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YOLA Tour Diary, Part 2

March 22, 2013 | Posted by The Young Musicians of YOLA in London

DAY 3—March 14, 2013

Major Events: Creative Music Workshop at the Guildhall School, workshop with Drum Works, and the first rehearsal with the Discover Dudamel Orchestra.

YOLA at the Barbican

Samantha: Today was tiring! We had breakfast and headed toward Guildhall to have an improv session. It was really fun. We did a weird circle where we passed around noises then we composed a song together. It was from a Japanese fisherman folk song.

Isaac: Improv is something we could do at YOLA. Making small riffs as we go along. Eventually, we could make a great piece. We could make an official YOLA anthem for our orchestra.

Swed Speaks

March 20, 2013 | Posted by LA Phil Staff in London

The LA Times' Mark Swed sits down to speak with several YOLA musicians while on tour in London.

LA Times classical music critic and friend of the Phil Mark Swed traveled to London to take in all the happenings during the orchestra's International Residency at the Barbican Centre. But he, like many a hometown critic that travels with his local orchestra on tour, had seen all three of the programs that the orchestra was playing. If that's the case, what's a critic to do? What does he write about?

Well, if you're Swed, you write about the 10 YOLA students that traveled to London to take part in the Future Play Symposium. And, if you're Swed, you do a pretty amazing job of capturing the spirit of not only the event, but also the thoughts, words and feelings of its most important participants.

Swed writes:

Masterclass Moments

March 18, 2013 | Posted by LA Phil Staff in London

LA Phil Principal Trombone Nitzan Haroz demonstrates for a young musician in last Friday's Masterclass at London's Barbican Centre

Imagine, for a moment, that you're a young musician - say, a young trombonist or horn player - and you've gotten an invite to participate in a special music education symposium held at Europe's largest arts complex. What could be better than that?

Well, how about if two of the world's foremost authorities on the two instruments - the LA Phil's Principal Trombone Nitzan Haroz and Principal Horn Andrew Bain, respectively - led semi-private masterclasses, giving you individual attention and lessons on how to improve your playing?

I bet you'd think that was pretty great - priceless, even.

Dudamel, Discovered

March 17, 2013 | Posted by LA Phil Staff in London

Tony Brown, Executive Director of Heart of Los Angeles and Raymond, YOLA clarinetist, pose with Gustavo after the Discover Dudamel event at the Barbican.

One of the highlights of the LA Phil's residency at the Barbican was the Discover Dudamel event on MAR 15, during which the LA Phil's Music Director led 100-plus young musicians, from 10 youth orchestras (including members of our own YOLA) in a rehearsal of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.

We've got some descriptions of the event from the particpants forthcoming - and Brian Lauritzen from KUSC and the Barbican have some fine coverage up to hold you over -- but meanwhile, enjoy some photos of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

YOLA Tour Diary, Part 1

March 16, 2013 | Posted by The Young Musicians of YOLA in London

London Calling

March 14, 2013 | Posted by LA Phil Staff in London

YOLA Students

Our young musicians from YOLA have had a busy few days - on top of traveling to London to participate in the Future Play symposium at the Barbican Centre, they've also had to rehearse, meet new friends and basicallly do all the things you'd expect of young people who are traveling to London for the first time. Added bonus? Some of them got to see snow fall for the first time.

Here they are - with 90 of their fellow young musicians from London El Sistema-based programs - rehearsing for the Discover Dudamel event.

We're YOLA and We're Coming To The U.K.

March 13, 2013 | Posted by LA Phil Staff in London

A typical LA Phil tour has a lot of components. Not only does the orchestra play concerts in varied cities in equally varied destinations, but there's also - as befits an orchestra with a Music Director like ours - often an educational component to the proceedings. In 2011, members of the LA Phil stopped by the Barbican Centre to lead a master class or two; in 2012, the entire orchestra traveled to Caracas to see Gustavo's El Sistema in action; and now, in 2013, the orchestra is evolving yet again as members of our very own Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) travel to London to participate in the LA Phil co-hosted (along with the Barbican Centre and Take A Stand) Future Play Symposium.