Tuesday night the L.A. Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella series brought works by three acknowledged masters of post-WWII avant-garde music (and one fantastic runner up) to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Most of these pieces were older than your dad, and their influence on all the greats of modern music, including everybody from Philip Glass to Radiohead to Brian Eno to the Beatles, is an established fact. Yet hearing these composers in the squeaky-clean Disney Hall felt like seeing a whore in church. more ›

The LA Times just published a story on Esa-Pekka Salonen. An interesting anecdote from the article revealed that People had selected him to be on their 50 sexiest people list, and that he had declined(!). This is all tied together somehow because this is Salonen's 17th and last year as Music director for the LA Phil. After this year, he begins his tenure at the London Philharmonia and Gustavo Dudamel takes over as the next young hotshot from out of town. For fans of Salonen he will still be around occasionally, since he has a home in Brentwood, so you don't have to go to London to see him. The best advice LAist can give is to see him as many times this year and the dates are more flexible now than they would be in upcoming seasons. more ›

Matt Haimovitz is not your everyday cellist. His resume includes performances with every major orchestra, but his choice of venues include nightclubs, bars, coffee houses, and a stop at CBCG. He is known for his performances of contemporary pieces, and his MySpace page showcases interpretations of Bach and Led Zeppelin. more ›