As members of an orchestra accustomed to playing major events for crowds all over the world, there’s not much the members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic haven’t seen. But nothing could prepare them for the intense wave of joy radiating between themselves, Gustavo Dudamel, and the crowd at Coachella this April. We asked members of the orchestra and staff who were on site to tell us about their day, complete with candid pics and some of our favorite social posts.
What was your most memorable encounter with a non-LA Phil affiliated person at Coachella?
Evan Kuhlmann, bassoon: My hairstylist is at least 10 years younger than me and loves attending Coachella, so we’ve talked for years about previous festivals. When the artist list for this year was announced and we were on it, it gave us another real point of connection. She’s seen us perform at the Bowl, but this was a totally different experience. We both speculated on what it was going to be like, and I think it exceeded any expectations either of us had. I felt like whether our performance got her seal of approval would determine whether it had been a success for me, so when we connected after, and she said she loved our set, that was a great feeling.
Ashley Park, violin: Collaborating with all of the artists on our set was an incredibly memorable experience, especially because I grew up listening to a lot of their music. For me, personally, it was extra exciting to perform with Natasha Bedingfield and Zedd, whose songs went platinum multiple times on my own playlists.
Micaela Accardi, social media manager: I saw a woman straight up “conducting” during one of our classical interludes and she was INTO it. I couldn’t help but smile and watch her living her best life “conducting” the LA Phil from the audience. I also saw someone completely break down crying during Cynthia Erivo’s performance with us, and it was so moving. Both of these encounters (from a distance) have a special place in my heart.
What surprised you most at the festival?
Joanne Pearce Martin, keyboards: The food tent for the talent! It was massive, full of every type of cuisine and tropical juice you can imagine, and it was also decorated in a wildly colorful way. Even though it had the potential to be a complete madhouse, everything was beautifully organized and gave off a very positive, fun-loving vibe, much like the festival on the whole.
Ashley: I was really impressed with the catering tent for artists and staff. Catering is not the content you typically see in Coachella coverage on social media so I didn’t have any expectations on that end. By weekend 2, looking forward to the food and refreshments got me through the long bus rides from LA to Indio. Truly an artist perk.
Evan: I'm used to seeing non-classical performances being pretty loose—the show starts 45 minutes late, the artist plays off a set list they wrote that night, the performance could go long or end early, etc. This was not necessarily the Coachella experience! The backstage crew is incredibly professional, everything is pretty much right on time and certainly planned down to the second, security is pretty tight. The whole thing is a well-oiled machine.
Micaela: This was my first time at Coachella, and I was surprised by how polite people were. Maybe it was my beginner's luck, but when moving through the crowd, everyone seemed to be very respectful of each other’s space—there was a space for everyone to enjoy the music, whether you wanted to sit down in the grass and relax, or stand and sing along, people were looking out for each other in ways you might not expect at a festival.
People seemed so excited to see a symphony orchestra play and that in turn inspired us to give extra during the performance."
How would you describe the reception of the LA Phil’s performance?
Andrew Lowy, clarinet: I'd say that the response to our performance was absolutely electric. I think a lot of the audience was probably unsure about showing up to an orchestral performance at Coachella, but in the end, it seemed like the audience had so much fun; they were dancing, singing, and rocking out as if we were one of the big headliners or a famous EDM DJ spinning a set at a tent on the other side of the festival. The energy from the crowd was exhilarating for all of us on stage.
Joanne: I think a lot of the audience was frankly surprised at how powerful the experience was, and their reaction was very, very positive. I got the distinct feeling that they were more excited about it than they thought they would be!
Ashley: I had no idea how many people would turn up to our set—there were so many huge artists playing at the same time or shortly after, and anyone who’s been to Coachella knows that it is an intricate game of scheduling Tetris to go see your favorite acts. The amount of people standing under the sun to watch us was jaw-dropping. People seemed so excited to see a symphony orchestra play and that in turn inspired us to give extra during the performance.
"We were so lucky to have people that were eager to see what we had in store, hardcore LA Phil fans and new ones alike.
Evan: Whole-hearted. In so many areas of our lives what we’re marketed is curated and manicured in a way that removes elements of authenticity and honesty to increase mass appeal. The Coachella audience seemed hungry for something different, and the diverse lineup and daring performances at the festival reflect that. Half of our set was an honest representation of what we typically do: prepare and perform a program of music composed and notated for a large acoustic ensemble, usually in the span of just a few days. This is entirely unique among the artists at Coachella, but it's what we do, and we're sincerely devoted to it. I think even the most skeptical concertgoer is going to respond to that. But people also loved the collaborations, which were a lot of fun and helped build a bridge between different musical worlds.
Micaela: It was incredibly moving. Hearing the crowd chant “LA Phil! LA Phil! LA Phil!” at the end of the set, as well as “Gustavo! Gustavo! Gustavo!” in between pieces is now a core memory. The crowd literally made the performance what it was. We were so lucky to have people that were eager to see what we had in store, hardcore LA Phil fans and new ones alike. I saw people crying, smiling, bopping their heads, looking at their friends in awe when a special guest stepped on stage. The people that came to watch us didn’t necessarily know what to expect either. It was just pure joy.
You play for big outdoor crowds all summer at the Bowl. How was Coachella different?
Andrew: Even being accustomed to performing for about 18,000 people at a sold-out Bowl show, I was in awe of the crowd at Coachella, especially for the second weekend. From my chair, I really couldn't see the end of the audience. It was unique that, despite the huge crowd, the audience was very close to the stage—it allowed me to see individual faces and reactions, which isn't generally possible at the Bowl. I loved being able to feel the intense response of the huge crowd and see the excitement of individual audience members when we would start a piece or when a new guest artist would come out.
"When we were performing, I could see people who had just been dancing to a DJ wander over to see what we were up to.
Joanne: Well, by the time we played the second weekend, the crowd was approximately four times the size of the Hollywood Bowl. And gigantic crowds of people were repeatedly and rhythmically chanting "LA PHIL! LA PHIL! " at the top of their lungs as we entered and exited the stage—it was unbelievable!
Evan: Even bigger crowds! And I think a festival environment is naturally going to have a different energy. One of the great things about Coachella is that there are multiple stages, each offering a different kind of experience. When we were performing, I could see people who had just been dancing to a DJ wander over to see what we were up to. At the Bowl there's nothing unusual about seeing an orchestra perform. But a contrabassoon is way more atypical at Coachella than a Swedish punk band.
What was the most unusual thing you spotted there?
Evan: Honestly, I think we were the most unusual thing at Coachella. My section and I passed by some of the Original Misfits entourage backstage. They were immaculately dressed in punk horror outfits with full-on makeup, spikes, giant platform leather boots, etc. I don't think any of us flinched, but this crew looked entirely weirded out by our bassoons.
Which artist or artists(s) were you looking forward to seeing?
Joanne: Definitely Laufey and Cynthia Erivo—they both have performed with us before, and each has their own distinct style, of course. Laufey brings the sweetness, and Cynthia is just positively FIERCE!
Ashley: I may be biased because the LA Phil was on it, but this year’s lineup was insanely packed with superstars. I was looking forward to seeing Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Lady Gaga, Jennie, and Post Malone, just to name a few.
Evan: Beth Gibbons has been one of my favorite singers for about 30 years, and she sounds as good or better than ever. She has recorded with orchestra a few different times throughout her career, so I was holding out hope that we might collaborate with her at Coachella—maybe someday! I had never heard of Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso before I saw their names on our set list. After our first (and only) rehearsal with them, I downloaded all their music. They're such great performers and their live band is amazing.