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LA Phil Inside - Winter 2008

In This Issue:

SPECIAL REPORT

One Night/Two World Premieres

The 2007/08 season marks a first in the orchestra’s colorful history of commissioning new music, as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its New Music Group present the world premieres of a record seven new compositions at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

On a single night in March, the L.A. Philharmonic New Music Group will premiere performances of two LA Phil commissions — Harold Meltzer’s Piano Concerto, with soloist Ursula Oppens; and New Andean Songs, a new work for pianos, voices, and percussion by Gabriela Frank.

The abundance of exciting new repertoire has grown out of the leading-edge programming philosophy of Esa-Pekka Salonen and LA Phil Consulting Composer Steven Stucky — both of whom have made the development of new music a high priority — and the philanthropic contributions of several individuals who have targeted their gifts to supporting new music.

“The environment here has always been welcoming to new music and composers,” notes VP for Artistic Programming Chad Smith. “The Philharmonic has close relationships with some of the most important composers in the world” — artists that include John Adams, Thomas Adès, Tan Dun, Kaija Saariaho, and Steven Stucky. “We also benefit from having a composer as our Music Director.”

What is new in the new music scene at the Phil is the rising number of commissions awarded to young and emerging talents: composers like Meltzer and Frank, who have benefited from the Philharmonic’s open-door policy.

Every year, Stucky and Smith, together with Salonen, review hundreds of new scores and demo recordings from hopeful composers — literally every composition that is submitted to the Philharmonic.

Only a small percentage of this music is programmable at Walt Disney Concert Hall, but every so often a real standout comes across the desk. When this happens, Stucky and Smith present their find to Salonen, who then decides whether or not to program the piece, either at a Green Umbrella or a subscription concert.

This is what happened when Harold Meltzer’s Virginal, a concerto for harpsichord and 15 instruments, came to Stucky’s attention in 2002. Stucky brought it to Smith and Salonen, who loved the piece and programmed it as part of the Philharmonic’s inaugural season at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The performance was a success, and overnight Meltzer became a composer who was high on the list for an LA Phil commission. Meltzer didn’t have to wait long for the call.

Soon after the premiere of Virginal, Smith approached him to write an ensemble piece for the Philharmonic. “Harold was pretty pleased to hear from us,” Smith recalls. “He said, ‘I have an idea for a chamber piano concerto — would you guys be interested in that?’ I said, ‘Absolutely!’”

Gabriela Frank’s work came to the attention of the Philharmonic when her publisher sent Smith a piece for string quartet called Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout. Smith, Stucky, and Salonen were all moved by the work and its original mixture of Western music with Andean folk traditions. They programmed it for a Green Umbrella concert.

“Everyone came out saying, ‘What a great piece!’” Smith recalls, “and Gaby became another young composer to watch.” Her first LA Phil commission wasn’t far off.

From conception to performance, a commission typically takes three to five years. Younger or less established composers can often have a work ready for performance the following season, but the more established artists can require an even longer time horizon.

Giving composers the time they need is one of Smith’s two major considerations in commissioning music. The other is allowing artists as much creative freedom as possible. “We set the basic parameters of a work together,” he says, “but after that we allow the artist to let the piece grow, to morph and change in whatever direction it needs to take.”

This happened in the new Frank work set to premiere in March, which was originally conceived for six percussionists and one singer, and is now scored for two percussionists, two singers, and two pianos.

“A composition often takes a new shape organically as the composer writes it,” Smith says. “I check in from time to time to discuss how it’s going,” he adds, “but we give artists the freedom to write the piece they want to write.”

Smith is sensitive to the Philharmonic’s role as a nurturer of this rare talent for composing orchestral music at the highest levels, and to Salonen’s support for young composers. Together with Stucky, they are planning a Green Umbrella concert that will feature works written entirely by composers in their 20s and early 30s.

“Our philosophy is to take a long-term approach to commissioning music,” he says. “It’s really about developing and supporting composers over the long haul.”

This is a creative philosophy that has paid off. While most major orchestras commission new music, the leading-edge artistic community finds a special reception for its work in L.A.

Visiting Walt Disney Concert Hall for the U.S. premiere of his Viola Concerto in 2006, composer Brett Dean said he had rarely seen such an enormous audience for new music concerts, and never at a premiere for one of his works. The LA Phil is also one of only a few major orchestras in the world to have an ensemble comprised of its own orchestra members created expressly for the performance of new work.

As Smith notes, many of the world’s most important composers now approach the Philharmonic to commission their work, rather than the other way around.

“We have supportive audiences,” Smith points out, “and an orchestra that can play anything. There is a real sense in the world right now that Walt Disney Concert Hall is the place to have your work premiered.”

Harold Meltzer’s Piano Concerto, with soloist Ursula Oppens, and a new work for voice, piano and percussion by Gabriela Frank will receive their premieres on March 15, 2008.