Staff picks: LA Phil

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.

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.

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.

March 25–27, 2027

LA Opera's new Music Director Domingo Hindoyan makes a notable guest turn with the LA Phil, leading Dvořák's beloved "New World" Symphony — at the 2025 Proms, Bachtrack praised his "rare gift" for the piece, noting its slow movement opened with "such a velvety hymnal quality." Soprano Sonya Yoncheva joins for the world premiere of Miguel Farías' Mistralianas. Why we love it: a cross-institution debut worth catching early.

April 2–4, 2027

Grammy-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti, praised by The New York Times as having "uncommon expressive depth," tackles the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto that's become one of her specialties, in an all-Mendelssohn program with her frequent collaborator Maxim Emelyanychev. Why we love it: a signature piece from an artist who's made it her own.

March 12–13, 2027

Philip Glass turns his sights to Abraham Lincoln in the world premiere of his Symphony No. 15, continuing a run of works on titanic historical figures. Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers reprises her role in his Violin Concerto No. 1 — Gramophone hailed her 2025 LA Phil recording for its "sweeping dramatic curves and classical dimensions." Why we love it: a living legend's brand-new work, premiered where it was written.