Music is a universal language that transcends borders and barriers. It belongs to everyone, and it has the power to bring people together, to inspire, and to heal. We must ensure that every person, no matter their background, has the opportunity to experience the beauty and joy that music brings.
As always, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association remains deeply grateful for the invaluable support, encouragement, and advocacy of donors like you. We are delighted to present our 2024 Music for All Report, celebrating the myriad ways the LA Phil engages and enriches our community through the power of music. This report features just a few highlights demonstrating our continued commitment to fostering creativity, learning, and cultural exchange, enabled through the generosity of our patrons.
From the outstanding achievements of the YOLA Class of 2024 to the enriching experiences of the Composer Fellows, every story and statistic is a testament to the transformative power of music and the vital role you play in our success. Your partnership has built a foundation of excellence, and we are excited to build upon this foundation, expanding our programs and reaching even more individuals in the years to come.
Music for All: Youth and Families
YOLA Class of 2024: By the Numbers
Learn more about YOLA's local and national programs
The high school graduation rate for YOLA musicians stands at 100%. In 2024, YOLA’s graduating class of 46 students are all planning to attend college.
• 74% will be attending four-year institutions.
• 63% will be the first in their families to attend college.
• 40% of graduating students are planning to study music as a major or minor (an increase of 20% from last year).
• 28 participated in the YOLA Institute, which provides special opportunities for artistic growth and development as musicians prepare to pursue education and careers in and around music.
Video: "What is YOLA?"
YOLA Musician Spotlight: Ayde, Flute and Oboe
Sixteen-year-old Ayde is a YOLA musician with a lot on her mind and even more on her plate. On top of schoolwork and family responsibilities at home, Ayde plays the flute and oboe in the LA Phil’s music education program.
Ayde says it hasn’t been easy being a kid while trying to make wise, mature decisions for her future, but she’s found a safe space in YOLA to dream big, express herself, and make progress toward her long-term goals.
Video: "Wisdom from Ayde"
YOLA European Tour, Spring 2024
Twenty-three high-school seniors from YOLA participated in the LA Phil’s 2024 international tour, in events in Barcelona and Paris. These students play in the YOLA Institute Symphony Orchestra, the top level of the enhanced musical training program for our advanced musicians. They represented YOLA at two international youth events: Chords of Harmony: the International Youth Orchestra Summit and Celebration, a collaboration of the LA Phil, Acción por la Música, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Palau de la Música Catalana, and Escuela Superior de Música de Cataluña (ESMUC), with a culminating open rehearsal conducted by Gustavo Dudamel at the spectacular Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona on May 27; and Paris’ Youth Leadership Day, in collaboration with the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse on May 30.
This was the 10th year that YOLA musicians toured alongside the LA Phil, sharing YOLA’s hopeful message of music’s transformative power with international audiences. Touring is an important opportunity for artistic growth in our most advanced YOLA students, creating space for cultural exchange and inspiration, for experiences outside their usual comfort zones, and to form deeper bonds with their fellow musicians.
Support for YOLA on tour is generously provided by The Rafael & Luisa de Marchena-Huyke Foundation.
Composer Fellowship Program: A Year in Review
What is the Composer Fellowship Program? Learn more.
Designed by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky, the Composer Fellowship Program (CFP) is a tuition-free intensive administered by the LA Phil. Students work with LA Phil musicians and guest artists in frequent reading sessions; hear their pieces performed by the LA Phil, chamber groups, and other orchestras; attend more than 20 concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl each year; and engage with many of the world’s greatest living composers.
The support of donors enables the LA Phil to offer CFP completely free of charge. This year the program worked to emphasize interactions with visiting composers, offering Fellows invaluable insights into the creative process and professional life. Community Hour sessions with conductor and Dudamel Fellow Carlos Ágreda and visits from composers including Saad Haddad (a CFP alumnus), Nico Muhly, Veronika Krausas, and Matt McBane enriched the Fellows’ understanding of contemporary music composition.
The program featured master classes with LA Phil harpist Emmanuel Ceysson and bass guitarist Victor Wooten, focusing on how to write for their unique instruments. CFP also included visits from composers Zosha Di Castri and Jonathan Bailey Holland. These educational experiences advanced the program’s mission of nurturing the next generation of talented composers.
Critical to the program’s success were contributions that supported leadership and faculty guidance, provided resources at the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center, and facilitated collaborations with ensembles like the Southeast Symphony. Donor contributions ensured a diverse cohort, enriching the learning environment with a range of perspectives and experiences.
Notably, the program produced professional-quality recordings of Fellows’ compositions, important for college applications and auditions, and saw alumni excelling at prestigious institutions like Brown University and UCLA. An exciting update for this year, all 11 CFP graduates will be majoring in music this coming fall.
Learn more about programs that provide accessible and affordable music experiences for young people!
Symphonies for Schools
Student Insiders
Music for All: Pre-Professional and Professional Musicians, Artists, and Stagehands
Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen LA Phil Resident Fellows Musician Spotlight: Elizabeth Linares
What is the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen LA Phil Resident Fellows program? Learn more.
Elizabeth Linares’ remarkable journey with the LA Phil highlights the transformative power of music education and the crucial role of donor support. As a YOLA Teaching Artist, the horn player used the Beckmen YOLA Center’s state-of-the-art recording capabilities to prepare her audition materials, an opportunity that proved pivotal in advancing her musical career. “The resources at the Beckmen YOLA Center were a game changer for me,” Elizabeth reflects. “Being able to professionally record my audition material gave me the confidence and quality I needed to succeed.”
The resources at the Beckmen YOLA Center were a game changer for me... Being able to professionally record my audition material gave me the confidence and quality I needed to succeed.
Her connection to YOLA and the Beckmen YOLA Center has been a cornerstone of Elizabeth’s development, leading to her current role as a Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen LA Phil Resident Fellow. Born in Venezuela and shaped by the El Sistema program, Elizabeth has always set high expectations for herself. “Growing up in El Sistema, the culture is that you can always be working harder, doing more. Through the Fellowship, I discovered that I am good enough; otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” she says.
Elizabeth’s story is a testament to the significant role that philanthropic support plays in cultivating talent and fostering a vibrant, inclusive musical community. “Every step of my journey has been supported by the incredible mentors and champions who believe in the power of music education,” she says. “Their support not only empowered me but also continues to inspire and uplift the next generation of musicians.”
Workforce Development Program
The LA Phil, in partnership with the IATSE Local 33 Union, provides young professionals with the opportunity to join the IATSE Local 33 Union and build a career in stagecraft while working at the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our generous donors, whose support makes this transformative program possible.
The Workforce Development Program (WDP) is a paid two-year program whose participants work at the Beckmen YOLA Center (BYC) under the supervision and mentorship of the Lead Stage Technician. This initiative is a testament to our commitment to providing comprehensive access to the music industry, not only for musicians but also for various vital roles serving as stagehands, technicians, and in administrative positions.
WDP participants receive hands-on experience in all technical aspects of staging, including carpentry, rigging, property, audio, video, lighting, and projection. This program equips them with the skills needed to become highly proficient technicians and stagehands. Additionally, the WDP offers career planning, networking, and professional development resources, ensuring that participants are well-prepared for diverse career paths within the music industry.
Learn more about programs that support emerging talent.
Dudamel Fellows
The FordLab Producers Program
Music for All: Adults and the Community
Insight on Insight
LA Phil Insight is generously supported by Linda and David Shaheen.
The LA Phil Insight initiative takes the work on our stages as a starting point for exploration. Bringing together a diverse range of guest curators, artists, and partner organizations with intellectually curious audiences, our Insight efforts dig into festival and project themes, uncovering their many meanings with a sense of thoughtfulness and play.
Two highlights of Insight programs from the past year include:
California Festival
Last fall, the statewide California Festival showcased the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in the preceding five years in the Golden State. As part of the Festival, LA Phil Insight created editorial offerings, ranging from playlists and audio interviews to in-depth articles and graphic scores, from artists and scholars including Geeta Dayal, Josh Kun, and Nadia Sirota.
Of special note, the Festival celebrated Mad Libs: A journey through storytelling and the celebration of dynamic women composers, featuring YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) and musicians from the Juilliard School. Held at the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center in its first open-to-the-public performance, the program included the premiere of Mad Libs, a co-commission with New Music USA as part of Amplifying Voices, written by composer Nina Shekhar, a graduate of the LA Phil’s Composer Fellowship Program.
Although the Festival concluded in November, the rich body of work created by the Insight team lives on at the California Festival “Excursions” website.
The California Festival was generously supported by the Michael J. Connell Foundation, Christian Stracke, and the MaddocksBrown Fund for New Music.
See / Feel / Hear Music
Building on the work of the LA Phil and Deaf West Theatre and the historic collaboration Fidelio, See / Feel / Hear Music invited audiences to engage with Deaf artists whose work explores the creation and reception of music, the innate music of sign language, and the politics of sound. Curated by Deaf West Theatre in collaboration with LA Phil Insight, the symposium offered conversations, presentations, film, and lobby activations.
The daylong program included two panels curated by Deaf West Theatre Artistic Director DJ Kurs featuring cast members from Fidelio and discussions on the politics and poetry of signed performance; a screening of The Tuba Thieves, directed by Alison O’Daniel, which explores themes of what it means to experience sound; and a video installation by Andrew Yee. Attendees received a commemorative chapbook with a compelling selection of essays and works of visual art. The day culminated in back-to-back conversations with world-renowned percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and multidisciplinary artist Christine Sun Kim.
The May 2024 production of Fidelio was generously supported by the Lloyd E. Rigler–Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Learn more about programs that extend music beyond our stages and provide meaningful entry points to the art form:
CODA
Sound/Stage
Radio Broadcasts
Upbeat Live
Music 101
In conclusion, just the beginning…
As we look to the future, we are eager to share more of our journey with you. Together, with the assurance of your partnership, we will continue to create, innovate, and inspire through the universal language of music. Thank you for believing in the LA Phil and for making all of this possible.
We can’t wait to update you on our exciting new endeavors!