Clik here to view.
LACO season opener puts the “chamber” back in chamber music, with a distinct...
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra kicked-off their 2016-17 season with the purest form of chamber music imaginable: three musicians in someone’s living room playing for a handful of engaged and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
RIP Frederick (Fred) Tinsley, LA Phil double-bassist
Frederick Tinsley, double-bass player with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, passed away on Sept 19th. He was 76-years old. Mr. Tinsley was a 42-year veteran of the orchestra; he was originally hired by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
89 seconds of awesomeness: “The Rite of Spring” on melodicas (video)
You need to take the time to watch this. You will feel much better afterwards. Seriously. Because these three guys kick some serious ass with this brief arrangement of the Stravinsky classic. (Tip...
View ArticleClik here to view.
LA Opera gives Plácido Domingo a contract extension; let’s hope James Conlon...
Los Angeles Opera announced today that Plácido Domingo will continue on as General Director through at least the end of the 2021/22 season. He has held the title since 2003. (The complete press...
View ArticleClik here to view.
LA Phil offers jazzy start to 2016-17 Walt Disney Concert Hall season
[Publisher’s note: Writer and violinist Fiona Bryan has been a regular contributor to All is Yar, and I’m very happy to welcome her back again for this concert review] The Los Angeles Philharmonic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Adams and Bronfman take on Beethoven very differently with the LA Phil
With the season-opening gala in the rear view mirror, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Music Director Gustavo Dudamel decided to kick-off their regular subscription concerts with a tried-and-true...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Top 7 things to know about “Lagrime di San Pietro” for the LA Master Chorale...
The term “unknown masterpiece” is one usually ascribed to works that haven’t seen the light of day for decades or centuries before somehow being unearthed: a Bach aria stashed amidst birthday cards in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
James Conlon extends LA Opera contract to 2020/2021 season
Los Angeles Opera gets to keep James Conlon around for a little longer. Yesterday, the company announced that the New York-based conductor will remain as Music Director through the end of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
More about LA Opera: first 2017/18 production announced, plus how about a...
This past weekend’s press release from Los Angeles Opera about Music Director James Conlon’s latest contract extension through the end of the 2020/2021 season included statements from General Director...
View ArticleClik here to view.
LA Chamber Orchestra announces 2017/18 season
It’s that special time of year for arts organizations: new season announcement season (yes, I know, it sounds like it came from the department of redundancy department, but bear with me). First out of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
LA Opera announces rest of 2017/18 season
The other shoe has dropped. Having already mentioned that Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice will be on the 2017/18 season docket, Los Angeles Opera announced the rest of next season’s schedule earlier...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Beethoven speaks for himself: LA Master Chorale performs “Missa Solemnis”
When the Los Angeles Master Chorale originally planned Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis for January of its 2016/17 season, the two performances, let alone the inauguration of a new President of the United...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My $0.02 on the (sad) 2017/18 LA Opera season, plus some straight talk from...
Folks, I’m generally an optimistic, positive-thinking kinda guy. I try to find the bright side of things and give people the benefit of the doubt, even when most others wouldn’t dream of it. So leave...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Checking in with the LA Phil (part 1 of 3): the 2017 Hollywood Bowl season...
Lots of things to discuss regarding the Los Angeles Philharmonic — the new Hollywood Bowl season, a quick look back at January’s concerts, and some recent and impending personnel changes within the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Checking in with the LA Phil (part 2 of 3): a quick look back at January’s...
The four weekends of concerts by the Los Angeles Philharmonic this past January were noteworthy for three reasons: the diversity of programming, the quality of playing, and that the first three...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Trumpeter Christopher Martin makes move to NY Phil permanent
Christopher Martin (trumpet) and Jaap van Zweden (conductor) There are some jobs that people expect you to keep for life. Pope. US Supreme Court Justice. Principal Trumpet of the Chicago Symphony....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Checking in with the LA Phil (part 3 of 3): Comings and goings (Feb ’17...
There’s been a fair amount of personnel movement at the Los Angeles Philharmonic over the past few months. Let’s get everybody caught up: Filling empty seats in the Bass section The LA Phil basses...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My $0.02 on the LA Phil’s 2017/18 Walt Disney Concert Hall season: it’s...
This past Tuesday, the Los Angeles Philharmonic announced details of their 2017/2018 Walt Disney Concert Hall season, the 99th Winter/Spring concert series in their history. Once again, orchestral...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Some implications of Deborah Borda leaving LA Phil to go back to NY Phil
The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced this morning that Deborah Borda, the orchestra’s President and CEO, will be stepping down from her post to take the same position with the New York Philharmonic....
View ArticleClik here to view.
The End of the Kahane Era: Five LACO musicians look back on the Music...
Twenty years is a long time to hold any job, especially in the 21st Century, and particularly when that job is Music Director of a professional orchestra. Which makes it all the more remarkable that...
View Article