LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

The 'Los Angeles Philharmonic' (LAP) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States.

Contents

History

Recordings

Music directors

Principal guest conductors

References

External links

History

Founded in 1919 by William Andrews Clark, Jr. with Walter Henry Rothwell as its conductor, it played its first concert in the same year, eleven days after its first rehearsal. The Orchestra's first home was at Fifth and Olive, in a venue that had previously been known as Clune's Auditorium, but was renamed Philharmonic Auditorium. From 1964 to 2003, the orchestra played its concerts in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center. In 2003, it moved to the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall next door. In the summer, the orchestra plays outdoor concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. Since its founding, the LA Philharmonic has played at least one concert a year in its sister city, Santa Barbara, California, presented by the Community Arts Music Association.

Subsequent music directors have included Artur Rodziński, Otto Klemperer, Eduard van Beinum, Zubin Mehta, Carlo Maria Giulini and André Previn. Some of the more notable principal guest conductors associated with the orchestra have included Michael Tilson Thomas, Simon Rattle and Leonard Slatkin who concludes his guest position at the Hollywood Bowl in 2007 ^[1]. Other conductors with whom the orchestra has had close ties include Erich Leinsdorf, Kurt Sanderling, Pierre Boulez, Leonard Bernstein, and Christoph von Dohnányi.
Since 1992, Esa-Pekka Salonen has been the LAP's music director. In April 2007, it was announced that Esa-Pekka Salonen will step down as the LAP's music director at the end of the 2008-2009 season, and become the LAP's Music Director Laureate. With the 2009-2010 season, Gustavo Dudamel will be his successor.^[2][3][4]

Recordings

The LA Philharmonic performed the music in the pilot film to ''Battlestar Galactica'', composed by Stu Phillips and Glen A. Larson. The LA Philharmonic also performed the first North American concert for the popular ''Final Fantasy'' franchise game music, '' by Nobuo Uematsu.
The orchestra occasionally made 78-rpm recordings and LPs in the early years with Alfred Wallenstein and Leopold Stokowski for Capitol Records, and began recording regularly in the 1960s, for English Decca, during the tenure of Zubin Mehta as music director. A healthy discography continued to grow with Carlo Maria Giulini on Deutsche Grammaphon and André Previn on both Philips and Telarc Records. Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Bernstein, and Sir Simon Rattle also made several recordings with the orchestra in the 1980s, adding to their rising international profile. In recent years, Esa-Pekka Salonen has led recording sessions for Sony and Deutsche Grammophon.

Music directors

Gustavo Dudamel has been selected as music director designate until 2009 when Salonen is expected to step down.

★ 1992-present Esa-Pekka Salonen ★ 1985-1989 André Previn ★ 1978-1984 Carlo Maria Giulini ★ 1962-1978 Zubin Mehta ★ 1956-1959 Eduard van Beinum

★ 1943-1956 Alfred Wallenstein ★ 1933-1939 Otto Klemperer ★ 1929-1933 Artur Rodziński ★ 1927-1929 Georg Schnéevoigt ★ 1919-1927 Walter Henry Rothwell

Principal guest conductors

★ 2005-present Leonard Slatkin ★ 1981-1994 Simon Rattle ★ 1981-1985 Michael Tilson Thomas

References

1. Conductor Leonard Slatkin Opens Los Angeles Philharmonic's 2007 Season at Hollywood Bowl with Fireworks
2. Maestro will pass baton to up-and-comer in '09
3. Gustavo Dudamel to Replace Esa-Pekka Salonen at LA Philharmonic in 2009
4. L.A. Philharmonic warms to Gustavo Dudamel

External links

★ Los Angeles Philharmonic Official website

★ Los Angeles Philharmonic Association Official website

★ Walt Disney Concert Hall Official website

★ Hollywood Bowl Official website

★ Discography