Thursday, October 5, 2023
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LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC GUSTAVO DUDAMEL, conductor FRANK GEHRY, honoree
special guests
LUCINDA CHILDS, choreographer and performer
HERBIE HANCOCK, LA Phil Creative Chair for Jazz H.E.R.
GENEVA LEWIS, violin
Welcome from the Gala Co-Chairs
Welcome from the LA Phil Board of Directors
Welcome from the Board Chair
Gala Co-Chairs & Committee
Gala Patrons
The Program
About the Music
About the Artists
Los Angeles Philharmonic
FEATURE: Frank Gehry on Walt Disney Concert Hall
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WELCOME FROM THE GALA COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Judy and Tom Beckmen
Georgia and Breck Eisner
Lisa Field
Robyn Field and Anthony O’Carroll
Antonia Hernández
Winnie Kho and Chris Testa
Diane and David Paul
Kristin and Jeff Worthe
As your Gala Committee Chairs, we are honored to extend our warmest greetings to each and every one of you gathered here this evening. Tonight, we celebrate Walt Disney Concert Hall, Frank Gehry, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 20 years of exceptional music-making in this venue unlike any other in the world!
Walt Disney Concert Hall stands as a testament to the power of art to shape communities and transcend time. With its gleaming steel curves and breathtaking acoustics, the Hall symbolizes the harmonious blend of imagination and technical expertise that has come to define the LA Phil. It is a space where musical brilliance thrives and where artists and audiences alike can experience the transformative power of music.
Through your support of this evening’s Gala, the LA Phil is able to extend its reach far beyond the stage of Walt Disney Concert Hall. Your support enables us to nurture the next generation of musicians, to create innovative educational initiatives, and to engage with communities throughout Los Angeles.
From our youth music education programs to our community concerts that bring the joy of music to neighborhoods across Southern California, your kindness opens doors of opportunity and fosters a deeper appreciation for the arts among people of all ages and backgrounds. The philanthropic support of donors is the driving force behind these programs, making them a source of inspiration, empowerment, and hope for thousands of individuals who are touched by the magic of music.
Your commitment and presence tonight are crucial to our mission of making music accessible to all and fostering a deeper appreciation for the arts in our community. Tonight, let us revel in the music, the art, and the company of kindred spirits as we set the stage for another momentous year ahead!
Thank you.
Your Gala Committee Chairs
4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
WELCOME FROM THE LA PHIL
This month, the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall turns 20. Thanks to architect Frank Gehry and the generosity of Lillian Disney and the Disney family, the building we call home is one of the most beautiful and acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world. It has allowed us to take on even more ambitious projects, and its Yasuhisa Toyota–designed acoustics have allowed the LA Phil to be enjoyed by audiences with more clarity than ever before.
The LA Phil’s creative relationship with Frank began in 1970, when the visionary architect was hired to solve some tricky acoustics at the Hollywood Bowl. In 1987, his design was chosen for Walt Disney Concert Hall, now an iconic landmark. Since then, Frank’s contributions have continued to elevate our city and the orchestra—from set design on Gustavo Dudamel’s production of Don Giovanni and other major operas to the creation of the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center at Inglewood and The Grand development, our neighbor across the street from Walt Disney Concert Hall.
As we pay tribute to Frank and the special place he holds in our artistic family, please enjoy this wide-ranging program featuring LA Phil Creative Chair for Jazz Herbie Hancock, dancer and choreographer Lucinda Childs, R&B singer
H.E.R., and, of course, our Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil. All proceeds from the gala will support our work onstage and in our community, and for that we deeply thank our donors. As we strive to bring the transformational power of music to every corner of our city, it is your generosity that makes this work possible.
DANIEL SONG
Interim Chief Executive Officer Chief Operating Officer
David C. Bohnett CEO Chair
Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
6 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIR
Thomas L. Beckmen*
VICE CHAIRS
David C. Bohnett*
Reveta Bowers*
Jane B. Eisner*
David Meline*
Diane Paul*
Jay Rasulo*
DIRECTORS
Nancy Abell
Gregory A. Adams
Julie Andrews
Camilo Esteban Becdach
Linda Brittan
Jennifer Broder
Kawanna Brown
Andrea Chao-Kharma*
R. Martin Chavez
Christian D. Chivaroli, JD
Donald P. de Brier*
Louise D. Edgerton
Lisa Field
David A. Ford
Alfred Fraijo, Jr.
Jennifer Miller Goff*
Carol Colburn Grigor
Marian L. Hall
Suzanne Hart
Antonia Hernández*
Teena Hostovich
Jonathan Kagan*
Darioush Khaledi
Winnie Kho
Francois Mobasser
Margaret Morgan
Leith O’Leary
Andy Park
Sandy Pressman
Richard Raffetto
Geoff Rich
Laura Rosenwald
G. Gabrielle Starr
Jay Stein*
Christian Stracke*
Jason Subotky
Ronald D. Sugar*
Vikki Sung
Jack Suzar
Sue Tsao
Jon Vein
Megan Watanabe
Regina Weingarten
Alyce de Roulet Williamson
8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
WELCOME FROM THE BOARD CHAIR
It is with great excitement that I extend my warmest welcome to you all, as we gather to kick off the LA Phil’s 2023/24 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall. This evening marks not only a brilliant overture to the LA Phil’s artistic journey this year but also a special occasion of celebration.
Tonight, we pay tribute to the visionary Frank Gehry and the illustrious 20-year anniversary of Walt Disney Concert Hall. Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel has curated a richly diverse concert program, which stands as a testament to the artistic spirit that has defined this remarkable venue for two decades.
Yet this occasion holds a significance beyond the enchantment of the performance. Your presence and generosity here tonight provide essential support, enabling the LA Phil to further enrich our community through transformative music learning and engagement initiatives. Among them, the inspiring YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) program, which continues to uplift countless young individuals and their families, nurturing not only musicianship but also life skills that will resonate for years to come.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your support, which makes performances such as tonight’s and countless others possible. As we stand on the precipice of this season, and the dawn of the LA Phil’s third decade at Walt Disney Concert Hall, I could not be more hopeful for the future of music in Los Angeles.
Here’s to an enchanting evening and a season that promises to be nothing short of extraordinary!
THOMAS L. BECKMEN Board Chair Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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STAGE AND SCREEN STAR JAMES SNYDER
LEGENDARY MUSCIAL DIRECTOR
MICHAEL ORLAND
TONY AWARD WINNER IDINA MENZEL
GRAMMY NOMINEE ALOE BLACC
LA PHIL GALA CHAIRS & COMMITTEE
HONORARY GALA CHAIRS
Diane Disney Miller
Jennifer Miller Goff
GALA CO-CHAIRS
Judy and Tom Beckmen
Georgia and Breck Eisner
Lisa Field
Robyn Field and Anthony O’Carroll
Antonia Hernández
Winnie Kho and Chris Testa
Diane and David Paul
Kristin and Jeff Worthe
SPONSORSHIP
GALA COMMITTEE
Gregory A. Adams
David C. Bohnett
Thy Bui
California Community Foundation
City National Bank
Leland Clow
David Conney
Nancy and Donald P. de Brier
Jennifer Diener and Eric Small
East West Bank
Kathleen and Jerry Eberhardt
Frank and Berta Gehry
Alexandra Glickman and Gayle Whittemore
Goldman Sachs
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Carol and Murray Grigor
David and Donna Helm
Andrew and Jacinta Hewitt
Susan Keller and Myron Shapero, M.D.
Dr. Jason King, USC Thornton School of Music
Terri and Jerry Kohl
Ellie and Mark Lainer
Live Nation Hewitt Silva
Larry Steven Londre
Renee and Meyer Luskin
Cindy Miscikowski
Judith S. Mishkin
Margaret Morgan and Wesley Phoa
Anthony and Olivia Neece
Andy Park
Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts
Sandy and Barry Pressman
Ariane and Rich Raffetto
Barbara and Jay Rasulo
Geoff and Koni Rich
Robert Ronus
Carolyn Ronus Randall
Ann M. Ryder
Tom Safran
Dena and Irv Schechter
David and Linda Shaheen
Jennifer Speers
Jeremy Stark and Luanne Hernandez
Eva and Marc Stern
Christian Stracke
Jason Subotky and Anne Akiko Meyers
Jack Suzar and Linda May
Michael E. Tennenbaum
Mary Tong
Sue Tsao
Regina and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg
Valerie Vanaman
Craig Webb
Alyce de Roulet Williamson
Susan Zolla
12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
CONGRATULATIONS
to the music center, la phil, and frank gehry on the 20th anniversary of walt disney concert hall.
The Colburn School joins the LA Phil in celebrating Frank Gehry, whose vision, originality, and boundless imagination inspires Los Angeles—and the world.
We are honored to be his partner in building a home for the next generation of musicians and dancers at Colburn, opening in the 2026-27 season.
colburnschool.edu/future
Above: Colburn Dance Academy ballet dancers on the School’s Grand Avenue balcony.
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Dunard Fund USA
Carol and Murray Grigor
Terri and Jerry Kohl
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David and Diane Paul
Alyce de Roulet Williamson
GRAND PATRON TABLE
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PLATINUM PATRON TABLE
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Michael and Jane Eisner
Lisa Field
Robyn Field and A nthony O’Carroll
GOLD PATRON TABLE
Gregory A. Adams
California Community Foundation
Antonia Hernández
Jason Subotky and A nne Akiko Meyers
SILVER PATRON TABLE
Alfred E. Mann Charities
City National Bank
Frank and Berta Gehry
Winnie Kho and Chris Testa
Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts
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E. Deutsch Foundation
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Christian Stracke
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Kaiser Permanente of Southern California
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GRAND PATRON TICKET
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Tom Safran
PLATINUM PATRON TICKET
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Dr. Jason King, USC
Thornton School of Music
Molly Kirk
Ellie and Mark Lainer
David and Barbara Meline
Coco Miller
Judith S. Mishkin
Andy Park
Ann M. Ryder
Mary Tong
Typesetting Ink
Valerie Vanaman
Craig Webb
Susan Zolla
CONTRIBUTORS
Robert Attiyeh
Renee and Meyer Luskin
Jennifer Speers
Regina and Gregory
Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg
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14 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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LA PHIL GALA CELEBRATING FRANK GEHRY
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
GUSTAVO DUDAMEL, conductor
FRANK GEHRY, honoree
SPECIAL GUESTS:
LUCINDA CHILDS, choreographer and performer
HERBIE HANCOCK, LA Phil Creative Chair for Jazz
H.E.R.
GENEVA LEWIS, violin
J.S. BACH Partita in E major, BWV 1006: Preludio (c. 4 minutes) Geneva Lewis, violin
Esa-Pekka Fog (c. 10 minutes)
SALONEN Choreographed and performed by Lucinda Childs
Herbie HANCOCK Maiden Voyage (c. 10 minutes)
/Vince MENDOZA Herbie Hancock
H .E.R. with the LA Phil (c. 10 minutes)
DEBUSSY La mer (c. 23 minutes)
De l’aube à midi sur la mer (From Dawn to Noon on the Sea)
Jeux des vagues (Play of the Waves)
Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea)
Tonight’s program will be presented without intermission.
Esa-Pekka SALONEN: Fog - Presented under license by G . Schirmer, Inc. o/b/o Chester Music Ltd., copyright owners.
Programs and artists subject to change.
Thursday October 5, 2023
7PM
This evening is made possible with the proud support of Rolex.
Proceeds from the LA Phil Gala fundraiser will support our community programs, which bring the joy of music and music-making into the lives of 150,000 children and families each year.
Gustavo Dudamel and the musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic are donating their services for this concert.
Moritaka Kina is chief piano technician for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.
16 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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THE PLAY OF WATER
In ancient traditions around the world, water is the element associated with intuition and imagination, with emotion and feelings. It can be still or in motion, and with its ability to shift shapes from liquid to solid or gas, water is also identified with change and variation.
Gustavo Dudamel has put all of these aspects into play in his curation of this gala program, designed to mark the 20th anniversary of Walt Disney Concert Hall. Not coincidentally, they also characterize the Hall itself and the work of its architect, Frank O. Gehry, whose creations at any scale can seem restless and serene at the same time.
Gehry has a long-standing fascination with fish, which has found literal expression in designs ranging from table lamps to monumental sculptures. But the waterdefined form and function of fish can be manifested more metaphorically as well, as in the undulating curves of Walt Disney Concert Hall, clad in shimmering scales. Gehry is also an avid sailor, and he found inspiration for the elegantly dynamic view of the Hall from the corner of Grand Avenue and First Street in the “wing on wing” formation of two sails at a 180-degree angle. That sailing term became the
title of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s symphonic fantasy composed for the LA Phil’s first season in the Hall as “an homage to an extraordinary building by an extraordinary man.”
Whatever its inspiration, architectural eloquence does not guarantee that music will speak in it with equal clarity and power. As the new building was nearing completion, Gehry called Salonen (then the LA Phil’s Music Director) with the desire to hear actual music in the room. Salonen asked Principal Concertmaster Martin Chalifour to join them on site. There, Gehry and Salonen in hard hats stood in the balcony area while Chalifour found a place in front of the gaping hole still waiting for its stage.
“We were incredibly nervous because obviously that was the first critical moment— how does music sound in this place?” Salonen later recalled. “And then Martin started playing the E-major Prelude, and all these beautiful sounds floated in the air. We were so happy. It was a tearful moment for both of us.”
That Prelude from Bach’s E-major Partita for solo violin is very fish-like in its own way, all flashing scales and darting
patterns. Bach’s distillation of contrapuntal techniques into basically single lines in the three sonatas and three partitas he wrote for solo violin in 1720 is astonishing for its expressive vigor even more than for the sheer technical mastery displayed.
The memory of that Prelude, the first music heard in Walt Disney Concert Hall, returned to Salonen 16 years later as the inspiration for Fog, a 90th-birthday tribute to Gehry. “It is a fantasy around the Bach E-major Prelude (from the Partita in E, BWV 1006), whose harmonic and melodic structure is almost omnipresent, sometimes clearly identifiable, sometimes veiled or completely hidden,” the composer writes. The architect is well-represented symbolically in the work.
“FOG” are the initials of his name, of course, but Foggy is the name of his sailboat and Salonen also found the pitches for much of the harmony in the letters of Gehry’s name.
ABOUT THE MUSIC
18 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
hammer.ucla.edu
Joey Terrill, Painted by Her Brother, 1983 (detail). Acrylic on canvas. Frame 25¼ × 31¼ in. (64.1 × 79.4 cm). Courtesy of the artist and Ortuzar Projects, New York. Photo: Timothy Doyon
A number of Salonen’s works have been choreographed, and tonight Fog gets its first dance treatment, courtesy of Lucinda Childs, a legend of American modern and postmodern dance noted for her investigations of space through patterned movement. Forty years ago, she collaborated with Gehry and composer John Adams in Available Light, a large-scale performance piece for which Gehry designed the set. When the work was revived at Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2015, Gehry recalled the day he watched Childs in her studio. “I sat quietly in a corner, and she danced privately for me for an hour or so. It was probably one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.”
Jazz is another area of intense interest and joy for Gehry, and Herbie Hancock, the LA Phil’s Creative Chair for Jazz, has been part of the Walt Disney Concert Hall family since its inaugural season. “Maiden Voyage,” the title track from Hancock’s 1965 Blue Note album, continues the aquatic theme. “The sea has often stirred the imagination of creative minds involved in all spheres of art,” Hancock wrote. “This music attempts to capture its vastness and majesty, the splendor of a sea-going vessel on its maiden voyage, the graceful beauty of the playful dolphins, the constant struggle for survival of even the tiniest sea creatures, and the awesome destructive power of the hurricane, nemesis of seamen.”
A much newer member of this circle of artistic collaborators is H.E.R., the Grammy- and Oscar-winning Bay Area R&B
singer-songwriter. She made her Hollywood Bowl debut in 2019, and in 2021 she joined Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil there for her first concerts ever with full orchestra. Her work is noted for its emotional power and social consciousness, which makes it a natural fit for this company of icons of inspiration.
The play of water has seldom been expressed more, well, fluidly than in Debussy’s La mer Indeed, the second of these three symphonic sketches is titled “Play of the Waves.” Not that Debussy tried any literal depiction of the sea through sound. It was the generalized character or spirit of the sea and the perception of it that interested him. “I have countless reminiscences,” Debussy wrote to a friend. “This matters more, in my opinion, than a reality.”
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Debussy composed the piece between August 1903 and March 1905. This was relatively quick work by his usual painstaking standards, and at a time of great personal turmoil. Debussy was very responsive to the mutability of the sea, to the quick changes of light and wind and the tensions between the bright surface and the deeper colors and currents beneath. Debussy evokes both the broad sway and the flickering spatter of the sea with original techniques that owe little or nothing to pictorial Romantic stereotypes. Instead, he shows that the characteristic tools we often associate in his music with sensuous exoticism—the wholetone scale and chords built on fourths and fifths, for example— can also create a sense of elemental space. —John
The stage crew is represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada, Local No. 33.
20 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE ABOUT THE MUSIC
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, he has introduced classical music to new audiences around the globe and has helped provide access to the arts for countless people in underresourced communities.
Dudamel currently serves as Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, and in 2026, he becomes the Music and Artistic Director of the New York Philharmonic, continuing a legacy that includes Gustav Mahler, Arturo Toscanini, and Leonard Bernstein.
Dudamel is one of the few classical musicians to become a bona fide popculture phenomenon. His film credits include Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and The Simpsons, and he led the LA Phil with Billie Eilish in the concert film Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles. He has performed at the Super Bowl halftime show, the Academy Awards, and the Nobel Prize concert, and has worked
with international superstars Christina Aguilera; Ricky Martin; Tyler, The Creator; Coldplay; and others. His extensive discography includes 67 releases and four Grammy Awards.
Inspired by his transformative experience as a youth in Venezuela’s immersive musical training program El Sistema, he created the Dudamel Foundation in 2012, which he co-chairs with his wife, actress and director María Valverde, with the goal “to expand access to music and the arts for
young people by providing tools and opportunities to shape their creative futures.”
In July and August 2022, the Dudamel Foundation brought its Encuentros initiative to the Hollywood Bowl as part of the 100thanniversary season, in a two-week intensive global leadership and orchestral training program for young musicians from around the world that culminated in a concert at the Hollywood Bowl and a tour with the Orquesta del Encuentro to the legendary Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA.
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 21 ABOUT THE ARTISTS
FRANK GEHRY
The designs of Frank Gehry—one of the most innovative architects working today—grace numerous metropolitan skylines around the world. Known for the creative use of materials and experimentation with sculptural forms, Gehry’s buildings incorporate a wealth of textures that lend a sense of movement to his dynamic structures. This innovation and interest in unexpected materials can be seen early in his career with Easy Edges (1969–73) and Experimental Edges (1979–82), a series of chairs and tables made of industrial corrugated cardboard, and the later Knoll furniture series (1989–92), which was made from pliable bentwood. Gehry was also commissioned by Formica Corp. to use ColorCore, a translucent plastic laminate product, in a series of lamps consisting of radiant snake and fish forms (1983–86). These first Fish Lamps were shown in Frank Gehry: Unique Lamps at the original Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles in 1984. Since then, the fish has been a recurring motif
in Gehry’s work, including the Fish Sculpture at Vila Olímpica in Barcelona, Spain (1989–92), and the Standing Glass Fish for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (1986). It can also be recognized in the undulating, curvilinear forms of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain (1991–97).
Gehry was born in 1929 in Toronto, Canada. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954 from the University of Southern California and completed graduate coursework in city planning at Harvard University. Gehry’s drawings, models, designs, and sculptures have been exhibited in major museums throughout the world. Solo exhibitions include Frank Gehry: Architect, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (2001); Frank Gehry, Architect: Designs for Museums, Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis (2003, traveled to Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC); Frank O. Gehry since 1997, Vitra Design Museum, Weil
am Rhein, Germany (2010); Frank Gehry, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris (2014), Centre Pompidou, Paris (2014), and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (2015); I Have an Idea, 21_21 Design Sight, Tokyo (2015); and Fondation Louis Vuitton Building in Paris by Frank Gehry, Espace Louis Vuitton, Venice, Italy (2016). Among Gehry’s most celebrated buildings are the Vitra International Manufacturing Facility and Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany (1989); Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain (1997); Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles (2003); Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris (2014); University of Technology Sydney Business School, Sydney, Australia (2015); and the LUMA / Parc des Ateliers in Arles, France (2021).
Gehry has received numerous awards and honors, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize (1989); Wolf Prize in Arts (1992); Praemium Imperiale in Architecture, Japan Art Association (1992); Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize (1994); Chrysler Design Award (1995); US National Medal of Arts (1998); Gold Medal, American Institute of Architects (1999); Royal Gold Medal, Royal Institute of British Architects (2000); Lifetime Achievement Award, Americans for the Arts (2000); Henry C. Turner Prize for Innovation in Construction Technology (2007); and US Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016).
Gehry lives and works in Los Angeles.
22 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE ABOUT THE ARTISTS
LUCINDA CHILDS
Lucinda Childs began her career as choreographer in the early 1960s as a member of the seminal Judson Dance Theater. She formed her own company in 1973 and three years later was featured in the landmark avant-garde opera Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass and Robert Wilson, for which she won an Obie Award. In 1977, she and Wilson co-directed and performed in I was sitting on my patio this guy appeared I thought I was hallucinating They revived the work for the Festival d’Automne in Paris in 2021, where they also created an evening-length work titled Bach 6 Solo with the violinist Jennifer Koh.
In 1979, Childs choreographed one of her most enduring works, Dance, with music by Philip Glass and film decor by Sol LeWitt, for which she was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship. Dance toured internationally and has been added to the repertory of the Lyon Opera Ballet. In 2015, she revived Available Light, created in 1983 with music by John Adams and a split-level set designed by Frank Gehry, for the Festival d’Automne in Paris. Available Light was presented at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York in 2018, and that same year Childs’ company performed some of her early work as part of the exhibition Judson Dance Theater: The Work Is Never Done at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
In addition to work for her own group, Childs has choreographed more than 30 works for major ballet companies. She has also directed and choreographed a number of contemporary and 18th-century operas, most recently Philip Glass’ Akhnaten for l’Opéra de Nice Côte d’Azur with Childs’ role as the narrator on film. The premiere was streamed in November 2020 and live performances took place in Nice in November 2021.
Childs’ other collaborations with Robert Wilson include H—100 seconds to midnight and Letter to a Man, the latter based on Nijinsky’s diaries and performed by Mikhail Baryshnikov. She has also appeared as an actor in Wilson’s productions of Heiner Müller’s Quartett and Marguerite Duras’ La maladie de la mort with Michel Piccoli as well as Adam’s Passion with music by Arvo Pärt.
Childs’ opera productions include Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice for the Los Angeles Opera; Mozart’s Zaide, Stravinsky’s Le rossignol and
Oedipus rex, Vivaldi’s Farnace, and John Adams’ Dr. Atomic for the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg; Handel’s Alessandro at the Megaron Concert Hall in Athens; and Lully’s Atys and Leclair’s Scylla and Glaucus for the Theater Kiel in Germany.
In 2016, in an exhibit titled Nothing Personal, Childs’ choreographic scores were shown at the Thaddeus Ropac Gallery in Paris in collaboration with the Centre Nationale de la Danse, to which she has donated her archive.
Childs holds the rank of Commandeur in France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2017, she received the Golden Lion award from the Venice Biennale and the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival award for lifetime achievement. She has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs, NY, and received an honorary doctorate from the Université Côte d’Azur in 2021. She received the Dance Magazine award in December 2022.
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 23 ABOUT THE ARTISTS
HERBIE HANCOCK
Now in the sixth decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: at the forefront of world culture, technology, business, and music.
Herbie Hancock has been
an integral part of every popular music movement since the 1960s. As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet that pioneered a groundbreaking sound in jazz, he also developed new approaches on his own recordings, followed by his work in the ’70s—with record-breaking albums such as Headhunters
that combined electric jazz with funk and rock in an innovative style that continues to influence contemporary music.
“Rockit” and “Future Shock” marked Hancock’s foray into electronic dance sounds; during the same period he also continued to work in an acoustic setting with V.S.O.P
Hancock received an Academy Award for his ’Round Midnight film score and 14 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters and two 2011 Grammy Awards for the globally collaborative album The Imagine Project.
Hancock serves as Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and as Institute Chairman of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. In 2011, Hancock was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and in December 2013 received a Kennedy Center Honor. His memoir, Herbie Hancock: Possibilities, was published by Viking in 2014, and in February 2016, he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Hancock is currently in the studio at work on a new album.
24 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE ABOUT THE ARTISTS
GENEVA LEWIS
New Zealand-born violinist Geneva Lewis has forged a reputation as a musician of consummate artistry whose performances speak from and to the heart. She is the recipient of a 2022 BorlettiBuitoni Trust Award and a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant and is Grand Prize winner of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Competition. Additional accolades include Kronberg Academy’s Prince of Hesse Prize and being named a Performance Today Young Artist in Residence, as well as Musical America’s New Artist of the Month. Most recently, Lewis was named one of BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists.
Since her solo debut at age 11 with the Pasadena POPS, Lewis has gone on to perform with orchestras including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Pasadena Symphony, and with conductors including Nicholas McGegan, Michael Feinstein, and Sameer Patel. The 2022/23 season included performances with the Auckland Philharmonia, North Carolina Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, and Austin Symphony. In recital, recent and upcoming highlights include performances at
Wigmore Hall, Tippet Rise, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Washington Performing Arts, Merkin Hall, and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts.
Deeply passionate about collaboration, Lewis has had the pleasure of performing with such prominent musicians as Jonathan Biss, Glenn Dicterow, Miriam Fried, Kim Kashkashian, Gidon Kremer, Marcy Rosen, Sir András Schiff, and Mitsuko Uchida. She is also a founding member of the Callisto Trio, Artists-in-Residence at the Da Camera Society in Los Angeles.
An advocate of community engagement and music education, Lewis was selected for the New England Conservatory’s Community
Performances and Partnerships
Program’s Ensemble Fellowship, through which her string quartet created interactive educational programs for audiences throughout Boston.
Lewis received her Artist Diploma and Bachelor of Music as the recipient of the Charlotte F. Rabb Presidential Scholarship at the New England Conservatory, studying with Miriam Fried. Prior to that, she studied with Aimée Kreston at the Colburn School of Performing Arts.
Lewis is currently performing on a violin by Zosimo Bergonzi of Cremona, c. 1770, courtesy of Guarneri Hall NFP and Darnton & Hersh Fine Violins, Chicago.
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 25 ABOUT THE ARTISTS
H.E.R.
In a short period of time, H.E.R. has accrued over 8 billion combined audio and video streams worldwide— and counting—of the breakthrough projects H.E.R. (RIAA-certified Platinum), I Used To Know Her, and hit singles including “Slide,” the powerful track and MTV Video Music Award-winning video “I Can’t Breathe,” and her latest, “Damage.” Accumulating 13 Grammy nominations and 4 wins in just three years, H.E.R. has proven herself an R&B force to be reckoned with. In 2019, the singer/songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist won two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album (H.E.R.) and Best R&B Performance (“Best Part” featuring Daniel Caesar) and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist, among additional awards and accolades.
H.E.R. has captivated audiences with stellar live performances at Super Bowl LV, on Saturday Night Live, Grammy Awards, the Today show, Good Morning America, Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince, A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort special,
Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, and all the late-night television shows: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. She has also participated in fundraising activities to benefit various charity efforts including COVID relief and Black Lives Matter.
H.E.R. and producer partner Live Nation Urban introduced Lights On Festival, the first female-owned and -curated R&B festival in decades.
In addition to starring in
Pepsi’s 2020 “Zero Sugar. Done Right” Super Bowl LIV commercial alongside Missy Elliott, she launched her own eyewear partnership with Diff with a charitable component, a Tommy Hilfiger Capsule collaboration with Lewis Hamilton, and her own signature guitar line with Fender.
H.E.R. won an Academy Award for “Fight for You,” and her powerful single “I Can’t Breathe” won Song of the Year at the 2021 Grammy Awards. She also performed a soulstirring rendition of “America the Beautiful” at the Super Bowl to glowing reviews.
26 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE ABOUT THE ARTISTS
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, onstage and in the community, that reflects the orchestra’s artistry and demonstrates its vision. The 2023/24 season is the orchestra’s 105th.
Nearly 300 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 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. Among its influential and multifaceted learning initiatives is YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles). Through YOLA, inspired by Gustavo Dudamel’s own training as a young musician, the LA Phil and its community partners provide free instruments, intensive music training, and academic support to over 1,700 young musicians, empowering them to become vital citizens, leaders, and agents of change. In the fall of 2021, YOLA opened its own permanent, purposebuilt facility: the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center at Inglewood, designed by 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 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).
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 27 ABOUT THE ARTISTS
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
Gustavo Dudamel Music & Artistic Director
Walt and Lilly Disney Chair
Zubin Mehta
Conductor Emeritus
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Conductor
Laureate
John Adams
John and Samantha Williams
Creative Chair
Herbie Hancock
Creative Chair for Jazz
Rodolfo Barráez
Assistant Conductor
Ann Ronus 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
I.H. Albert
Sutnick Chair
Tianyun Jia
Jordan Koransky
Edith Markman
Ashley Park
Stacy Wetzel
Justin Woo
SECOND VIOLINS
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
Jung Eun Kang
Nickolai Kurganov
Varty Manouelian
Michelle Tseng
Suli Xue
Ayrton Pisco*
Nebyu Samuel*
VIOLAS
Teng Li Principal
John Connell Chair
Ben Ullery Assistant Principal
Jenni Seo
Dana Lawson
Richard Elegino
John Hayhurst
Ingrid Hutman
Michael Larco
Hui Liu
Meredith Snow
Leticia Oaks Strong
Minor L. Wetzel
Jarrett Threadgill*
Nancy and Leslie Abell
LA Phil Resident
Fellow Chair
CELLOS
Robert deMaine
Principal
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+
Ismael Guerrero*
BASSES
Christopher Hanulik
Principal
Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller Chair
Kaelan Decman Associate Principal
Oscar M. Meza
Assistant Principal
David Allen Moore
Ted Botsford
Jack Cousin
Jory Herman
Brian Johnson
Peter Rofé
Nicholas Arredondo*
FLUTES
Denis Bouriakov
Principal
Virginia and Henry Mancini Chair
Catherine Ransom Karoly
Associate Principal
Mr. and Mrs. H.
Russell Smith Chair
Elise Shope Henry
Mari L. Danihel Chair
Sarah Jackson
Piccolo
Sarah Jackson
OBOES
Marc Lachat
Principal
Carol Colburn
Grigor Chair
Marion Arthur Kuszyk
Associate
Principal
Anne Marie Gabriele
Carolyn Hove
English Horn
Carolyn Hove
CLARINETS
Boris
Allakhverdyan
Principal
Michele and Dudley Rauch Chair
Burt Hara Associate Principal
Andrew Lowy
Michael Taylor
Eiffert
E-Flat Clarinet
Andrew Lowy
Bass Clarinet
Michael Taylor Eiffert
BASSOONS
Whitney Crockett Principal
Shawn Mouser Associate Principal
Ann Ronus Chair
Michele Grego++
Evan Kuhlmann
Contrabassoon
Evan Kuhlmann
HORNS
Andrew Bain Principal
John Cecil
Bessell Chair
David Cooper Associate Principal
Gregory Roosa
Alan Scott
Klee Chair
Amy Jo Rhine
Loring Charitable Trust Chair
Elyse Lauzon
Reese and Doris
Gothie Chair
Ethan Bearman Assistant
Bud and Barbara Hellman Chair
Elizabeth Linares Montero*
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
Jeffrey Strong
TROMBONES
David Rejano
Cantero Principal
James Miller Associate Principal
Judith and Thomas
L. Beckmen Chair
Paul Radke
Bass Trombone
John Lofton
Miller and Goff
Family Chair
TUBA
Mason Soria
TIMPANI
Joseph Pereira Principal
Cecilia and Dudley
Rauch Chair
David Riccobono
Assistant Principal
PERCUSSION
Matthew Howard Principal
James Babor
Perry Dreiman
David Riccobono
KEYBOARDS
Joanne Pearce
Martin
Katharine Bixby Hotchkis Chair
HARP
Emmanuel Ceysson Principal
Ann Ronus Chair
LIBRARIANS
Stephen Biagini
Benjamin Picard
KT Somero
CONDUCTING FELLOWS
Carlos Ágreda
Ross Jamie Collins
Michelle Di Russo
Anna Handler
* Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen LA Phil Resident Fellow
+ On sabbatical
The Los Angeles Philharmonic string section utilizes revolving seating on a systematic basis. Players listed alphabetically change seats periodically.
The musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic are represented by Professional Musicians Local 47, AFM.
28 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE ABOUT THE LA PHIL
FRANK GEHRY ON WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
Walt Disney Concert Hall opened its doors 20 years ago, but the process of conceiving the shapes and form of the iconic venue began in 1987. From initial sketches for the international architectural competition, which led to the selection of Frank Gehry, to construction and the final opening, the hall evolved as Gehry refined his ideas.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of his accomplishment, the Getty Research Institute, which holds the Frank Gehry archive, has curated an exhibition called Modeling Sound that showcases Gehry’s work with six architectural models documenting the design process. Modeling Sound is on view in BP Hall throughout the month of October. The Getty Research Institute also interviewed Gehry about the history of his work on Walt Disney Concert Hall for the digital exhibition Sculpting Harmony, which features more than 150 models, sketches, and archival photographs tracing the concert hall’s development. Sculpting Harmony is available at gehry.getty.edu. Selections from the interview can be read below.
appointed the architect for Walt Disney Concert Hall, the first thing I did was go to Berlin and stay there for a week. I attended all of the concerts in the Scharoun hall and experienced the intimacy that he achieved. He was a master of people-feeling architecture.
On connecting the audience with the musicians… I’ve talked to actors about this, and they always say that [feeling the audience in the room] is important. Musicians also feel that. They can feel it when the audience is disconnected, when there’s no rapport. And so that’s what I was trying to do. The concert hall before this had Continental seating, which meant the audience was spread out on the aisle so people could [more easily] walk by. Walt Disney Concert Hall’s [layout] is harder to get in and out of but feels more intimate. The payoff is incredible. The musicians tell me all the time that they feel the audience, and the audience tells me they feel
so connected to the musicians. It makes a big difference.
The space connecting the audience and the performer is the most important part of it. When we were roughly 90% complete with the building, the actress Annette Bening happened to visit with Warren Beatty, her husband. I’ll never forget this. She walked out on stage and stood there for about five minutes, and she turned to me and said, “This is it. This works. I get it. Thank you.”
On other halls that inspired him…
The architect of the Berlin Philharmonie concert hall was Hans Scharoun. When I was
If you go to his library, which is across the road from the Philharmonie, you sit down and you feel like you’re at home. People try to copy this. It’s more subtle than just surrounding the artist with seating. So we ended up [adjusting that idea] to still place seats around the stage but balance for acoustics. It starts to break down the shoe box model that was the paradigm of concert halls for many years. I decided to play with that idea, to not do the fan-shaped concert hall like Scharoun but go more to a hybrid shoe box like Concertgebouw [in Amsterdam].
On using wood inside the concert hall…
There are concert halls in Germany that are plaster and are beautiful. I’m not against that. We looked at that here and decided that the wood had a warmth to it that brought people feeling closer together.
FEATURE 30 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
“THE MUSICIANS TELL ME ALL THE TIME THAT THEY FEEL THE AUDIENCE, AND THE AUDIENCE TELLS ME THEY FEEL SO CONNECTED TO THE MUSICIANS.”
On building the organ…
It was quite a saga. Ernest Fleischmann, who was the executive director of the LA Phil, didn’t want any distractions from the music. And it became clear to me that since there was going to be an organ in the hall, that it was the one opportunity to make a musical instrument that had some movement to it, some excitement architecturally that would be a centerpiece kind of sculpture.
The simplest thing we could do without getting ourselves in trouble was to break the pipes out and make a kind of a cluster, almost like a floral arrangement where the pipes are flowers. We worked with the organ builder [Manuel Rosales] to [develop] a sense of movement, something as a focal point. That led to this design.
On knowing the acoustics worked…
When the hall was nearly completed, I called [then Music Director] Esa-Pekka Salonen one night and said, “Esa-Pekka, I have calculated in my head the amount of absorptive material and reflective material, and my gut tells me it’s close.” I know it’s all under construction and that we’re going to be standing
on poles in the floor. But I said, “Could you bring a musical instrument with you?”
He brought a musical instrument, all right. He brought Martin Chalifour, the concertmaster of the LA Phil. I brought my son Sam, and the four of us [stood in the hall]. The stage wasn’t quite finished, so it was wobbly. Martin stood where the conductor would be and played his violin. He did unaccompanied Bach. And it was so beautiful. I realized that Esa-Pekka, Sam, and I were holding hands, and we started to cry. It was so beautiful because we knew the sound was there.
FEATURE
Modeling Sound is part of the LA Phil Insight initiative generously supported by Linda and David Shaheen.
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
The mission of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture is to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout LA County. We provide 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 pathways, professional development, free community programs, and cross-sector creative strategies that address civic issues. All of this work is framed by our longstanding commitment to fostering access to the arts and by the County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative.
The Los Angeles County Arts Commission supports and advocates for the mission, vision, and values of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture. The Commission is an advisory group to the Board of Supervisors, with three appointees for each District.
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 Arts Commission, from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and from the National Endowment for the Arts.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Hilda L. Solis
Holly J. Mitchell
Lindsey P. Horvath
Janice K. Hahn Chair
Kathryn Barger
DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE
Kristin Sakoda
Director
COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION
Liane Weintraub
President
Leticia Buckley
Vice President
Patrisse Cullors
Secretary
Madeline Di Nonno
Executive Committee
Eric R. Eisenberg
Immediate Past President
Pamela Bright-Moon
Diana Diaz
Sandra Hahn
Helen Hernandez
Constance Jolcuvar
Alis Clausen Odenthal
Anita Ortiz
Jennifer Price-Letscher
Randi Tahara
32 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Kathryn Barger FIFTH DISTRICT
Lindsey P. Horvath THIRD DISTRICT CHAIR PRO TEM
Holly J. Mitchell SECOND DISTRICT
Hilda L. Solis FIRST DISTRICT
Janice K. Hahn FOURTH DISTRICT CHAIR
2023/24 Season
losangelesballet.org A New Era for Dance in LA