Gravity Media’s supertruck Columbus delivered a star performance at the LA Philharmonic 100th Anniversary gala event Wednesday 23 October 2019.
The event was held at LA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall ‒ the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and one of two venues the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra calls home. A gift of $50m from Lillian Disney helped fund the hall’s construction.
The LA Phil is a modern and adventurous orchestra, widely celebrated for bringing both classical and contemporary music experiences to diverse live audiences. To mark LA Phil’s 100th birthday, influential conductors Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Gustavo Dudamel appeared on the same programme for the first time. Together, they delivered a sensational concert, which PBS was on hand to capture for an upcoming ‘Great Performances’ broadcast.
Mehta, Salonen and Dudamel have been an integral part of the LA Phil for decades, representing some 57 years of the orchestra’s history. Mehta was music director from 1962 to 1978 and is now conductor emeritus; Salonen served as music director from ‘92 to ‘09, and was then named conductor laureate; and Dudamel took over as music director in 2009.
Mehta, Salonen and Dudamel each led a work or two at the gala, followed by the premiere of a piece composed especially for the occasion that all three conducted together.
The programme will air on Sky Arts as well as ARTE in Europe.
