Los Angeles Philharmonic

The Los Angeles Philharmonic continues its reinvention of the concept of a 21st-century orchestra under the vibrant leadership of Gustavo Dudamel. Embarking on its 92nd season in 2010/11, 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 and redefining the musical experience.

This view is shared by more than one million listeners who experience live performances by the Los Angeles 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, a popular summer tradition since 1922. The orchestra’s involvement with Los Angeles also extends far beyond regular symphonic performances in a concert hall, embracing the schools, churches, and neighborhood 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. The 94 musicians of the new ensemble met for their first rehearsal Monday morning, October 13 of that year, under the direction of Walter Henry Rothwell, whom Clark had brought from the St. Paul (Minnesota) Symphony Orchestra. Eleven days later, Rothwell conducted the orchestra’s premiere performance before a capacity audience of 2,400 at Trinity Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles. The audience heard Dvořák’s New World Symphony, Liszt’s Les Préludes, the Overture to Weber’s Oberon, and Chabrier’s España.