| LA Phil

...And Now It's Over

April 1, 2013 | Posted by LA Phil Staff in New York

LA Phil Music Director Gustavo Dudamel stands in front of the LA Phil's truck outside New York's Lincoln Center following the last performance of the LA Phil's 2013 Tour.

The stage platforms are struck, the instrument cases are packed and the big LA Phil truck is rolling back to Los Angeles.

Another tour is in the books and we think it's fair to say that this one has been successful. From London to Lucerne to Paris to New York, critics raved, audiences cheered and we at the LA Phil were once again reminded why we do what we do.

Led by our Music Director, we took a typically audacious set of programs on the road. We played programs that said, "This is who we are and this is what we think is important." And we brought the audiences along with us - audiences that may have been skeptical were won over, note by note, until they were standing at the end of the concerts. And, sometimes, even cheering DURING the concerts.

Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen and Goodbye, Europe

March 25, 2013 | Posted by LA Phil Staff in Paris

After seven concerts, it's pretty clear that folks in Europe are pretty fond of Gustavo Dudamel. Whether it's the Discover Dudamel rehearsal at the Barbican Centre in London; a photo op for dozens of young musicians in front of the KKL in Lucerne; or the enthusiastic responses to the LA Phil performances at the Salle Pleyel in Paris (and the other two places, frankly), the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Maybe it's the passion that Gustavo clearly has for the music being reflected back to him by appreciative audiences. Maybe it's the daring repertoire of 20th and 21st century works he and the orchestras bring to European halls. Maybe it's everything - whatever it is, audiences have been pretty receptive to Gustavo and to the LA Phil.

And for that, we thank those in Europe that have come out to see the LA Phil perform. Such appreciation makes touring overseas totally worth it.

New York, here we come!

Memories, Big and Small

March 25, 2013 | Posted by Joanne Pearce Martin, LA Phil keyboardist in Lucerne

The sound of packed houses in London, Lucerne, and Paris clapping relentlessly in rhythm this past week will surely resound in our ears for a long time to come. What a joy it has been to present these 2 very different programs to our European audiences, and have them received with so much palpable excitement and appreciation!

Sometimes in one's travels on tour, however, it's also the everyday experiences that can be just as memorable. I'll share just a couple of my favorite off-stage moments from the European leg of this tour:

Did You Bring Running Shoes?

March 25, 2013 | Posted by Christopher Still, LA Phil trumpet player in Paris

LA Phil trumpet player Christopher Still takes a break in front of Paris' Le Pure Café during one of his patented city-discovering runs.

Planning to live out of a suitcase for a three-week European tour isn’t easy, and there are a few items that I can’t live without in my garment bag––a sport coat, comfortable jeans, and a pair of warm leather gloves. But the most critical item for me is a dependable pair of running shoes.

Considering the type of haute cuisine available in a city like Paris, you would think that my main motivation for jogging is to justify the butter, Bordeaux and Foie gras. While that’s partially true, my main interest is to get out and explore the city up close and in detail –– something you just can’t do from the back seat of a cab or tour bus.

American in Paris

March 24, 2013 | Posted by Brian Cummings, countertenor in Paris

Countertenor Brian Cummings (third from right) and the rest of the cast of The Gospel According to the Other Mary, along with Gustavo Dudamel, director Peter Sellars and composer John Adams, take their bows in Paris after the piece's premiere in the City of Lights.

My love affair with the city of Paris began in 2001 when I participated in the world premiere of John Adams' oratorio El Niño. Barely 21 years old, I was astounded by the beauty of the city and the richness of French culture.

March Madness

March 24, 2013 | Posted by LA Phil Staff in Paris

LA Phil crew member Jesse Kolouch twiddles the knobs on the Salle Pleyel soundboard before the orchestra's performance of The Gospel According to the Other Mary in Paris.

March 14 to March 28. Fourteen days. Two weeks.

Pourqoui pas Paris?

March 24, 2013 | Posted by Barry Gold, LA Phil cellist in Paris

Barry Gold, LA Phil cellist, stands in front of the Arc de Triomphe in a city he knows well thanks in part to his tenure with the orchestra.

An American in Paris is, of course, an iconic and oh-so-familiar composition by Gershwin. But this magnificent city of lights and romance is currently being seduced by the magnificent musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the LA Master Chorale in what surely will be a overpowering performance of John Adams' new masterpiece: The Gospel According to the Other Mary.

Paris, Je t'Aime

March 23, 2013 | Posted by LA Phil Staff in Paris

The orchestra is on to Paris!

It's the final European stop on the tour and penultimate stop of the whole darn thing, so spirits are high. They'll be playing The Gospel According to the Other Mary tonight at Paris' famed Salle Pleyel, home of the Orchestre de Paris and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.