When you come to a performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall or the Hollywood Bowl, you may see Joanne Pearce Martin way at the back of the stage, sitting at the piano—or sometimes the organ, or occasionally the celesta. Whether she’s performing with the orchestra or in a small ensemble, Martin is a woman with a thousand talents and, by her count, “a million notes to learn.”
“When you’re a part of a professional, world-class orchestra full-time, the music is coming at you nonstop,” she says. “You finish with one project, and you’re on to the next. It’s kind of like a snowball rolling downhill, getting bigger and bigger.”
Since joining the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2001, she’s created a lifetime of memories —and is ecstatic about the moments to come. Get to know Martin as she recounts her most unforgettable experiences with her colleagues, our current and former music directors, and the people who support her from the crowd!
What have been some of the most memorable moments throughout your 23 years with the LA Phil?
Wow, even when you say the phrase “23 years,” it’s just unbelievable to me, because I’m having such a great time doing my job that I just can’t believe that many years have gone by!
I still remember my first summer, in 2001, when I started at the Hollywood Bowl. It was early July, and my first shows were with John Williams. That was really exciting because they’re some of the greatest crowds we ever get in the summer. The collective joy is just outrageous at those shows, it’s palpable, and it never gets old.
I also get some solo opportunities out in front of the orchestra, and some of those are standout moments. During our 100th season, Gustavo Dudamel conducted Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with me, Martin Chalifour, and Bob [Robert] deMaine—the three principals.
Which piece of music…
…gives you chills?
Stravinsky’s Petrushka has one of the best piano parts anybody ever wrote within the orchestra. There are a lot of heart-thumping moments in there. My first performance of it with the LA Phil was [in 2003] with Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Hollywood Bowl. That was a long time ago, and I’ve played it since many times with Gustavo and many other conductors, but the first time is one of those things that you’ll never forget. It was a real thrill.
I’m a total goose-bump person in general—it happens to me a lot! About two-thirds of the way through Petrushka, several of the themes that we’ve already heard come together in this incredible moment. It’s such a brilliant piece of writing.
Usually, I perform the piece with the piano right in the middle of the orchestra, with the tail of the piano right under the conductor’s baton. Right behind me are the woodwinds, and the flutes are playing the opening from the first section, “The Shrovetide Fair,” and it’s just “ta-DAH, ta-DAH!” And whenever that starts, I just get goose bumps like crazy! I’ve been doing this for 20-some years now and that part never fails.
…always makes you smile?
The Mambo from West Side Story! A lot of it has to do with the great percussion. And, I mean, those are my peeps, they’re the closest thing I have to a section, so anything that’s got a great beat, I’m always going to have a huge grin on my face.
There’s also “The Masque” movement from Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, “The Age of Anxiety”—very jazzy. It’s just a raucous romp for all.
I find a lot of humor in music…and a lot of emotions in general. We’re pouring our hearts out all the time. We’re experiencing all these different emotions while we’re playing and still trying to execute things properly but get the music across at the same time.
Once you live with a piece for a while, sometimes it can start doing different things to you. Something that used to stress you out might make you smile 10 years later!
Once you live with a piece for a while, sometimes it can start doing different things to you. Something that used to stress you out might make you smile 10 years later!"
Not only do you play the piano but all the other keyboard instruments in the orchestra! Tell us about a piece you love to perform on Walt Disney Concert Hall’s organ, “Hurricane Mama.”
The fact that I get to play our incredible pipe organ is one of the great honors and joys of my job. There are some fantastic moments in Saint-Saëns’ “Organ” Symphony, and it’s such a popular piece. I’ve gotten to perform it on this monumental instrument with our orchestra again and again over the years. I actually got to play it with the YOLA National Orchestra [in July 2024]. Gustavo wanted to do it as a big part of one of the programs. That was a really special thrill to be doing it with all that youthful energy and all these kids who had never gotten to play it before—and with Gustavo in Walt Disney Concert Hall, no less.
Can you tell us about a memorable moment you’ve shared with an audience member?
I was surprised recently to get a letter from an audience member who was commenting on a specific performance of mine and was looking forward to the upcoming Saint-Saëns’ “Organ” Symphony. I don’t get to play it too often, but this was a standout.
I’m not always up close and personal with audience members, so it was unusual to get a personal message from someone appreciating something I did.
Quite often they’re just impromptu moments. As you go offstage, people sitting up front will reach out their hand and just say, “Hey, that was really great!” Over the years, I’ve also done a little bit of acting in our Symphonies for Youth concerts. I was playing movements from all kinds of piano concertos during one of those performances and had to memorize this 11-page script about a love triangle between me, the piano tuner, and the piano itself! It was this crazy little thing, but it was so cool and funny, and the kids were totally into it.
I went off into the Choral Hall to meet with a bunch of kids at the end, and they just kind of swarmed me—it was awesome! Providing inspiration to the next generation with the piano, or whatever I’m doing up there, makes me happy.