The Music Center's Walt Disney Concert Hall
Designed by architect Frank Gehry, The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall (Concert Hall) opened in 2003 as the newest of The Music Center’s four venues. The Concert Hall was conceived when Lillian B. Disney made an initial gift of $50 million to build an additional performance space on Los Angeles County land in honor of her late husband Walt Disney and his dedication to the arts. Home to LA Phil and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world and provides both visual and aural intimacy through its exterior and interior design.
More than 6,000 panels create the curving stainless steel skin of the Concert Hall’s exterior. Resembling silver sails, the Concert Hall’s design plays off the bowed cornice of The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, forging a link between the old and the new.
The use of natural materials and skylights creates a bright and airy interior in the Concert Hall. Gehry’s team visualized the lobby as a transparent and light-filled “living room for the city.” Massive columns within the lobby structure evoke an image of tree trunks. They are clad in vertical grain Douglas fir and serve the functional purpose of housing the lighting, heating and air conditioning systems.
The 2,265-seat auditorium is a concrete box that is structurally independent of the rest of the building. Gehry collaborated with renowned acoustician Dr. Yasuhisa Toyota to design the acoustics. The walls of the auditorium are vertical grain Douglas fir and the floor is red oak. The stage is Alaskan yellow cedar, the same wood often used on the backs of cellos and violas and can be configured to hold larger performing organizations by removing the first rows in Orchestra View. Natural light enhances daytime concerts with a large 36-foot-high rear window and skylights.
The terraced vineyard style seating is designed to bring the audience close to the orchestra and provide an intimate view of the musicians and conductor from any seat. A focal point for the auditorium is the 50-foot organ that houses 6,134 pipes ranging in size from a pencil to a telephone pole. Only two percent of the pipes are visible. The organ weighs more than 40 metric tons and was designed by Los Angeles organ designer Manuel Rosales along with Frank Gehry.
Gehry’s design includes details as specific as the carpet pattern used in the auditorium. Named “Lillian” in Mrs. Disney’s honor, the pattern was designed to bring Mrs. Disney’s garden into the Concert Hall and is featured in the seating upholstery as well. Foam padding, the material and the hollow underside of the seats mimic the human body in reflecting sound; in fact, the sound is the same no matter how full or how empty the auditorium. The only piece of art in the Concert Hall, “Blue”, was created by Los Angeles artist Peter Alexander. It is located above the Grand Avenue staircase between the Garden and Terrace levels.
The Concert Hall includes BP Hall, which is an additional space for performances and can accommodate up to 350 people. Clad in vertical grain Douglas fir as well, the curved room posed an acoustical challenge. To avoid focusing sound in one area of the space, perforations were added to the wood paneling with special material placed behind the panels to give the room proper acoustics.
Located on the second floor of the Concert Hall is the Library of Congress/Ira Gershwin Gallery. Designed by Hodgetts + Fung Design Associates, the gallery was made possible by a gift from the Ira and Leonore Gershwin Trust for the Benefit of the Library of Congress and rotates its collection bi-annually.
The Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), named in honor of Walt Disney’s brother and partner Roy and Roy’s wife, Edna, is also housed within the Concert Hall. An interdisciplinary contemporary arts center, the theatre is programmed by CalArts, based in Valencia, California. REDCAT features a flexible 200- to 270-seat multi-use theatre and a 3,000 square-foot exhibition space. Its entrance includes a marquee of curvilinear stainless steel and leads directly into an expansive multi-use space that includes a lobby and lounge for meetings, receptions and post-performance events. The REDCAT stage can be transformed into several configurations, from thrust and end stage to completely in the round. The performance space is lined with hinged panels, each with finished wood on one side and sound-absorbent material on the other. To quiet outside noise and prevent transmission of vibrations from the Concert Hall, REDCAT is built as a steel box-within-a box, with the interior box floating on 72 special rubber pads.
Featured at Walt Disney Concert Hall
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Mon Jun 10 7:00 PM
2024 Los Angeles Sounds of Summer Festival
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The annual Los Angeles Sounds of Summer Festival is World Project's premiere summer event showcasing performances by musical ensembles from around the USA and abroad.
The annual Los Angeles Sounds of Summer Festival is World Project's premiere summer event showcasing performances by musical ensembles from around the USA and abroad.
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Fri Jun 14 8:00 PM
Pictures at an Exhibition: The Paintings of Bob Peak
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Abu Dhabi Festival and Robert Townson Productions are collaborating on one of the grandest musical commissions of our time, to create Pictures at an Exhibition: The Paintings of Bob Peak, an all-new piece, for a new age. Ten major compose...Show More
Abu Dhabi Festival and Robert Townson Productions are collaborating on one of the grandest musical commissions of our time, to create Pictures at an Exhibition: The Paintings of Bob Peak, an all-new piece, for a new age. Ten major composers have each composed a new movement, each piece inspired by a painting by the legendary and iconic artist Bob Peak (1927-1992). Leonard Slatkin conducts the Los Angeles Film Orchestra.
There will be a pre-concert lecture at 7:00 p.m.
For more information, please click here.
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Fri Jun 21 8:00 PM
The Song of the Night: Mahler’s 7th Symphony
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Embark on an inspirational journey from darkness into light as the Fresno Summer Orchestra & Opera Academy Philharmonic (FOOSA) performs Gustav Mahler’s Seventh Symphony. In this epic orchestral masterpiece, the anxiety and fear of the night t...Show More
Embark on an inspirational journey from darkness into light as the Fresno Summer Orchestra & Opera Academy Philharmonic (FOOSA) performs Gustav Mahler’s Seventh Symphony. In this epic orchestral masterpiece, the anxiety and fear of the night transform into joyous exuberance when a new day dawns. Conductor Thomas Loewenheim leads the 120 members of the FOOSA Philharmonic in a performance of stunning beauty and stirring emotion.
More information at foosamusic.org
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Sat Jun 22 8:00 PM
LA Lawyers Phil: Classical Favorites & Broadway Musicals
Walt Disney Concert Hall
South Pacific, Mary Poppins, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, The Planets and more. These are some of the fabulous pieces that the LA Lawyers Philharmonic and its chorus, Legal Voices, will perform at their 15th ...Show More
South Pacific, Mary Poppins, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, The Planets and more. These are some of the fabulous pieces that the LA Lawyers Philharmonic and its chorus, Legal Voices, will perform at their 15th Anniversary Concert Extraordinaire under the baton of founder-conductor Gary S. Greene, Esq. Tony Award winner Michael Maguire, Esq., will perform songs from The Music Man and Les Misérables. Radio personality Bill Handel will be MC. Jim Raycroft is the choral director.
For more information, please call (323) 525-1800 or visit lalawyersphil.org
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Sat Jun 29 8:00 PM
Armenian State Symphony Orchestra
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Join the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra on an exceptional musical journey as they embark on their highly anticipated 2024 United States Concert Tour! The orchestra will perform the majestic music of the legendary Armenian composer Aram Khachatu...Show More
Join the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra on an exceptional musical journey as they embark on their highly anticipated 2024 United States Concert Tour! The orchestra will perform the majestic music of the legendary Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian. Under the direction of Sergey Smbatyan, the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the orchestra, the concert will feature Khachaturian’s renowned Violin Concerto, performed by the acclaimed virtuoso Sergey Khachatryan, along with the glorious “Spartacus” and other iconic masterpieces, revered as jewels in the world treasury of classical music.
For more information, please visit armsymphony.am
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Sat Jul 06 8:00 PM
Pianist Yuze Lee performs Ravel and Tchaikovsky with conductor Lucas Richman and the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Hollywood Chamber Orchestra is proud to present pianist Yuze Lee in his Los Angeles debut performance. GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Lucas Richman will lead the HCO featuring pieces by Rossini, Ravel and Tchaikovsky. The Hollywood Chamber Orc...Show More
The Hollywood Chamber Orchestra is proud to present pianist Yuze Lee in his Los Angeles debut performance. GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Lucas Richman will lead the HCO featuring pieces by Rossini, Ravel and Tchaikovsky. The Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, now in its 8th season, was founded by co-music directors Noah Gladstone and Mark Robertson and has presented concerts all over California, including several world premieres by composers such as Pinar Toprak, Michael Barry, Chad Cannon and Genevieve Vincent.
For more information, please visit yuzelee.com or hollywoodchamberorchestra.com
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Sat Jul 13 7:30 PM
Music Festival LA Summer Concert
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Experience the ultimate summer concert presented by Music Festival LA! Join us for an extraordinary showcase featuring talented young musicians, including orchestras, bands, choirs, soloists, and chamber ensembles.
Our aim is to ignite a pa...Show More
Experience the ultimate summer concert presented by Music Festival LA! Join us for an extraordinary showcase featuring talented young musicians, including orchestras, bands, choirs, soloists, and chamber ensembles.
Our aim is to ignite a passion for music in the hearts of the younger generation and inspire a lifelong love for the performing arts. This concert marks the culmination of a year-long journey of self-development for participants in their school orchestras, bands, choirs, and ensembles, as well as the pinnacle of their intensive summer music camp. Don't miss this opportunity to witness the incredible talent and dedication of these rising stars!
For more information, please visit wesleyorchestra.wordpress.com
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Mon Jun 10 7:00 PM
2024 Los Angeles Sounds of Summer Festival
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The annual Los Angeles Sounds of Summer Festival is World Project's premiere summer event showcasing performances by musical ensembles from around the USA and abroad.
The annual Los Angeles Sounds of Summer Festival is World Project's premiere summer event showcasing performances by musical ensembles from around the USA and abroad.
Show Less -
Mon Jun 10 10:00 AM
Sun Aug 11 10:00 AM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents BLKNWS® in Residence
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS ...Show More
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS has continually evolved in form and scope.
This year, it takes its newest form in the highly anticipated feature film BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions, produced in collaboration with A24 and Participant Media.
Guests to The Music Center will be immersed in a free multi-dimensional experience inspired by the world and ideas of BLKNWS.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Wed Jun 05 8:00 PM
Sun Jun 30 1:00 PM
Center Theatre Group A Strange Loop
Ahmanson Theatre
The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed winner of every ‘Best Musical’ award on Broadway, and the Pulitzer Prize, bursts onto the stage for a limited engagement, direct from Broadway.
Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-percepti...Show More
The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed winner of every ‘Best Musical’ award on Broadway, and the Pulitzer Prize, bursts onto the stage for a limited engagement, direct from Broadway.
Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-perception, Usher, a young, gay, Black writer who hates his day job, writes a musical about a young, gay, Black writer who’s writing a musical about a young, gay, Black writer...a strange loop. Usher grapples with desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes, all brought to life on stage by a hilarious, straight-talking ensemble.
Nominated for 11 Tony Awards, Michael R. Jackson’s blisteringly funny, “audacious and uproarious” (The Guardian) show is a heartfelt and thought-provoking masterwork that uses humor and honesty to explore themes around race and sexuality.
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Sat Jun 15 7:30 PM
LA Opera Renée Fleming in Recital
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
The iconic soprano closes out the season with an enchanting evening of arias and songs. This is your chance to savor the exquisite voice and peerless artistry of this longtime audience favorite, treasured for her unforgettable LA Opera appearances...Show More
The iconic soprano closes out the season with an enchanting evening of arias and songs. This is your chance to savor the exquisite voice and peerless artistry of this longtime audience favorite, treasured for her unforgettable LA Opera appearances in La Traviata, A Streetcar Named Desire and The Light in the Piazza, as well as numerous concerts and recitals.
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Wed Jun 05 8:00 PM
Sun Jun 30 1:00 PM
Center Theatre Group A Strange Loop
Ahmanson Theatre
The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed winner of every ‘Best Musical’ award on Broadway, and the Pulitzer Prize, bursts onto the stage for a limited engagement, direct from Broadway.
Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-percepti...Show More
The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed winner of every ‘Best Musical’ award on Broadway, and the Pulitzer Prize, bursts onto the stage for a limited engagement, direct from Broadway.
Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-perception, Usher, a young, gay, Black writer who hates his day job, writes a musical about a young, gay, Black writer who’s writing a musical about a young, gay, Black writer...a strange loop. Usher grapples with desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes, all brought to life on stage by a hilarious, straight-talking ensemble.
Nominated for 11 Tony Awards, Michael R. Jackson’s blisteringly funny, “audacious and uproarious” (The Guardian) show is a heartfelt and thought-provoking masterwork that uses humor and honesty to explore themes around race and sexuality.
Show Less -
Mon Jun 10 10:00 AM
Sun Aug 11 10:00 AM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents BLKNWS® in Residence
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS ...Show More
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS has continually evolved in form and scope.
This year, it takes its newest form in the highly anticipated feature film BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions, produced in collaboration with A24 and Participant Media.
Guests to The Music Center will be immersed in a free multi-dimensional experience inspired by the world and ideas of BLKNWS.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Sat Jun 15 8:00 PM
Center Theatre Group This Bright Wilderness
Mark Taper Forum
This Bright Wilderness: Celebrating the Legacy of Black Theatre at the Mark Taper Forum and Los Angeles is the second in a series of Taper Legacy Readings, which is part of the CTG:FWD initiative, directed by Andi Chapman (Associate Artis...Show More
This Bright Wilderness: Celebrating the Legacy of Black Theatre at the Mark Taper Forum and Los Angeles is the second in a series of Taper Legacy Readings, which is part of the CTG:FWD initiative, directed by Andi Chapman (Associate Artistic Director, The Ebony Repertory Theatre) and curated by CLASSIX, which was created by Awoye Timpo (last seen at CTG as the director of Amal’s Wish) to explode the classical canon through an exploration of Black performance history and dramatic works by Black writers.
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Wed Jun 05 8:00 PM
Sun Jun 30 1:00 PM
Center Theatre Group A Strange Loop
Ahmanson Theatre
The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed winner of every ‘Best Musical’ award on Broadway, and the Pulitzer Prize, bursts onto the stage for a limited engagement, direct from Broadway.
Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-percepti...Show More
The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed winner of every ‘Best Musical’ award on Broadway, and the Pulitzer Prize, bursts onto the stage for a limited engagement, direct from Broadway.
Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-perception, Usher, a young, gay, Black writer who hates his day job, writes a musical about a young, gay, Black writer who’s writing a musical about a young, gay, Black writer...a strange loop. Usher grapples with desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes, all brought to life on stage by a hilarious, straight-talking ensemble.
Nominated for 11 Tony Awards, Michael R. Jackson’s blisteringly funny, “audacious and uproarious” (The Guardian) show is a heartfelt and thought-provoking masterwork that uses humor and honesty to explore themes around race and sexuality.
Show Less -
Mon Jun 10 10:00 AM
Sun Aug 11 10:00 AM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents BLKNWS® in Residence
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS ...Show More
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS has continually evolved in form and scope.
This year, it takes its newest form in the highly anticipated feature film BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions, produced in collaboration with A24 and Participant Media.
Guests to The Music Center will be immersed in a free multi-dimensional experience inspired by the world and ideas of BLKNWS.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
-
Wed Jun 05 8:00 PM
Sun Jun 30 1:00 PM
Center Theatre Group A Strange Loop
Ahmanson Theatre
The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed winner of every ‘Best Musical’ award on Broadway, and the Pulitzer Prize, bursts onto the stage for a limited engagement, direct from Broadway.
Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-percepti...Show More
The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed winner of every ‘Best Musical’ award on Broadway, and the Pulitzer Prize, bursts onto the stage for a limited engagement, direct from Broadway.
Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-perception, Usher, a young, gay, Black writer who hates his day job, writes a musical about a young, gay, Black writer who’s writing a musical about a young, gay, Black writer...a strange loop. Usher grapples with desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes, all brought to life on stage by a hilarious, straight-talking ensemble.
Nominated for 11 Tony Awards, Michael R. Jackson’s blisteringly funny, “audacious and uproarious” (The Guardian) show is a heartfelt and thought-provoking masterwork that uses humor and honesty to explore themes around race and sexuality.
Show Less
Tour The Music Center Campus
Free tours are available of all The Music Center's theaters.