Dudamel heading out

Gustavo Dudamel has announced that he will leave Los Angeles and the LA Phil to take over the New York Philharmonic in 2026, starting a five-year contract there. This is no huge surprise, considering that NY Phil’s head honcha, Deborah Borda, used to helm our own “big orch”, and was part of the team that … Read more

Ninth and Washington

It’s not an address, but it is an intersection. It’s the balls-out season opener from LA Chamber Orchestra, in which artistic director Jaime Martín pairs Beethoven’s beloved Symphony No. 9 (“Choral”), with the West Coast premiere of Both, a newly commissioned orchestral work by enigmatic composer Shelley Washington. It is Washington’s own life’s duality that … Read more

Podcast reboots with Pacific Chorale

Due to non-List issues over the last year, we’ve had to set our launched-too-soon podcast aside for a bit, but we’re back! Check out the latest episode, where Lauri talks with Pacific Chorale’s President & CEO, Andrew Brown, about this year’s Grammy® award, what that means to be the first organization in Orange County to … Read more

SFCV’s readers heap praise on SoCal artists

In just a few years, San Francisco Classical Voice has proven itself one of the best sources of arts news on the West Coast, and their annual Audience Choice Awards give readers in the Bay Area and in SoCal a chance to point to what (and who) they love most. This year’s Los Angeles area … Read more

One of classical radio’s titans hangs up his mic

We wish a fond farewell to KUSC host Jim Svejda, who has announced his retirement after many years on the air. Jim has been one of the most familiar voices in SoCal classical music for decades, and the station officially announced the news this week. Here’s the release, or you can read the original here. … Read more

Big staffing announcements (plural!) at LA Opera

After 14 years, this is Grant Gershon’s last season at LA Opera. With Conlon’s contract extended and a new baton-wielder from Columbia taking over as Resident Conductor, there are big changes afoot. No announcement yet as to who will take over as chorusmaster, a role which Mr. Gershon also holds through this 2021-22 season. But … Read more

(Re-)discovering Frederic Rzewski

Sometimes a missed opportunity becomes a new challenge on its own. With the recent and sudden death of composer and pianist Frederic Rzewski, those of us in SoCal have proximal reason to mourn, as the titan was scheduled to be part of Piano Spheres’ upcoming season, and it would have been my first chance to … Read more

LA Choral Lab ready to forge ahead with new ED

When a relatively new nonprofit board creates an Executive Director position, it’s a big day, and a sign they’re ready for some serious growth. That seems to be the case for one of our most exciting choral organizations, and we wait for more news of programs and changes with great anticipation. No doubt there’s more … Read more

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