Commissions & Premieres
The LA Phil has helped shape the evolution of orchestral music by championing new voices, new ideas, and new works. Through commissioning and premiering new works, we invest in composers who are expanding what music can be and how it connects to audiences today.
From emerging local artists to internationally celebrated composers, the LA Phil provides a platform for creative exploration at the highest artistic level — with one of the world’s leading orchestras and some of the most iconic stages around the globe.
Investing in the future of music
New music is essential to the vitality of the art form. By commissioning and premiering new works, the LA Phil helps ensure that orchestral music continues to evolve, reflect contemporary voices, and speak to future generations.
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Innovation & Artistic Exploration
The LA Phil has long been recognized for its commitment to artistic innovation. New commissions allow composers to push creative boundaries while collaborating with musicians, conductors, and audiences in ways that continually redefine orchestral performance.
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A Platform for Composers
Bringing a new work to life requires partnership. The LA Phil connects composers with world-class musicians, creative collaborators, and global audiences. These collaborations often involve workshops, rehearsals, and ongoing dialogue between composers and performers, shaping each piece through artistic exchange.
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Global Voices, Local Roots
The LA Phil is proud to support artists from around the world while also investing in the creative community of Los Angeles. Our commissioning work reflects the diversity, energy, and cultural vibrancy of our city and the global artistic landscape.
New Works to Experience This Season
Each season, the LA Phil introduces audiences to new music through world, US, and local premieres; the presentation of newly commissioned work; and vitally restaging performances of contemporary pieces. These works showcase the extraordinary voices of living composers and reflect the orchestra’s ongoing commitment to shaping the future of music.
2026/27 season
23 commissioned works, 16 world premieres, and three U.S. premieres
2026/27 Commissions & Premieres
LA Phil New Music Group
Through performances, workshops, and close collaboration with composers, the LA Phil New Music Group is dedicated to exploring contemporary repertoire and supporting the development of new works by bringing innovative musical ideas from concept to performance.
As part of the ensemble, LA Phil musicians regularly work directly with composers during rehearsals and creative development sessions, helping refine and shape new compositions before they reach audiences.
John Adams
Few American composers have shaped contemporary orchestral music as profoundly as John Adams. Across decades of collaboration with the LA Phil, his work reflects the organization’s long-standing commitment to commissioning new music and giving composers the space to imagine boldly.
The LA Phil has commissioned John Adams seven times (to date), performing the world premiere on five occasions and the US premiere once. Additionally the LA Phil has released acclaimed commercial recordings of Adams’ Girls of the Golden West, Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?, and The Gospel According to the Other Mary.
Championing New Music through the Green Umbrella series
- 193+ premieres to date
- 160+ commissions to date
- 40 years championing new music
Composer stories and the creative process
Behind every premiere is a story of imagination, collaboration, and discovery. Through interviews, rehearsal features, and behind-the-scenes storytelling, audiences can explore how new music comes to life at the LA Phil. These stories offer a closer look at composers’ creative processes, their collaborative relationships with musicians, and the journey from initial concept to world-premiere performance.
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Connecting New Music to Community and Education
Commissioning new works is part of the LA Phil’s broader commitment to access, education, and artistic development.
Through initiatives such as the Composer Fellowship Program, led by Program Director Andrew Norman, the LA Phil fosters tomorrow’s compositional voices through mentorship and access to working with professional musicians. These experiences help inspire the next generation of artists while expanding opportunities for creative engagement throughout Los Angeles.
