Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Conrad Tao, Piano
The Broad StageMain Stage1310 11th Street, Los Angeles 90404
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields joins American pianist and composer Conrad Tao for a program spanning Mozart, Aaron Copland and Ruth Crawford Seeger’s Music for Small Orchestra, plus a new work by Tao. The evening explores innovation and individuality across American and classical traditions.
Founded in London in 1958 by Sir Neville Marriner, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields is one of the world’s most-recorded orchestras. New York Magazine has called Tao “the kind of musician who is shaping the future of classical music,” while The New York Times praised his “probing intellect and open-hearted vision.”
Acoustically tuned like a major concert hall, this 535-seat proscenium theater delivers the grandeur of a flagship auditorium within a footprint where every tier stays close to the stage. Patrons sit in assigned, raked theater seats finished with warm wood paneling, giving every row unobstructed sightlines and crisp, resonant sound whether the bill features chamber orchestra, jazz, or solo dance. Shows are strictly ticketed, making advance reservations essential, though doors offer rush discounts when seats remain. The crowd gathers primarily for focused listening, mingling before curtain and during intermission over drinks on the outdoor plaza, though no result mentions a full-service in-house restaurant. No result mentions late-night jam sessions, multiple sets, or after-show DJs. Free on-site parking sits directly out front on the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center campus at 11th Street, placing you just minutes from downtown Santa Monica while insulating the evening from Westside traffic. No result mentions the original opening year of the hall in the available sources.