Last night the Los Angeles Philharmonic held its Gala Opening Concert to launch their 99th season. Here are my picks for the most exciting classical music concerts of the 2017-2018 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
CDMX: NEW MUSIC FROM MEXICO (CONTEMPORARY MEXICO)
Date: October 17
As part of the Green Umbrella series, the LA Phil New Music Group will present an evening of music by contemporary Mexican composers. All five scheduled pieces are both world premieres and LA Philharmonic commissions. The entire CDMX series looks fascinating.
SHAHAM IN RECITAL
Date: October 18th
No one radiates as much joy in performance as violinist Gil Shaham. In this concert Shaham will be joined by Akira Eguchi on piano. The program includes Prokofiev’s Five Melodies and Bach’s Partita No. 3 for solo violin.
WAR OF THE WORLDS
Date: November 12
Innovative director Yuval Sharon (Invisible Cities, Hopscotch) teams up with conductor Christopher Rountree (Wild Up!) for this world premiere of a new work by Annie Gosfield. This is inspired by the 1938 Orson Welles’ radio broadcast that had millions convinced that aliens were invading the United States.
BERNSTEIN’S MASS WITH DUDAMEL
Dates: Feb 1-Feb 4
As part of worldwide celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, Gustavo Dudamel will be leading the LA Philharmonic in Bernstein’s MASS. Long considered to be a fascinating but messy composition, look for Dudamel to bring some order and understanding to this over 90-minute composition.
COMPOSER SALONEN SERIES
Dates: Feb 8-Feb 18
Former LA Philharmonic conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to the podium for a celebration of his work. Including in this series are three concerti: The Cello Concerto with Yo-Yo Ma, his piano concert with Yefim Bronfman and his violin concerto with Leila Josefowicz. He’ll also be conducting his Wing on Wing, originally written for the opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall. In April, Gustavo Dudamel will be conducting a world premiere of a new work by Salonen.
Dates: Feb 23-Feb 25
LA Opera conductor James Conlon will be at the podium for the world premiere of a new Organ Concerto by Nico Muhly. If Muhly’s name sounds familiar, he’s written film scores, collaborated with Björk and Grizzly Bear. The combination of his unique compositions with the mighty organ at Walt Disney Concert Hall makes this a high priority. The Mussorgsky composition is Pictures at an Exhibition.
Dates: Mar 2-3
If you saw Martin Scorsese’s film Hugo, you are familiar with the 1902 silent film by Georges Mélies. That’s the inspiration for this new work by Andrew Norman making its US Premiere. Appropriately it is being paired with The Planets by Holst. Joining the LA Phil is the LA Master Chorale and the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus. Once again, Yuval Sharon is directing this concert.
Dates: Mar 13-14
Any opportunity to see the legendary Martha Argerich at the piano is a gift. Teaming with violinist Itzhak Perlman, this concert showcases Bach’s Sonata for Keyboard and Violin and Franck’s Violin Sonata in A.
Dates: April 5-7
Gustavo Dudamel has proven himself to be a master interpreter of Mahler. For this concert, the LA Philharmonic is teaming with Chilean theater company Teatrocinema. Coming after a period of great loss for Mahler, this emotional work should find Dudamel and the Phil at their best.
SCHUMANN CYCLE
Dates: May 17-June 3
To close out the 99th LA Philharmonic Season Gustavo Dudamel will lead the orchestra in a cycle of all four of Schumann’s symphonies. Also included will be the composer’s cello concerto, his piano concerto (performed by Mitsuko Uchida) an evening of chamber music and the rarely performed Das Paradies und die Peri (with Peter Sellars as director.)