Radio Broadcasts
LA Phil on Classical California and the WFMT Radio Network.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic and Classical California continue their annual radio broadcast partnership, expanding their reach to listeners throughout California. This broadcast series, hosted by Classical California’s Brian Lauritzen and recorded during the LA Phil’s 2025/26 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, pairs the orchestra with an impressive roster of guest artists and conductors, showcasing an eclectic repertoire that includes world premieres from composers Ellen Reid, Edmund Finnis, Ricardo Lorenz, and Roberto Sierra. Through the organizations’ ongoing partnership with WFMT and the WFMT Radio Network, the 2026 broadcast series will also be syndicated nationwide.
The first concert in the 2026 broadcast series will air locally on Classical California’s SoCal Saturday Night program, the network’s weekly local concert spotlight, on April 4, 2026, at 7pm. It will feature conductor Matthias Pintscher leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic and pianist Emanuel Ax in a program of works by the conductor, Ravel, and Mozart.
In addition to the 2026 SoCal Saturday Night programming, the LA Phil and Classical California have created a special series devoted to Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, commemorating his 17-year tenure with the orchestra. The seven-episode series captures magical moments from Dudamel’s performances during the 2025/26 season, including the world premiere of Ellen Reid’s Earth Between Oceans, Mahler’s epic Second Symphony, and Thomas Adès’ Inferno from Dante with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Airing Sundays at 2pm, starting April 26, this special series culminates in two live broadcasts of Los Angeles Philharmonic performances from Walt Disney Concert Hall on May 31 and June 7.
Each program will be available for on-demand audio streaming on the Classical California website for 14 days following each broadcast date.
This series is made possible through the endowed LA Phil Broadcast Program Fund, generously supported by the Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Fund.
Stream Classical California live here:
Broadcasts are also streamed live at classicalcalifornia.org and on the Classical California app.
2026 Schedule of Broadcasts
SoCal Saturday Nights at 7pm on Classical California (April 4 – June 27)
Gustavo Dudamel Series at 2pm Sundays on Classical California (April 26 – June 7)
Programs and artists subject to change
-
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): April 4, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: October 27, 2026
RECORD DATES: November 13-14, 2025Los Angeles Philharmonic
Matthias Pintscher, conductor
Emanuel Ax, pianoRAVEL Mother Goose Suite
Matthias PINTSCHER neharot (LA Phil commission)
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25
RAVEL La valse -
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): April 11, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: November 3, 2026
RECORD DATES: November 21-22, 2025Los Angeles Philharmonic
Roberto González-Monjas, conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, celloKORNGOLD Theme and Variations
Edmund FINNIS Cello Concerto (world premiere, LA Phil commission with generous support from M. David and Diane Paul)
ELGAR Enigma Variations -
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): April 18, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: November 10, 2026
RECORD DATES: December 13-14, 2025Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Gimeno, conductor
Renaud Capuçon, violinLIGETI Concert Românesc
MOZART Violin Concerto No. 3
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 1 -
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): April 25, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: November 17, 2026
RECORD DATES: December 18-19, 2025Los Angeles Philharmonic
Thomas Wilkins, conductorCarlos SIMON Four Black American Dances
ELLINGTON The Nutcracker Suite
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 1, “Winter Daydreams” -
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): April 26, 2026 & May 16, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2026
RECORD DATES: September 27-28, 2025Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Artistic Director
Jenny Wong, Associate Artistic DirectorEllen REID Earth Between Oceans (world premiere, LA Phil commission with generous support from the Esa-Pekka Salonen Commissions Fund)
R. STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony -
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): May 2, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: November 24, 2026
RECORD DATES: January 17-18, 2026Los Angeles Philharmonic
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
Igor Levit, piano
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Artistic Director
Jenny Wong, Associate Artistic DirectorBUSONI Piano Concerto
-
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): May 3, 2026 & May 23, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: October 13, 2026
RECORD DATES: October 4-5, 2025Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductorJohn ADAMS Frenzy: a short symphony (US premiere, LA Phil commission with generous support from the Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Fund)
STRAVINSKY The Firebird Suite (1919 version)
STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring -
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): May 9, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2026
RECORD DATES: January 31 & February 1, 2026Los Angeles Philharmonic
Elim Chan, conductor
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, sopranoRAVEL Le tombeau de Couperin
BARTÓK Dance Suite
MAHLER Symphony No. 4 -
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): May 10, 2026 & May 30, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: October 20, 2026
RECORD DATES: October 10-11, 2025Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Chen Reiss, soprano
Beth Taylor, mezzo-soprano
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Artistic Director
Jenny Wong, Associate Artistic DirectorMAHLER Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”
-
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): May 17, 2026 & June 6, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: December 8, 2026
RECORD DATES: February 13-14, 2026 (Lorenz); February 26-27, 2026 (Beethoven)Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor RicardoRicardo LORENZ Humboldt’s Nature (world premiere, LA Phil commission)
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7 -
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): May 24, 2026 & June 13, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: December 15, 2026
RECORD DATES: March 5-6, 2026Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductorBEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral”
Thomas ADÈS Inferno – Part 1 of Dante (LA Phil commission with generous support from the Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Fund) -
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): May 31, 2026 & June 20, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: December 22, 2026
RECORD DATES: May 31, 2026 (Live Broadcast)Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductorRoberto SIERRA Estudios sinfónicos (world premiere, LA Phil commission)
R. STRAUSS Ein Heldenleben -
CLASSICAL CALIFORNIA AIR DATE(S): June 7, 2026 & June 27, 2026
WFMT RELEASE DATE: December 29, 2026
RECORD DATES: June 7, 2026 (Live Broadcast)Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Anthony León, tenor
Eleomar Cuello, baritone
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Artistic Director
Jenny Wong, Associate Artistic DirectorJohn ADAMS Harmonium
ESTÉVEZ Cantata Criolla