mr. … Continue reading
Turning off the lights to see better: Ory Shihor re-opens The Wallis with Beethoven piano sonatas
Last Thursday night, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills became the latest venue to re-open its doors to the public, ending 18 months of coronavirus-induced silence. Doing the honors was pianist Ory Shihor. The LA-based musician and educator was supposed to help The Wallis celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday year in … Continue reading
Tuesdays in July at the Bowl (part 1 of 2): Alison Balsom and Musgrave trumpet concerto worth the wait
The July 20th concert by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl offered something for every kind of classical music fan. If you’re an aficionado of brass, it would’ve made you very happy. If you like hearing new music, there were two gems to enjoy. If you prefer warhorses, you got one on the … Continue reading
Kamasi Washington thrills in powerful and inspirational Hollywood Bowl concert
Music is in very good hands whenever Kamasi Washington is around. Last week at the Hollywood Bowl, the Los Angeles native showed off his artistic depth and breadth to go along with undeniable technical virtuosity and bold creativity. He led his band through an evening’s worth of his eclectic yet approachable compositions that showed his … Continue reading
LA Master Chorale releases details of 2021-2022 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Los Angeles Master Chorale has announced its 2021-2022 season, featuring 10 different programs played over 14 nights. It will mark the group’s post-shutdown return to Walt Disney Concert Hall. Large works conducted by Artistic Director Grant Gershon will include Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil (Nov 20 & 21, 2021), Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Pärt’s Te Deum (March 20, … Continue reading
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