Colburn Orchestra
Colburn Orchestra, Ludovic Morlot, Jakob Taylor
Walt Disney Concert HallSouth Hope Street, Los Angeles 90012
The Colburn Orchestra brings young musicians from the Colburn Conservatory to Walt Disney Concert Hall for a program conducted by Ludovic Morlot. Cellist Jakob Taylor is the soloist in Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante, a work that spotlights the cello’s lyricism and range. After intermission, the orchestra turns to Messiaen’s Les Offrandes oubliées, described as an impassioned spiritual journey, and closes with Scriabin’s The Poem of Ecstasy and its ethereal grandeur. It is a full orchestral evening built around sweeping drama, vivid color, and expansive melody.
Colburn Orchestra is the orchestral ensemble of the Colburn Conservatory, made up of its young musicians. For this appearance, it works with French conductor Ludovic Morlot, who leads the complete program, while Jakob Taylor takes the featured cello role in Prokofiev’s demanding Sinfonia Concertante. The concert places these performers in three early 20th-century sound worlds: Prokofiev’s spirited concerto writing, Messiaen’s devotional orchestral meditation, and Scriabin’s large-scale symphonic vision.
Designed by Frank Gehry, this concert hall is a striking architectural landmark with sweeping stainless steel curves that catch the light outside, while inside, its acoustics are meticulously crafted to deliver rich, clear sound to every seat. The auditorium seats over two thousand people in a space where the audience is fully immersed in the music, surrounded by warm wood paneling and a stage that brings performers close to listeners. The venue hosts ticketed performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other ensembles, offering an evening focused on attentive listening rather than casual socializing. Nearby bars and restaurants in Downtown Los Angeles provide options for pre- or post-show dining, but inside, the experience centers on the music in a refined, elegant setting.