The Da Camera Society is putting on a festival of Strads! To celebrate the 300th anniversary, the Da Camera Society is bringing Martin Chalifour (concertmaster of the LA Phil) to Cicada Restaurant in Downtown. more ›

Pierre Boulez talking about Sur Incises, which you can hear this Tuesday with Boulez himself conducting the LA Phil. The Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group is putting on a free concert on Tuesday at 8 PM at what is soon to be named the "Ernest Fleischmann Square". The naming of the square takes place at 1 PM at 1st and Grand, between the Disney Hall and the Music Center. more ›

As we mentioned last week, you can still catch Lohengrin this Sunday. It's a little quiet this week thanks to Thanksgiving, but it looks like a good week for opera lovers. The LA Times just profiled opera star Bryn Terfel, and you can check him out tomorrow night in the other music center, at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The program is heavy on Schumann (we're a nostalgic bunch). more ›

Salonen and Lindberg go way back. Although he is known for his use of live electronics during performances, Graffiti is exciting because it's his first work for choir and orchestra. If you're not familiar with Lindberg, he's a famous Finnish (makes sense) composer who also happens to be the composer-in-residence at the NY Phil, and curates CONTACT!, their equivalent of the Green Umbrella Series here. You can check it out on Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 8 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM. more ›

This EXTENSIVE gift guide is not a reflection of any particular taste or preference; it is a gift guide for classical music lovers/enthusiasts of all shapes and sizes. Like always, it is recommended to support your local establishments and artists, especially in a city like Los Angeles that is rich in talent and culture. If you're looking to buy tickets as a gift, it is recommended to buy tickets for two people, because no one likes going to a concert alone. It's the perfect gift for a date! The LA Phil offers subscriptions to a series of concerts, and we also recommend tickets to go see Salonen before he's gone or for Dudamel to see what all the craze is about. The Ring Cycle is coming to town, and the LA Opera is putting on productions of Das Rheingold and Die Walkure that look to be very promising. These tickets can get pretty expensive if you go see all four, but up to half the subscription cost is tax deductible. Subscriptions to the Ring Cycle to see all four range from $100-$2,200, so choose the tickets according to how much you like that person. Don't forget LACO, the Cal Phil, Musica Angelica, or other fine orchestras featured on our website weekly. There are also world-class events at the Hollywood Bowl, Royce Hall, and Zipper Hall that you can purchase tickets for. 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 ›

A preview of Mahler, conducted here by Simon Rattle at the BBC Proms more ›