LOS ANGELES, September 8, 2022 – LA Phil Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel will mark his 14th season with the orchestra during 2022/23, leading 10 programs at Walt Disney Concert Hall that reflect the extraordinary depth of his musicianship and testify to his unparalleled gift for reaching audiences of every background.
The season will begin on September 27 with the annual Gala Concert, this year honoring composer John Williams’s 90th birthday. Dudamel’s programs will continue with his highly anticipated first Tristan and Isolde as part of the acclaimed Tristan Project, holiday concert performances of The Nutcracker: Tchaikovsky & Ellington, collaborations with renowned soloists including Yuja Wang and Mitsuko Uchida, world premieres of LA Phil commissions by composers Gabriella Smith and Ellen Reid, and performances of major works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Mahler.
While away from Walt Disney Concert Hall this season, Dudamel will lead the LA Phil in a fall 2022 tour to New York, Boston, and Mexico City as well as Guanajuato as part of the Cervantino Festival.
Gustavo Dudamel said, “This season is a moment of celebration. We celebrate legends like John Williams. We celebrate brilliant composers, from Gabriella Smith and Ellen Reid to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Duke Ellington. We celebrate our diversity—as well as all that unites us—in our Pan-American Music Initiative. But most of all, we celebrate the joy of making music together and sharing that music with our beloved audiences in Walt Disney Concert Hall.”
Celebrating John Williams’s 90th Birthday
Launching the 2022/23 season with the LA Phil’s annual Gala concert, Gustavo Dudamel shares the podium with his close friend and inspiration John Williams in a night celebrating the legendary composer’s 90th birthday. Joined by acclaimed violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, Williams opens the evening conducting his Second Violin Concerto, a piece he wrote for Mutter that they premiered last year. To continue the program, Dudamel leads selections from Williams’ beloved film scores.
Pan-American Music Initiative
In 2022/23, Dudamel continues the five-year Pan-American Music Initiative, building artistic “bridges of understanding” across borders, with a series of three programs, performed from September 30 through October 16. Opening with Mozart and Orbón with Dudamel (Sept 30 - Oct 2), the program will include Cuban composer Julián Orbón’s Tres versiones sinfónicas, a theme and variations drawing on music from French Gregorian chant to Congolese drumming. The program will also include music from LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams with his I Still Dance alongside two works by Mozart that spotlight the LA Phil’s harpist Emmanuel Ceysson and Principal Flute Denis Bouriakov. For the second program, Oct 6 - 9, Dudamel will reprise an LA Phil commission he premiered in May, Gabriela Ortiz’s electrifying violin concerto Altar de cuerda, with María Dueñas as soloist, pairing the work with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. On Oct 13-16, the program will range across Mexico and the United States with Ortiz’s Kauyumari (an LA Phil commission), Arturo Márquez’ Fandango (with Anne Akiko Meyers as violin soloist), and Aaron Copland’s stirring Symphony No. 3. These latter two programs are the repertoire for the orchestra’s fall tour to the East Coast and Mexico.
Highlights of Dudamel’s Season: The Nutcracker, The Tristan Project,
Rachmaninoff with Yuja Wang, World Premieres of Music by Gabriella Smith and Ellen Reid,
Mahler’s First, Beethoven’s Seventh, and Mozart with Mitsuko Uchida
To welcome in the holiday season, Dudamel will lead Tchaikovsky’s irresistible The Nutcracker (Dec 3-18), in a program including both the selections from the ballet as well as Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington’s swinging reimagination of the original. This will be the first time since 2013 that Dudamel has conducted The Nutcracker in concert with the orchestra.
In a long-awaited first for Dudamel, he will lead the LA Phil in the Tristan Project (December 9 - 17), the widely acclaimed production of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde directed by Peter Sellars, with video by Bill Viola. When it premiered in 2004, the Tristan Project was hailed as a revelatory exploration of the psychological, spiritual, and elemental dimensions of Wagner’s trailblazing opera. Now the Tristan Project returns at last, with Dudamel conducting the orchestra and a stellar cast headed by tenor Michael Weinius and soprano Miina-Liisa Värelä.
Renowned virtuoso Yuja Wang will join Dudamel and the LA Phil for the Rachmaninoff Cycle (Feb 9 - 19), a bold traversal over two weekends of all of Rachmaninoff’s beloved piano concertos, including the rarely performed Fourthand Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Also on the programs will be the composer’s, Symphonic Dances and The Bells.
On May 25 - 27, Dudamel will lead the orchestra in the world premieres of two LA Phil commissions—Gabriella Smith’s concerto Lost Coast, featuring cello soloist Gabriel Cabezas, and Ellen Reid’s West Coast Sky Eternal—paired with Beethoven’s vibrant, ever-popular Symphony No. 7.
The peerless Mozart interpreter Mitsuko Uchida will join Dudamel as soloist (June 1 - 4) for a program that pairs the composer’s final piano concerto, No. 27 in B-flat major, with his final symphony, No. 41, the magisterial “Jupiter.” Rounding out the program, Dudamel will lead the orchestra in Mozart’s exuberant overture to The Magic Flute.
PROGRAMMING DETAILS
Gala - John Williams Celebration
Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 7PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
John Williams, conductor
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin
John WILLIAMS Just Down West Street
John WILLIAMS Violin Concerto No. 2
John WILLIAMS “Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra” from Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade
John WILLIAMS “Princess Leia’s Theme” from Star Wars: A New Hope
John WILLIAMS “Adventures on Earth” from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Mozart and Orbón with Dudamel
Pan-American Music Initiative
Friday, September 30, 2022, at 8PM
Saturday, October 1, 2022, at 8PM
Sunday, October 2, 2022, at 2PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Denis Bouriakov, flute
Emmanuel Ceysson, harp
John ADAMS I Still Dance
MOZART Concerto for Flute and Harp
MOZART Serenade No. 6, “Serenata Notturna”
ORBóN Tres versiones sinfónicas
Dudamel Leads Ortiz and Mahler
Pan-American Music Initiative
Thursday, October 6, at 8PM
Friday, October 7, at 8PM
Saturday, October 8, at 8PM
Sunday, October 9, at 2PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
María Dueñas, violin
Gabriela ORTIZ Altar de cuerda (LA Phil commission)
MAHLER Symphony No. 1
Dudamel Conducts Copland and Márquez
Pan-American Music Initiative
Thursday, October 13, at 8PM
Friday, October 14, at 11AM
Saturday, October 15, at 2PM
Sunday, October 16, at 2PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Anne Akiko Meyers, violin
Gabriela ORTIZ Kauyumari (LA Phil commission)
Arturo MÁRQUEZ Fandango
COPLAND Symphony No. 3
The Nutcracker with Dudamel: Tchaikovsky & Ellington
Saturday, December 3, 2022, at 8PM
Sunday, December 4, 2022, at 2PM
Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at 8PM
Sunday, December 18, 2022, at 2PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
TCHAIKOVSKY Selections from The Nutcracker
TCHAIKOVSKY/ELLINGTON/STRAYHORN (arr. TYZIK) The Nutcracker Suite
Dudamel Leads the Tristan Project: Act I
Friday, December 9, at 8PM
Thursday, December 15, at 8PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor Peter Sellars, director
Bill Viola, visual artist
Michael Weinius, Tristan
Miina-Liisa Värelä, Isolde
Eric Owens, Marke
Okka von der Damerau, Brangäne
Ryan Speedo Green, Kurwenal
Robert Stahley, Melot
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Artistic Director
Jenny Wong, Associate Artistic Director
WAGNER Tristan und Isolde, Act I
Dudamel Leads the Tristan Project: Act II
Saturday, December 10, at 8PM
Friday December 16, at 8PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Peter Sellars, director
Bill Viola, visual artist
Michael Weinius, Tristan
Miina-Liisa Värelä, Isolde
Eric Owens, Marke
Okka von der Damerau, Brangäne
Ryan Speedo Green, Kurwenal
Robert Stahley, Melot
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Artistic Director
Jenny Wong, Associate Artistic Director
WAGNER Tristan und Isolde, Act II
Dudamel Leads the Tristan Project: Act III
Sunday, December 11, at 2PM
Saturday, December 17, at 8PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Peter Sellars, director
Bill Viola, visual artist
Michael Weinius, Tristan
Miina-Liisa Värelä, Isolde
Eric Owens, Marke
Okka von der Damerau, Brangäne
Ryan Speedo Green, Kurwenal
Robert Stahley, Melot
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Artistic Director
Jenny Wong, Associate Artistic Director
WAGNER Tristan und Isolde, Act III
Yuja Wang & Dudamel: Rachmaninoff Concerto 1
Thursday, February 9, at 8PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Yuja Wang, piano
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 1
RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances
Yuja Wang & Dudamel: Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody
Friday, February 10, at 11AM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Yuja Wang, piano
RACHMANINOFF Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances
Yuja Wang & Dudamel: Rachmaninoff Concerto 2
Saturday, February 11, at 8PM
Sunday, February 12 at 2PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Yuja Wang, piano
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2
RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances
Yuja Wang & Dudamel: Rachmaninoff Concerto 3
Thursday, February 16, at 8PM
Friday, February 17, at 8PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Yuja Wang, piano
Mané Galoyan, soprano
Simon Bode, tenor
Alfred Walker, bass-baritone
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Artistic Director
Jenny Wong, Associate Artistic Director
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3
RACHMANINOFF The Bells
Yuja Wang & Dudamel: Rachmaninoff Concerto 4
Saturday, February 18, at 2PM
Sunday, February 19, at 2PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Yuja Wang, piano
Mané Galoyan, soprano
Simon Bode, tenor
Alfred Walker, bass-baritone
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Grant Gershon, Artistic Director
Jenny Wong, Associate Artistic Director
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 4
RACHMANINOFF The Bells
Dudamel Leads Beethoven and Smith
Thursday, May 25, at 8PM
Friday, May 26, at 8PM
Saturday, May 27, at 8PM
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Gabriel Cabezas, cello
Ellen REID West Coast Sky Eternal (world premiere, LA Phil commission) (except FRI)
Gabriella SMITH Lost Coast (world premiere, LA Phil commission)
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7
Dudamel Conducts Mozart
Thursday, June 1 at 8PM
Friday, June 2, at 11AM
Saturday, June 3, at 8PM
Sunday, June 4, at 2PM
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
MOZART Overture to The Magic Flute
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 27
MOZART Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter”
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TICKETS & COVID PROTOCOLS
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the LA Phil’s website: laphil.com.
Prior to attending, audiences are encouraged to view the LA Phil’s updated COVID protocol guidelines posted on the website: LAPhil.com/safety.
ABOUT THE LA PHIL
Under the leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil offers live performances, media initiatives and learning programs that inspire and strengthen communities in Los Angeles and beyond. The Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra is the foundation of the LA Phil’s offerings, which also include a multi-genre, multidisciplinary presenting program and such youth development programs as YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles). Performances are offered on three historic stages—Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and The Ford—as well as through a variety of media platforms. In all its endeavors, the LA Phil seeks to enrich the lives of individuals and communities through musical, artistic and learning experiences that resonate in our world today.
Sophie Jefferies, SJefferies@laphil.org
Holly Wallace, HWallace@laphil.org
Kassandra Winchester, KWinchester@laphil.org
Laura Cohen, LCMediaPR@gmail.com