Jerry Moss Plaza
Jerry Moss Plaza (Plaza) is a beautiful 35,000 square foot outdoor urban oasis and destination for free and low-cost programs such as The Music Center’s highly popular Dance DTLA, along with festivals, concerts, special events and other art-making experiences. The “Plaza for All” welcomes all and brings to life the strength and diversity of Los Angeles County and with a range of dining options, refreshing gardens, an iconic fountain and views of Grand Park and City Hall.
The Music Center’s three original theatres are united by the Plaza. The Plaza’s location was planned so it would form a unit with what is now Grand Park to the east and the Department of Water and Power building to the west, creating the largest open, landscaped area of any downtown in the United States. The original Music Center was united by a central sunken plaza designed by landscape architecture firm Cornell, Bridgers and Troller in association with Welton Becket & Associates. Its refined architectural design was reflected in the original landscaping, combining water, trees, ground cover and patterned pavement to create the atmosphere of a formal courtyard.
In January 2018, The Music Center closed the plaza for a major renovation helmed by the award-winning Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary architecture and design firm Rios Clementi Hale Studios, now known as Rios. The architects not only updated the plaza’s infrastructure but also created a more welcoming space along with five new buildings: Lisa Specht Welcome Center, Abernethy’s (a full-service restaurant), The Mullin Wine Bar, and permanent public restrooms. The plaza had a major public grand opening in August 2019 and, in 2020, was renamed Jerry Moss Plaza following a $25 million benefaction by Tina and Jerry Moss to support free and low-cost programming. The reimagined plaza creates a fifth venue for The Music Center campus.
In its architecture and civic design approach, Rios raised the plaza to one single accessible level with 48,000 square feet of flexible, usable outdoor space, reconfigured the Grand Avenue staircase and added two new escalators on either side of what is now the Terri and Jerry Kohl Stairs on Grand Avenue as a new “front door” for The Music Center. The plaza redesign allows for more open space for public events and performances, enhances the connection to the community and visually connects The Music Center to Grand Park, leveraging the synergies between two major county assets.
New drought tolerant landscaping enriches the hardscape surface of the Plaza, including 20 new “Geijera parviflora” (Australian Willow) trees, which have low water requirements and were chosen for their shade and graceful foliage character. Two new gardens allow wining and dining al fresco: The plaza’s Blue Ribbon Garden is adjacent to The Mullin Wine Bar and the Fredric Roberts Garden is next to Go Get Em Tiger. The gardens feature Melaleuca quinquenervia (Paperbark) trees plus California and other evergreen plantings in a vibrant lime green color palette. Each of the gardens has historical globe lighting fixtures that sat on the original plaza and were restored and relocated to illuminate the garden spaces.
The public and artists alike appreciate the two new 12’ x 20’ plaza LED screens, which are equipped with sensors and cameras. The screens provide the opportunity to create “art” on the plaza through multiple interactive experiences that incorporate people and movement throughout the space. Imagined by the artists of Music Center partners yU+co, the LED screens feature live feeds, machine learning and various filters that allow plaza visitors to generate their own living video art in realistic or abstract ways as their movement and actions on the plaza are reflected on the LED screens. The Lisa Specht Welcome Center also features a 6’ x 20’ interactive touch screen that provides information and personalized guidance for visitors about the entire Music Center complex; The Music Center’s resident companies and TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine; events, food and beverage options; and members of The Music Center community.
As part of the renovation, The Music Center moved the Jacques Lipchitz-designed “Peace on Earth” sculpture due west from its previous location in the center of the plaza’s fountain. The sculpture is now a focal point on the Hope Street side of The Music Center complex in the Rose Hills Foundation Courtyard. Additionally, the “Dance Door” designed by Robert Graham, was re-positioned in the Fredric Roberts Garden on the east side of the plaza.
TMC Arts programs Jerry Moss Plaza as both a civic and cultural space. In addition to arts programming, TMC Arts showcases artistic experiences on the plaza’s LED screens and also offers guests the opportunity to come together and share, actively or passively, in dialogue about civic issues and matters critical to each other, to the many communities in Los Angeles and to society overall. That can include showing the latest political debates—representing all sides of the political spectrum—town hall meetings, panels, talks and the like.
Thank You to our Generous and Visionary Donors to Jerry Moss Plaza
The renovated Jerry Moss Plaza completes a dream and opens the door to a future where The Music Center is at the heart of deepening the cultural lives of every resident of L.A. County. The Music Center will continue to uplift this vision by activating the plaza with innovative and inspiring arts experiences for all to enjoy.
Featured on Jerry Moss Plaza
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Mon Dec 18 6:00 PM
LA Master Chorale Carols on the Plaza
Jerry Moss Plaza
Free event! Come one, come all to Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center to sing along with the Chorale!
Free event! Come one, come all to Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center to sing along with the Chorale!
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Wed Sep 06 12:00 PM
Wed Jan 31 12:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program Gloria Molina Grand Park's Wellness Break
Gloria Molina Grand Park - Performance Lawn (btwn Grand Ave & Hill St)
Take a break and join us every Wednesday and Friday for in-person yoga classes 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. at the park! Located on the performance lawn (between Grand Ave and Hill St), these 45-minute yoga classes are free and suitable for all-levels....Show More
Take a break and join us every Wednesday and Friday for in-person yoga classes 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. at the park! Located on the performance lawn (between Grand Ave and Hill St), these 45-minute yoga classes are free and suitable for all-levels. You can also check out monthly online wellness classes at home provided by our local community partners!
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Tue Jan 24 11:00 AM
Thu Dec 21 11:00 AM
A TMC Arts Program Weekly Food Trucks
Grand Park - Olive Court
Indulge and treat your tastebuds to the diverse cuisine Los Angeles has to offer with Grand Park! Join us weekly Tuesdays - Thursdays at Grand Park’s Olive court right across the splash pad and discover new bites for all you foodie lovers.Indulge and treat your tastebuds to the diverse cuisine Los Angeles has to offer with Grand Park! Join us weekly Tuesdays - Thursdays at Grand Park’s Olive court right across the splash pad and discover new bites for all you foodie lovers.Show Less
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Sat Dec 02 2:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Arts Grown L.A. The Music Center and City of El Monte Present World Adventures with my Harp
Jack Crippen Multipurpose Senior Center, El Monte, CA
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
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Sat Dec 02 2:00 PM
LA Master Chorale Festival of Carols
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Delight in the traditional Christmas carols and festive folksongs from around the world.
Delight in the traditional Christmas carols and festive folksongs from around the world.
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Fri Dec 01 8:00 PM
Sun Dec 03 2:00 PM
LA Phil Esa-Pekka Salonen and Ravel
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Maurice Ravel’s “choreographic symphony” Daphnis and Chloé challenges conventional music status quos while highlighting his genius as an orchestrator. The epic dreamscape consists of the most number of musicians for any of Ravel’s works, ...Show More
Maurice Ravel’s “choreographic symphony” Daphnis and Chloé challenges conventional music status quos while highlighting his genius as an orchestrator. The epic dreamscape consists of the most number of musicians for any of Ravel’s works, yet allows for soloists to shine brightest here. Born out of the Sound Poetry and synthetic language of Hugo Ball’s Dadaism, Esa-Pekka Salonen’s cyclical Karawane is a monumental study of the familiar and unfamiliar. Here, the words are the music and the music is the words, brought to haunting life by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
This performance is generously supported by the Contemporary Initiatives Fund.
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Sun Dec 03 7:00 PM
Center Theatre Group Michael Feinstein in Coming Home: The Holiday Celebration
Mark Taper Forum
Fire up the yule log and find the perfect present for your holiday celebration. Michael Feinstein is coming home to the Taper for the first time in over 15 years. Feinstein launches his Center Theatre Group Residency with a special celebration fea...Show More
Fire up the yule log and find the perfect present for your holiday celebration. Michael Feinstein is coming home to the Taper for the first time in over 15 years. Feinstein launches his Center Theatre Group Residency with a special celebration featuring a sparkling array of holiday standards and special experiences that will surely get you and your loved ones in an exquisite holiday mood. This world premiere concert includes a mix of classic holiday songs, jazz standards, and never-before-performed arrangements of music from the Great American Songbook, brought to magical life with a combination of live performance, a multimedia children’s choir, and dynamic dance.
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Sat Dec 02 12:30 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Arts Grown L.A. The Music Center and City of El Monte Present The Alley Cats
Jack Crippen Multipurpose Senior Center, El Monte, CA
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
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Sat Dec 02 7:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Arts Grown L.A. The Music Center and City of Montebello Present World Adventures with my Harp
Montebello City Hall, Montebello, CA
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
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Sat Nov 18 7:30 PM
Sat Dec 09 7:30 PM
LA Opera El Último Sueño de Frida & Diego (The Last Dream of Frida and Diego)
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Mexico’s most iconic artists (and infamously stormy lovers) leap off the canvas in this new musical portrait from Grammy Award-winning composer Gabriela Lena Frank and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz. When a desperate wish on Day of th...Show More
Mexico’s most iconic artists (and infamously stormy lovers) leap off the canvas in this new musical portrait from Grammy Award-winning composer Gabriela Lena Frank and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz. When a desperate wish on Day of the Dead reunites Diego Rivera with his wife Frida Kahlo, he jumps at the chance to seek forgiveness. But Frida refuses to return to the world that caused her so much pain, until another departed soul inspires her to look back at the art (and the man) she once loved.
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Fri Dec 01 8:00 PM
Sun Dec 03 2:00 PM
LA Phil Esa-Pekka Salonen and Ravel
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Maurice Ravel’s “choreographic symphony” Daphnis and Chloé challenges conventional music status quos while highlighting his genius as an orchestrator. The epic dreamscape consists of the most number of musicians for any of Ravel’s works, ...Show More
Maurice Ravel’s “choreographic symphony” Daphnis and Chloé challenges conventional music status quos while highlighting his genius as an orchestrator. The epic dreamscape consists of the most number of musicians for any of Ravel’s works, yet allows for soloists to shine brightest here. Born out of the Sound Poetry and synthetic language of Hugo Ball’s Dadaism, Esa-Pekka Salonen’s cyclical Karawane is a monumental study of the familiar and unfamiliar. Here, the words are the music and the music is the words, brought to haunting life by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
This performance is generously supported by the Contemporary Initiatives Fund.
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Sat Dec 02 5:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Arts Grown L.A. The Music Center and City of Montebello Present We Tell Stories
Montebello City Hall, Montebello, CA
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
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Sat Dec 02 9:30 AM
A TMC Arts Program The Music Center and City of El Monte Present Will & Company
Jack Crippen Multipurpose Senior Center, El Monte, CA
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
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Sat Dec 02 7:30 PM
LA Opera Audra McDonald in Concert
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actress, Audra McDonald—winner of an Emmy Award, two Grammy Awards and a record-setting six Tony Awards—returns to LA Opera in a not-to-be-missed concert. Joined b...Show More
Unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actress, Audra McDonald—winner of an Emmy Award, two Grammy Awards and a record-setting six Tony Awards—returns to LA Opera in a not-to-be-missed concert. Joined by a small ensemble, the Broadway legend brings her luminous soprano voice to an intimate evening of favorite show tunes, standards and original pieces written especially for her.
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Sat Dec 02 7:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Arts Grown L.A. The Music Center and City of San Fernando Present The Alley Cats
Lopez Adobe, San Fernando, CA
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
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Prohibited Items and Activities on Jerry Moss Plaza
For the safety and enjoyment of all guests who visit Jerry Moss Plaza, please note that the following items and activities are prohibited.
- Bathing in pools or fountain
- Camping
- Damage to plants or property
- Entering fountain pools at the Mark Taper Forum
- Feeding the birds
- Explosives
- Firearms
- Fires
- Lawn umbrellas
- Littering (including pet waste)
- Narcotics or illegal drugs
- Overnight lodging
- Outside alcohol
- Outside furniture
- Professional-grade photo and video equipment, including but not limited to: tripods, drones, microphones, cameras, lights, reflectors, etc.
- Public intoxication
- Electric scooters
- Rollerblading
- Skateboarding
- Smoking (including vapes) except in designated smoking areas
- Tents
- Tripods
- Unauthorized driving or parking
- Unauthorized photo or video shoots
- Unauthorized solicitation
- Unauthorized vending
- Unleashed animals
- Weapons