Celebrating Christmas with Le Concert d’Astrée
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Emmanuelle Haïm, Carlo Vistoli, Thomas Hooten, James Wilt, Le Concert d’Astrée Choir
Walt Disney Concert HallSouth Hope Street, Los Angeles 90012
Emmanuelle Haïm conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a holiday program joined by the Le Concert d’Astrée Choir, with countertenor Carlo Vistoli and trumpeters Thomas Hooten and James Wilt. The evening moves through Handel’s Concerto Grosso No. 5, Vivaldi’s In furore iustissimae irae and Concerto for Two Trumpets, and Corelli’s 1690 Christmas Concerto, before culminating in Vivaldi’s Gloria. The result is a Christmas set built around Baroque sacred music, concertos and choral writing, with Corelli’s French dance rhythms woven into his seasonal concerto.
Le Concert d’Astrée was founded in Lille in 2000 by harpsichordist and conductor Haïm and has been in residence at the Opéra de Lille since 2004. An instrumental and vocal ensemble devoted to 17th- and 18th-century repertoire, it works from chamber duos to large-scale operas and is known for historically informed performance that balances historical rigor with expressive freedom. Its collaborators have included Natalie Dessay, Philippe Jaroussky, Rolando Villazón, Sandrine Piau, Sabine Devieilhe, Jakub Józef Orliński and Léa Desandre. The LA Phil calls it one of the foremost ensembles in historically informed performance; The Independent praised its Mozart as “exceptionally well-played,” noting Haïm’s “humour and confident élan.”
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.