| LA Phil

Great News!

February 3, 2011 | Posted by LA Phil on Tour in Los Angeles

There's some big news out of Budapest today!

Gustavo Dudamel
The LA Phil's Music Director, now through 2018/2019!

LA Phil President and CEO Deborah Borda announced that our beloved Music Director Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil have agreed to extend his contract with the orchestra through the 2018/19 season!

The news was made official after the second program in Budapest when he announced it to the orchestra.

His original contract as Music Director of the LA Phil, which began in 2009/10, was for five years. This extension will keep him in LA through the LA Phil's centennial season in 2018/19.

Video: Gustavo on Bernstein and Beethoven

January 20, 2011 | Posted by LA Phil on Tour in Los Angeles

As long as we're sharing videos related to the two programs that the LA Phil is taking on tour, we thought we'd include this one, filmed during our latest TalkBack -- our post-concert discussions that feature the conductor for that evening's program, members of the LA Phil, guest artists and a moderator (usually a music educator or musician). And, as you can see, a certain Music Director sometimes sticks around after the concert to take some questions from the audience.

Heading Out

January 19, 2011 | Posted by LA Phil on Tour in Los Angeles

Buses in front of the Walt Disney Concert Hall

Well, the orchestra is gone and we're all feeling some pangs of loneliness. Never fear, though -- here are some quick snaps we took yesterday of the musicians and staff boarding the buses that whisked them to LAX and, ultimately, to Europe to kick off the 2011 European tour! Next stop, Lisbon!

Gustavo and the LA Phil Rehearse Mahler

January 19, 2011 | Posted by LA Phil on Tour in Los Angeles

As the orchestra is making its way to Lisbon, Portugal (via Frankfurt, Germany) for its first performance of the 2011 European Tour on Friday, we thought we'd remind European audiences of what they can expect when the LA Phil comes to town.

To wit, here's a quick video of Gustavo and the LA Phil rehearsing one of the two programs they'll be performing on tour -- Mahler's majestic Ninth Symphony. Filmed in our own Walt Disney Concert Hall, this snippet from the symphony's first movement should be enough to excite fans of Gustavo, Mahler and the LA Phil alike. Enjoy!

The 2011 European Tour Is Here

January 18, 2011 | Posted by LA Phil on Tour in Los Angeles

After months of preparation, rehearsals and logistical planning, the LA Phil finally hits the road today for its seven city, 13-concert tour of Europe today!

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The orchestra's initial stop is Lisbon, Portugal where they'll play two concerts at Gulbenkian Hall, the first of which will be a program of works by John Adams, Leonard Bernstein and Ludwig van Beethoven. From there it's on to Madrid, followed by Cologne (where the orchestra will help Music Director Gustavo Dudamel celebrate his 30th birthday!), London, Budapest and finally Vienna.

As fate would have it, just as the orchestra is ramping up to get out on tour and present the above program, the LA Phil, with Deutsche Grammophon, has just today released a recording of that very program on iTunes! You can download it here.

It's the Final Countdown!

January 14, 2011 | Posted by LA Phil on Tour in Los Angeles

We're literally counting the seconds until the tour begins.

2011 European Tour Begins Next Week!

January 11, 2011 | Posted by LA Phil on Tour in Los Angeles

European Tour T-Shirt Art

We're excited to announce that we're mere days away from our 2011 European Tour! This seven-city, 13-concert whirlwind will take the orchestra to some of the grandest, most renowned concert halls throughout the Continent, beginning in Lisbon, Portugal and ending in the historic music capital of Europe, Vienna, Austria. The LA Phil will alternate between two signature programs, playing one per night in each of the seven cities (excpet for Madrid, where they're only playing one night and thus one program).

We've listed below the tour schedule, as well as what program the orchestra will perform -- and, if you happen to find yourself in one of the cities while we're there, we've included a link to each hall the LA Phil is performing at. The info follows below:

TOUR ITINERARY AND PROGRAM DETAILS:

Program 1:
ADAMS, Slonimsky’s Earbox
BERNSTEIN, Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah”
BEETHOVEN, Symphony No. 7