The West Coast, particularly California, has a musical culture unlike any other. The vast number of genres and styles that flourish here is just the beginning. How did this come about? What does it all mean? The LA Phil attempts to answer these questions and many more with its unprecedented festival West Coast, Left Coast.
This three-week series of concerts and special events – curated by Creative Chair John Adams – focuses on California as a land of possibility, a place where creative renegades have enjoyed a wide open and welcoming environment. Join the exploration and immerse yourself in music from many sources, as well as in symposia and other special events, all focusing on the West Coast ethos.
Sat NOV 21 9:30pm
Eureka! Festival Opening Night Event
Fearless iconoclasts Kronos Quartet, performing a piece from award-winning film composer Thomas Newman. Visionary master of minimalism, Terry Riley. Brainy electronica assemblagists Matmos. Incubus' psycho-musicologist, Mike Einziger.
These cutting-edge California artists come together for one incredible evening of solo performances and exclusive collaborations, drawing inspiration from each other, as well as their own West Coast roots. Expect a unique tapestry of combined influences and extraordinary talents.
Sun NOV 22 7pm
Los Angeles Master Chorale: Composers from the Left Coast
The Master Chorale spotlights music by four Left Coast composers, including the L.A. premiere of Savage Altars by Ingram Marshall, the New Yorker who “found his voice” when he came to the West Coast in the 1970s
Artists:
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, conductor
Sergio “Checo” Alonso
Lisa Edwards, piano
Program:
Lauridsen Mid-Winter Songs
Marshall Savage Altars (L.A. Premiere)
David O A Map of Los Angeles (Reprise)
Whitacre Cloudburst
Fri/Sat NOV 27/28 8pm
Sun NOV 29 2pm
Dudamel Conducts Salonen and Adams
Two major works about L.A. – Salonen’s breakthrough, composed specifically for the Philharmonic, and Adams’ brand new work, all about L.A. and commissioned by the LA Phil – share the program with music by Lou Harrison, the quintessential California composer.
Artists:
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Marino Formenti, piano
Program:
Salonen LA Variations
Harrison Piano Concerto
Adams City Noir (LAPA commission)
Sun NOV 29 7:30pm
Piano Spheres: California Keyboard
Displaying powerhouse technique while bringing contemporary works to life, the innovative Los Angelesbased Piano Spheres explores the sounds and styles of notable California composers.
Artists:
Gloria Cheng,
Vicki Ray,
Mark Robson,
Susan Svrcek, pianos
Program:
Cage Music for Amplified Toy Pianos
Cowell various works
Jarvinen Queen of Spain
Powell Settings
Kraft Requiescat
Lesemann Nataraja
Naidoo Bad Times Coming
Lentz Nightbreaker
Tue DEC 1 8pm
Green Umbrella
The Yellow Shark, a collection of his avant-garde music played by Ensemble Modern, was the last recording Frank Zappa released before he died.
Artists:
Los Angeles Philharmonic New
Music Group
John Adams, conductor
Kronos Quartet
David Barron, singer
Program:
Marshall Fog Tropes (for brass ensemble)
Partch US Highball
Zappa Selections from The Yellow Shark
Thu DEC 3 8pm
Fri DEC 4 11am
Adams and Kronos Quartet
Please note that conductor Leonard Slatkin has had to withdraw from the December 3 and 4, 2009 orchestral subscription concerts due to his ongoing recovery from a recent heart attack. He will be replaced by conductors John Adams and Jayce Ogren, who will split the program as follows: John Adams conducts Tom Newman’s It Got Dark and Mason Bates’ Liquid Interface and Jayce Ogren leads Goldsmith’s Music for Orchestra and Waxman’s Tristan and Isolde Fantasy. The program remains the same.
The trend-setting and fearlessly iconoclastic Kronos Quartet gives the world premiere of a piece written specifically for the renowned ensemble on this Hollywood-related program. Along with the LA Phil, Kronos performs the orchestral version of It Got Dark by award-winning film and TV composer – and member of the Newman dynasty – Thomas Newman (WALL•E, Angels in America, Road to Perdition, Six Feet Under, Boston Public, Finding Nemo, American Beauty, The Green Mile and many more).
Artists:
John Adams, conductor
Jayce Ogren. conductor
Kronos Quartet, guest ensemble
Joanne Pearce Martin, piano
Bing Wang, violin
Program:
Goldsmith: Music for Orchestra
Bates: Liquid Interface
Waxman: Tristan und Isolde Fantasie
Thomas Newman: It Got Dark (LAPA commission; world premiere)
Fri DEC 4 8pm
The Airborne Toxic Event featuring the Calder Quartet
Hometown heroes, the timeless and romantic rock quintet is joined by strings and special guests for a one-of-a-kind evening celebrating California’s anthemic indie-rock sound.
Sat DEC 5 8pm
Sun DEC 6 2pm
Adams and Josefowicz
Festival Director Adams originally composed Dharma (for 6-string electric violin and orchestra) for the opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall. Josefowicz’ astonishingly virtuosic “improvisations” are all written out in detail, which is hard to believe when you hear the performance.
Artists:
Los Angeles Philharmonic
John Adams, conductor
Leila Josefowicz, violin
Joseph Pereira, timpani
Program:
Dresher: "Glimpsed from Afar" for Quadrachord and Marimba Lumina
Kraft: Timpani Concerto No. 1
Rosenman: Suite from Rebel Without a Cause
Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur
Sun DEC 6 8pm
Songs of the Sun with Brian Wilson, Dave Alvin, The Living Sisters, and Harper Simon
One of California’s most iconic singer/songwriters, Brian Wilson performs a rare acoustic set including "Surfin' U. S. A.", "God Only Knows" and "California Girls," plus others. Downey’s roots-rock hero, Dave Alvin, shares his down-to-earth blues and modern Americana. L.A.'s The Living Sisters (Inara George, Becky Stark, and Eleni Mandell) and singer-songwriter-guitarist Harper Simon (son of Paul Simon) round out the Left Coast celebration.
Tue DEC 8 8pm
A Night of the Beats
The poetry of The Beat Generation and the bebop of jazz were indelibly linked by their hip non-conformity and spontaneous creativity. Relive those heady days with seminal Beat poems and jazz with a fresh twist.
Artists:
Charles Lloyd New Quartet
Exene Cervenka, poet performer
Michael McClure, poet performer
David Meltzer, poet performer
Alan Broadbent, piano
Kurt Elling, poet performer
Peter Erskine, drums
Christian McBride, bass
Joshua Redman, saxophone
REDCAT
631 W. 2Nd Street, Los Angeles
Parades & Changes, Replays (2008)
Wed Nov 11 – Sat Nov 14 at 8:30pm
A re-interpretation of the celebrated collaboration between Anna Halprin and Morton Subotnick Anne Collod, conception and artistic direction Morton Subotnick, music
This pinnacle work came out of the '60s, when Morton Subotnick – one of the pioneers of electronic music – was developing one of the most important technological breakthroughs in the genre.
Tickets: $25 - 30, students $20 - 25, CalArts students, faculty and staff $12 - 18; call 213.237.2800 or visit redcat.org.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SANTA MONICA
1220 2nd Street, Santa Monica
SAT NOV 14 AT 2PM
Los Angeles Children's Chorus:
A California Christmas
Highlighting historic influences and developments, a program of Christmas-related music from Spain, France, China and Mexico, plus works by contemporary California composers Conte, Holmes, Adams, La Roccha and Gibson.
PRE-CONCERT DISCUSSION – 1PM Christopher Hawthorne, L.A. Times Architecture Critic, will lead a discussion on historical influences in California, relating to the festival's theme of California as a sympathetic refuge for creative renegades. Tickets: adults $32, children (under 18) $16; call 626.793.4231.
SAT NOV 14 AT 8PM
Jacaranda
ADAMS Road Movies
HARRISON Solstice
MARSHALL Soe-Pa, for amplified guitar and loops
ADAMS Shaker Loops
Santa Monica-based Jacaranda presents a concert of California composers, including two works by Festival Director John Adams. Tickets: $35, students $15; call 800.595.4TIX or visit jacarandamusic.org.
The Getty Center Los Angeles
1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles
SUN NOV 22 AT 3PM
Pauline Oliveros and Stuart Dempster: Deep Listening
Experimental artists Pauline Oliveros (accordion) and Stuart Dempster (trombone) present the transformative experience of Deep Listening, a philosophy and practice developed by Oliveros in San Francisco. Co-presented by The J. Paul Getty Museum and the LA Phil.
Tickets: free, reservations required; call 310.440.7300 or visit getty.edu.
The Colburn School – Zipper Hall
200 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
MON NOV 30 AT 8PM
Amy X Neuburg and the Cello ChiXtet: The Secret Language of Subways
San Francisco-based singer, composer and electronic instrument performer Amy X Neuburg bridges the boundaries between classical, experimental and popular music in her California take on New York City. Co-pre- sented by The Colburn School and the LA Phil.
Tickets: $15; available at Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office; call 323.850.2000.
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion – Grand Hall
135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
SAT DEC 5 AT 2PM
Symposium – "The Art of the State"
John Adams, Phil Lesh and Kevin Starr
Engage more deeply with the festival's themes and enjoy a first-hand curatorial perspective at this lively public discussion of "West Coast, Left Coast" and its implications for the future of music in California. Tickets: $10; available at Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office; call 323.850.2000.
