The orchestra’s involvement with Los Angeles extends far beyond its venues, with wide-ranging performances in the schools, churches, and neighborhood centers of a vastly diverse community. Among its influential and multifaceted learning initiatives is YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), inspired by Venezuela’s revolutionary El Sistema. Through YOLA, the LA Phil and its community partners now provide free instruments, intensive music instruction, and leadership training to 1,500 students from underserved neighborhoods, empowering them to become vital citizens, leaders, and agents of change. In the fall of 2021, YOLA opened its own permanent, purpose-built facility: the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center at Inglewood, designed by architect Frank Gehry.

The orchestra also undertakes tours, both domestically and internationally, including regular visits to New York, London (where the orchestra is the Barbican Centre’s International Orchestral Partner), Paris, and Tokyo. As part of its global Centennial activities, the orchestra visited Seoul, Tokyo, Mexico City, London, Boston, and New York. The LA Phil’s first tour was in 1921, and the orchestra has made annual tours since the 1969/70 season.

The LA Phil has released an array of critically acclaimed recordings, including world premieres of the music of John Adams and Louis Andriessen, along with Grammy® Award-winning recordings featuring the music of Johannes Brahms, Charles Ives, and Andrew Norman. Deutsche Grammophon has released a comprehensive box set in honor of the orchestra’s centennial.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic was founded in 1919 by William Andrews Clark, Jr., a wealthy amateur musician. Walter Henry Rothwell became its first Music Director, serving until 1927; since then, 10 renowned conductors have served in that capacity. Their names are Georg Schnéevoigt (1927-1929); Artur Rodziński (1929-1933); Otto Klemperer (1933-1939); Alfred Wallenstein (1943-1956); Eduard van Beinum (1956-1959); Zubin Mehta (1962-1978); Carlo Maria Giulini (1978-1984); André Previn (1985-1989); Esa-Pekka Salonen (1992-2009); and Gustavo Dudamel (2009-present).