John Adams/Rhythmic Lines
LA Phil New Music Group, John Adams, Boris Allakhverdyan, Joanne Pearce Martin
Walt Disney Concert HallSouth Hope Street, Los Angeles 90012
John Adams conducts and curates the LA Phil New Music Group in a Green Umbrella program tracing rhythmic experimental music from postwar iconoclasm to genre-dissolving work of today. The night opens with the world premiere of Adams’ LA Phil-commissioned Clarinet Etude, then moves through John Cage’s metal-percussion First Construction (In Metal) and Lou Harrison’s Concerto for Organ and Percussion. Clarinetist Boris Allakhverdyan and organist and pianist Joanne Pearce Martin join the ensemble.
After intermission, the program presents the world premieres of Conrad Tao’s LA Phil-commissioned Pacific 88, a new LA Phil-commissioned ensemble work by Wang Lu, and a new Jlin work for ensemble, arranged by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. The Jlin piece is also an LA Phil commission.
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.