Top LA Phil Concerts in the 2026-2027 Season

As a former Los Angeles resident, I always looked forward to the start of the LA Phil season. It would have been very easy to recommend concerts filled with works you and I know very well and can hear in many major orchestras’ seasons.

Don’t blame me for challenging us all to go outside our comfort zones and try something new.

Here are the top LA Phil concerts I would want to attend if I were in Los Angeles in the 2026-2027 season. Note that all concerts take place at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

ELIM CHAN CONDUCTS “SWAN LAKE” – October 16^th – October 18^th

A SYMPHONIC BALLET WITH ELIM CHAN– October 22^nd – October 25^th

 I was rooting for Elim Chan to become the new music director for the LA Phil. San Francisco got her first.

Here’s what audiences can expect when they see her:

Tremendous enthusiasm, intense knowledge of the music and a great way of communicating with the musicians.

The first concert opens with the world premiere of Dance Card by Donghoon Shin. I’m a big fan of his The Hunter’s Funeral.

That’s followed by Yefim Bronfman playing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major, S. 125.

The concert closes with, as the title suggests, a suite of music from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.

The second week’s program opens with Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, L. 86. That is followed by the work that has me most excited about this concert.

Samuel Adams’ Violin Concerto No. 2, “The Wheel” has its world premiere. It has been over 12 years since his first violin concerto had its world premiere with the Berkeley Symphony. Karen Gomyo is the soloist.

The concert concludes with Stravinsky’s Petrushka.

SEASONS OF AMERICA with TEDDY ABRAMS & RAY CHEN – October 29^th and November 1st

American music is explored in this concert. The main attraction for me is the world premiere of Abrams’ Seasons of America which is described as a “stateside take on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.” Abrams wrote this for violinist Ray Chen who is the soloist.

Over three hundred years have transpired since Vivaldi wrote his expression of the seasons through music.

I anticipate Abrams will have a very topical approach to those seasons today.

Julia Perry’s A Short Piece for Orchestra precedes Seasons of America.

After the intermission, Three Places in New England by Charles Ives is performed. That is followed by Gershwin’s An American in Paris.

DANIEL HARDING & LEIF OVE ANDSNES – November 6^th – November 8^th

Conductor Daniel Harding is the Music Director Designate for the LA Phil replacing Gustavo Dudamel. This is the first of two programs that will allow audiences to get to know him better.

The concert opens with Latest by Betsy Jolas.

The Friday concert is part of the Casual Fridays program, an evening designed to be shorter.

Audiences won’t get to see and hear Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah” on Friday.

Mezzo-soprano Avery Amereau joins for the Bernstein.

Pianist Andsnes performs Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2  to end all three concerts. I admire Andsnes and love Bernstein, thus my recommendation of this concert as a great evening of music in addition to being a chance to experience Harding.

HILARY HAHN, MATTHIAS GOERNE, YEKWON SUNWOO – December 3^rd

This is a recital and does not feature the LA Phil. However, it is anchored by the world premiere of a new work for violin and baritone by composer Reena Esmail.

Hahn is the violinist and Goerne is the baritone.

The concert opens with Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 5, “Spring.” Pianist Sunwoo joins Hahn for that.

A selection of songs by Beethoven will follow featuring Goerne.

Then the main attraction: Esmail’s work. That’s reason enough for me to want to see this concert.

DANIEL HARDING LEADS STRAUSS – January 8^th – January 10th

Since I showcased Harding’s first series of concerts, I felt it only fair to include the second one.

This concert opens with The Exterminating Angel Symphony from composer Thomas Adés. I love this work. His music is rich and complicated. This will be a good showcase for Harding and his comfort with contemporary music.

Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 2 with LA Phil’s Andrew Bain as the soloist is up next.

The evening closes with Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30. It might be better known as the music from 2001: A Space Odyssey. But I’m willing to bet you might not have heard the entire 34-minute work before.

Just don’t expect apes.

A DAY IN THE LIFE – January 26^th

I couldn’t tell you what’s going to be performed at this concert. I can only tell you the three things I need to know to be assured this will be a memorable evening:

Esa-Pekka Salonen is leading the LA Phil New Music Group and Yuval Sharon is directing. That’s enough for me.

The website indicates that this is an 80-minute concert that explores “the journey of an entire day.”

In their hands, I’d love to see what that day looks, sounds and feels like.

SALONEN LEADS SMITH & SIBELIUS – January 29^th – January 31^st

You didn’t think Salonen would be in for just one concert, did you?

I’ve never heard Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus, Concerto for Birds and Orchestra live. That opens the program which is followed by the US premiere of How To Be a Bird by Gabriella Smith.

I might know a thing or two about being a byrd, but Smith’s music is regularly intoxicating.

I expect this to be so as well. This is a violin concerto that features Alexi Kenney as soloist.

The concert closes with Sibelius Symphony No. 5.

Interestingly, the San Francisco Symphony presents the same program March 18^th – 20^th with Dima Slobodeniouk conducting. You can find details about that concert, HERE.

ONE MORNING TURNS INTO AN ETERNITY WITH ESA-PEKKA SALONEN – February 5^th – February 7^th

To be clear, the concert’s title ends with eternity. It isn’t making a statement about Salonen.

Having sorted that out, any time Salonen and director Peter Sellars team up, it’s worth my attention and yours.

Grief is at the center of these concerts.

Schoenberg’s Erwartung opens the concert. The work features a soprano (Ausrine Stundyte) searching for her lover in the woods.

Webern’s oh-so-brief Five Pieces for Orchestra follows before more grief. But what grief it is.

Mahler’s Der Abschied from Das Lied von der Erde closes out this concert. Mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron sings this piece whose title translates to The Farewell. We’re talking the final farewell here. Death.

I expect this to be a powerfully moving evening of music.

MILES DAVIS AT 100: COOL & BEYOND – February 19^th

There have been so many concerts celebrating the centennial of the legendary Miles Davis. What makes this one different?

The Miles Electric Band will certainly focus, as they usually do, on later work by Davis. They’re quite good and always worth a listen.

What excites me is the Birth of the Cool Nonet.

Which implies, of course, that they will perform Birth of the Cool.

Get a load of the band members: Brian Blade on drums, John Clayton on bass, Gerald Clayton on piano, Theo Croker on trumpet, Aubrey Foard on tuba, Ido Meshulam on trombone, Amy Sanchez on French horn, Bob Sheppard on alto sax and Gary Smulyan on baritone.

This is a one-night-only concert.

WOLFE & MATTINGLY – February 25^th

I love the Green Umbrella New Music Series and this concert (also one-night only), demonstrates why.

Pianist/composer Timo Andres performs Glass Houses No. 14 by Ann Southam. Julia Wolfe’s Cruel Sister follows.

Wolfe’s work also opens the second half of the concert with the world premiere of hold sway. This is a world premiere

The soloist is bass trombonist John Lofton.

The concert concludes with the world premiere of Leaves of Grass by Dylan Mattingly – a wonderfully inventive composer.  As you can surmise from the title, Walt Whitman’s poems are the inspiration for Mattingly.

David Bloom leads the LA Phil New Music Group.

JOHN ADAMS/RHYTHMIC LINES – March 16^th

Here’s another Green Umbrella concert. This one features four world premieres.

The concert finds John Adams as conductor and curator of the program.

He leads the LA Phil New Music Group in his own Clarinet Etude, a 5-minute work that will showcase Boris Allakhverdyan as the soloist. (WP #1)

John Cage’s First Construction (In Metal) and Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Organ and Percussion close out the first act. Joanne Pearce Martin is the soloist.

The second half is chock full of new works:

Conrad Tao’s Pacific 88 will also feature Martin as the soloist. He’s an extraordinarily talented musician and a truly fine composer. I’m glad there’s new work to hear from him. I should also say, he’s a friend. (WP #2)

Wang Lu’s new work for ensemble is WP #3.

The concert closes with Jlin’snew work for ensemble (they apparently haven’t settled on names yet). This is WP #4.

MEREDITH MONK INDRA’S NET – April 6^th

In 2019 I was blown away by the LA Phil’s production of Monk’s ATLAS: An Opera in Three Parts. It was truly a night to be remembered.

This gives me high hopes for this concert of Indra’s Net. Monk’s work had a concert performance in 2021 and a formal premiere at Park Avenue Armory in 2024.

The best person to describe the work is Monk.

THIS New York Times interview tells you a lot about Indra’s Net.

Christopher Rountree leads Wild Up with Monk as vocalist and John Hollenbeck on percussion.

Expect interesting music, movement, video, sets and more.

I’ve always admired Monk’s work more than I’ve embraced it. After ATLAS, I’d go to this concert lickety-split.

CARLOS SIMON’S “DREAMING TOGETHER” – April 17^th and April 24^th

It isn’t often I recommend a Symphonies for Youth concert. The world premiere of Dreaming Together from composer Carlos Simon makes this a compelling exception.

He was inspired by Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. But what will this be? Certainly not the same thing. That’s not Simon’s style.

Marc Bamuthi Joseph serves as narrator.

The concert opens with Shostakovich’s Festive Overture – which just may be the only work by the Russian composer not to scare the crap out of kids.

JAMES MCVINNIE’S POWER SWITCH – April 27^th

This is another Green Umbrella concert. Power Switch features organist, keyboardist James McVinnie. He curated this concert exploring “the convergence of vintage technology and acoustic resonance.”

There are also four world premieres on this program and they all, for now, have the same name: new work.

Those composers are Tristan Perich, Sarah Davachi, Claire M. Singer and Squarepusher.

The one work that isn’t a world premiere is The Unquestioned Answer by Laurie Spegel, arranged by McVinnie.

If you’ve never heard the pipe organ at Walt Disney Concert Hall, this will be a great showcase for all it can do.

Those are my top LA Phil Concerts in the 2026-2027 season.

To check out the full schedule, please go HERE.

For the concerts I’ve selected, there are hyperlinks built into each title of the concert.

What are you going to see?

Main Photo: Daniel Harding (Photo by Polly Brown/Courtesy Askonas Holt)