Committees|LA Phil

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Affiliates, a dedicated support group comprised of 16 committees throughout Los Angeles County, provide support for the Los Angeles Philharmonic through a variety of activities that include fundraising, youth music education, audience development and community awareness.

History

Affiliates enjoying a picnic lunch following their annual 'In & Out' Board Meeting.

The Affiliates’ story begins with Maestro Rothwell who suggested forming a support group for the LA Philharmonic. In 1923, the first group organized in Los Angeles: the Women’s Committee. Similar support groups in outlying communities formed when the Philharmonic began performing “run-out” concerts in their neighborhoods. To help the Philharmonic build an audience, support groups sold concert tickets in their neighborhoods. The support groups also began to fill the orchestra’s need for financial support by creating a Continuance Fund, which continues today as the Philharmonic Friends Campaign.

Growth

As time went on, support groups proliferated. When the Philharmonic took up its new winter residence in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the LA Music Center in 1964, the move generated an increased enthusiasm for the Philharmonic, and common-interest Committees formed. Over the years, Committees moved in and out of the Philharmonic family, while others merged. (For a list of current Committees, see below.)

Structure

Supportive members of International Committee attended Spring Celebration.

In 1967, the autonomous Committees came under the umbrella of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Affiliates, a structure that continues today. An Affiliate Chair represents the 16 Committees and serves a two-year term on the LAPA Board of Directors.

The Affiliates’ Strategic Plan, completed in 2008, addresses the need for future special-interest Committees that will appeal to a diverse range of people who share a love for classical music.

Youth Music Education

Affiliates continue to volunteer for three programs:

Toyota Symphonies for Youth: concerts geared towards young audiences and include pre-concert music education activities. Junior Patrons, a program launched in 1990 for children ages 5-11 encourages a closer relationship with the Philharmonic at the TSFY concerts.

Symphonies for Schools: a program where the LA Phil brings close to 13,000 school children to the Walt Disney Concert Hall for 4 days each winter. Affiliate volunteers from all Committees donate their time to greet and organize the children.

Music Mobile™: an award-winning program that has reached over half a million students. The Music Mobile travels to schools and community events with instruments, CDs, and visual aids that the Affiliates use to introduce third graders to classical music and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In 2005, the Affiliates established a similar program at the Hollywood Bowl in conjunction with a tour led by the Speakers Bureau.

Additional Programs

The Affiliates continue to play vital roles in the life of the Los Angeles Philharmonic through their variety of events and programs. Three such programs include:

Crescendo: an adult musical enrichment series launched in 1992.

Committee Benefit Events: fundraising events organized by each Committee, such as the International Committee’s Ball and the Peninsula Grand Salon.

YOLA Instrument Drive: a new program devoted to providing quality music education for children with the greatest needs. Affiliates collected donations from their Committees and communities to support the Youth Orchestra. This year, they successfully contributed almost 100 instruments!

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History

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