Staff picks: LA Phil

October 31, 2026

Clark Wilson performs a live organ score for the 1920 film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, considered the first great American horror movie, starring John Barrymore's first virtuoso screen performance. Why we love it: it's a one-of-a-kind experience.

October 31, 2026

Academy Award winner Michael Giacchino hosts a Halloween doubleheader: a first look at his new musical Headless, then the LA Phil performing his Werewolf by Night score live to picture. Why we love it: it's a chance to experience new work in the composer's old stomping ground.

November 13–15, 2026

Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducts Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony, his meditation on "the fatal power which prevents one from attaining happiness." Saxophonist Steven Banks joins for Billy Childs' Diaspora concerto. Why we love it: it's a modern concerto paired with a symphonic classic.

November 6–8, 2026

Leif Ove Andsnes brings “intimacy and bravura” (Chicago Classical Review) to Brahms' technically fearsome Second Piano Concerto, under the baton of acclaimed conductor Daniel Harding. Why we love it: it's a titan of the piano repertoire led by one of today's most sought-after conductors.

December 3, 2026

Three-time Grammy winner Hilary Hahn teams up with Van Cliburn gold medalist Yekwon Sunwoo and baritone Matthias Goerne for a program that includes a new work by composer Reena Esmail. Why we love it: it's a rare chance to hear three world-class soloists share one stage.

January 17, 2027

One of the world's most acclaimed violinists returns for an intimate evening of Beethoven sonatas with longtime recital partner Akira Eguchi. Why we love it: it's virtuosity at its most personal, violin and piano in close conversation.

February 28, 2027

Widely regarded as one of the world's leading orchestras, the LSO and its charismatic chief conductor tackle Shostakovich's emotionally shattering Eighth Symphony, with Maxim Vengerov on Beethoven's Violin Concerto. Why we love it: it's a rare visit from a world-class touring orchestra.

March 26, 2027

The jazz legend and 14-time Grammy winner returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall, where the only thing to expect is the unexpected. Why we love it: it's a living icon who's never stopped reinventing himself.

May 27–30, 2027

Dudamel Fellow Anna Handler pairs music by John Williams with Mahler's audacious First Symphony, the “Titan,” full of birdsong, explosive crescendos, and a heaven-storming finale. Why we love it: it's a crowd-pleasing send-off pairing Hollywood's most beloved composer with one of classical music's most ambitious symphonies.