LCSD-Cultural Presentations Section

The Los Angeles Philharmonic

"If ever an orchestra was riding the crest of a wave, it is the Los Angeles Philharmonic." The Times (London)

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is defining the concept of a "21st century orchestra" with innovation and exuberance under the dynamic leadership of Esa-Pekka Salonen, music director since 1992 and a distinguished composer in his own right. Now in its 90th season, the Philharmonic is recognized as one of the world's outstanding orchestras, and is received enthusiastically by audiences and critics alike. Both at home and abroad the Philharmonic is leading the way in innovative programming that is consistently opening doors and redefining the musical experience.

This view is shared by more than one million listeners who experience live performances by the Philharmonic each year. The Philharmonic demonstrates a breadth and depth of programming unrivaled by other orchestras and cultural institutions, performing or presenting nearly 300 concerts throughout the year at its two iconic venues: Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl concerts at the Hollywood Bowl has been a popular summer tradition since 1922. The orchestra's involvement with Los Angeles also extends far beyond regular symphony concerts in a concert hall, embracing schools, churches and neighbourhood centers of a vastly diverse community.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic was founded by William Andrews Clark Jr., a multi-millionaire and amateur musician, who established the city's first permanent symphony orchestra in 1919. Walter Henry Rothwell became its first music director, serving until 1927 and, since then, nine renowned conductors have served in that capacity: Georg Schnéevoigt; Artur Rodzinski; Otto Klemperer; Alfred Wallenstein; Eduard van Beinum; Zubin Mehta; Carlo Maria Giulini; André Previn; and, since the 1992-93 season, Esa-Pekka Salonen.

In October 2003, the doors to one of the world's most celebrated venues - the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall - were opened and the Los Angeles Philharmonic took the stage in its new home. Inspired to consider new directions, Salonen and the Philharmonic aim to find programming that remains faithful to tradition, yet also seeks new ground, new audiences, and ways to enhance the symphonic music experience.

Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonic have led the way into the digital age, being the first orchestra to offer live concerts for download exclusively online within a week of the performance. Through a partnership with Deutsche Grammophon (DG), DG Concerts has brought Philharmonic concerts of music by Beethoven, Anders Hillborg and Lutoslawski, as well as Reich, Pärt and Andriessen, to iTunes in 2006. In the 2007/08 season concerts from the Sibelius Unbound series were recorded and additional concerts are scheduled for recording in future seasons.

Esa-Pekka Salonen

Music Director

"Salonen directed an invigoration performance…this performance was lush and polished, with an exciting showcase for an exciting orchestra." The Times (London)

Esa-Pekka Salonen, the 10th conductor to head the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is now in his 16th season as Music Director. His current tenure is the second-longest in the Philharmonic's history. Salonen, who was born in Helsinki in 1958, studied at the Sibelius Academy in Finland. In 1979, he made his conducting debut with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and his American debut conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1984. He was recently appointed Principal Conductor of London's Philharmonia. In addition, Salonen has won acclaim for his work as a composer.

Among the many highlights of Salonen's career with the Los Angeles Philharmonic have been world premieres of works by composers John Adams, Franco Donatoni, Anders Hillborg, William Kraft, Magnus Lindberg, Witold Lutoslawski, Bernard Rands, Kaija Saariaho, Rodion Shchedrin, Steven Stucky, Tan Dun, and Augusta Read Thomas, as well as his own works. He has led critically acclaimed festivals of music by Ligeti, Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Berlioz, and Beethoven, and the Tristan Project. He and the Philharmonic have toured extensively since 1992. In October of 2003, Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic opened Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry.

In March 2003, Salonen signed an exclusive four-year recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. The following year, DG released a disc devoted to his recent orchestral works, featuring Foreign Bodies, Insomnia, and Wing on Wing. In January 2006, Salonen and the Philharmonic recorded their first CD together for DG, the first live recording from Walt Disney Concert Hall. (Salonen and the Philharmonic also have four live concert recordings available for download on iTunes from DG Concerts.) Before signing with DG, Salonen recorded regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for Sony Classical.

Salonen is the recipient of several major awards including the Siena Prize from the Accademia Chigiana in 1993, the first conductor ever to receive the prize; the Royal Philharmonic Society's Opera Award in 1995; and their Conductor Award in 1997. In 1998, he was awarded the rank of Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. Musical America named him 2006 Musician of the Year.

Yefim Bronfman is widely regarded as one of the most talented virtuoso pianists performing today. His commanding technique and exceptional lyrical gifts have won him consistent critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences worldwide, whether for his solo recitals, his prestigious orchestral engagements or his rapidly growing catalogue of recordings.

As an "On Location" Artist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the 2008 – 09 season, Bronfman will appear in two subscription concerts as well as a tour of the Far East with that orchestra and Esa-Pekka Salonen in addition to a chamber music concert with the orchestra's musicians.

Bronfman appears regularly with such celebrated ensembles as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, London's Philharmonia, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Orchestre de Paris and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He has worked with an equally illustrious group of conductors, including Daniel Barenboim, Herbert Blomstedt, Christoph von Dohnányi, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Valery Gergiev, Mariss Jansons, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Yuri Temirkanov, Franz Welser-Mòst, and David Zinman. Summer engagements have regularly taken him to the Aspen, Bad Kissingen, Blossom, Hollywood Bowl, Lucerne, Mann Music Center, Mostly Mozart, Ravinia, Salzburg, Saratoga, Tanglewood, and Verbier festivals.

Bronfman has also given numerous solo recitals in the leading halls of North America, Europe and the Far East, including acclaimed debuts at Carnegie Hall in 1989 and Avery Fisher Hall in 1993. In 1991 he gave a series of joint recitals with Isaac Stern in Russia, marking Bronfman's first public performances there since his emigration to Israel at age 15. That same year he was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize, one of the highest honours given to American instrumentalists.

Bronfman has won widespread praise for his solo, chamber and orchestral recordings. He won a Grammy award in 1997 for his recording of the three Bartok Piano Concertos with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His discography also includes the complete Prokofiev Piano Sonatas; all five of the Prokofiev Piano Concertos, nominated for both Grammy and Gramophone awards.