The Music Center's Walt Disney Concert Hall
Designed by architect Frank Gehry, The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall (Concert Hall) opened in 2003 as the newest of The Music Center’s four venues. The Concert Hall was conceived when Lillian B. Disney made an initial gift of $50 million to build an additional performance space on Los Angeles County land in honor of her late husband Walt Disney and his dedication to the arts. Home to LA Phil and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world and provides both visual and aural intimacy through its exterior and interior design.
More than 6,000 panels create the curving stainless steel skin of the Concert Hall’s exterior. Resembling silver sails, the Concert Hall’s design plays off the bowed cornice of The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, forging a link between the old and the new.
The use of natural materials and skylights creates a bright and airy interior in the Concert Hall. Gehry’s team visualized the lobby as a transparent and light-filled “living room for the city.” Massive columns within the lobby structure evoke an image of tree trunks. They are clad in vertical grain Douglas fir and serve the functional purpose of housing the lighting, heating and air conditioning systems.
The 2,265-seat auditorium is a concrete box that is structurally independent of the rest of the building. Gehry collaborated with renowned acoustician Dr. Yasuhisa Toyota to design the acoustics. The walls of the auditorium are vertical grain Douglas fir and the floor is red oak. The stage is Alaskan yellow cedar, the same wood often used on the backs of cellos and violas and can be configured to hold larger performing organizations by removing the first rows in Orchestra View. Natural light enhances daytime concerts with a large 36-foot-high rear window and skylights.
The terraced vineyard style seating is designed to bring the audience close to the orchestra and provide an intimate view of the musicians and conductor from any seat. A focal point for the auditorium is the 50-foot organ that houses 6,134 pipes ranging in size from a pencil to a telephone pole. Only two percent of the pipes are visible. The organ weighs more than 40 metric tons and was designed by Los Angeles organ designer Manuel Rosales along with Frank Gehry.
Gehry’s design includes details as specific as the carpet pattern used in the auditorium. Named “Lillian” in Mrs. Disney’s honor, the pattern was designed to bring Mrs. Disney’s garden into the Concert Hall and is featured in the seating upholstery as well. Foam padding, the material and the hollow underside of the seats mimic the human body in reflecting sound; in fact, the sound is the same no matter how full or how empty the auditorium. The only piece of art in the Concert Hall, “Blue”, was created by Los Angeles artist Peter Alexander. It is located above the Grand Avenue staircase between the Garden and Terrace levels.
The Concert Hall includes BP Hall, which is an additional space for performances and can accommodate up to 350 people. Clad in vertical grain Douglas fir as well, the curved room posed an acoustical challenge. To avoid focusing sound in one area of the space, perforations were added to the wood paneling with special material placed behind the panels to give the room proper acoustics.
Located on the second floor of the Concert Hall is the Library of Congress/Ira Gershwin Gallery. Designed by Hodgetts + Fung Design Associates, the gallery was made possible by a gift from the Ira and Leonore Gershwin Trust for the Benefit of the Library of Congress and rotates its collection bi-annually.
The Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), named in honor of Walt Disney’s brother and partner Roy and Roy’s wife, Edna, is also housed within the Concert Hall. An interdisciplinary contemporary arts center, the theatre is programmed by CalArts, based in Valencia, California. REDCAT features a flexible 200- to 270-seat multi-use theatre and a 3,000 square-foot exhibition space. Its entrance includes a marquee of curvilinear stainless steel and leads directly into an expansive multi-use space that includes a lobby and lounge for meetings, receptions and post-performance events. The REDCAT stage can be transformed into several configurations, from thrust and end stage to completely in the round. The performance space is lined with hinged panels, each with finished wood on one side and sound-absorbent material on the other. To quiet outside noise and prevent transmission of vibrations from the Concert Hall, REDCAT is built as a steel box-within-a box, with the interior box floating on 72 special rubber pads.
Featured at Walt Disney Concert Hall
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Sat Mar 09 11:00 AM
Sat Mar 23 11:00 AM
LA Phil Swan Lake: Reimagined
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Experience how Tchaikovsky's timeless composition inspires a revamped story for a modern audience by featuring selected pieces from the classic suite and, of course, a dancing accompaniment.
These 45-minute interactive Los Angeles Philharmo...Show More
Experience how Tchaikovsky's timeless composition inspires a revamped story for a modern audience by featuring selected pieces from the classic suite and, of course, a dancing accompaniment.
These 45-minute interactive Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts introduce young audiences to symphonic music. Before each concert, families are invited to participate in hands-on arts workshops.
This concert is recommended for children ages 5 to 11.
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Tue Mar 19 8:00 PM
LA Phil Philip Glass: The Complete Etudes, 1-20
Walt Disney Concert Hall
A group of renowned pianists takes turns interpreting Philip Glass’ complete Etudes. Glass has said that he composed the Etudes “to explore a variety of tempi, textures, and piano techniques,” seeking to improve his own piano skills and discover u...Show More
A group of renowned pianists takes turns interpreting Philip Glass’ complete Etudes. Glass has said that he composed the Etudes “to explore a variety of tempi, textures, and piano techniques,” seeking to improve his own piano skills and discover uncharted creative waters.
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Fri Mar 22 11:00 AM
Sun Mar 24 2:00 PM
LA Phil John Adams’ City Noir
Walt Disney Concert Hall
LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams leads the orchestra in Stravinsky’s colorful and Impressionistic Song of the Nightingale, which is set in the court of the Emperor of China. With influences ranging from Brahms and Mozart to ...Show More
LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams leads the orchestra in Stravinsky’s colorful and Impressionistic Song of the Nightingale, which is set in the court of the Emperor of China. With influences ranging from Brahms and Mozart to Sigur Rós and Radiohead, Timo Andres is a favorite young composer of Adams’ who conducts the world premiere of his concerto written for pianist Aaron Diehl. Adams closes the program with his City Noir, inspired by Los Angeles and classic films that the composer said is reminiscent of “a very crowded boulevard peopled with strange characters… who only come out very late on a very hot night.”
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Fri Mar 22 8:00 PM
LA Phil Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony come to Los Angeles for a one-night-only performance, featuring John Adams’ Naïve and Sentimental Music—originally dedicated to and premiered by Salonen—a work that combines th...Show More
Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony come to Los Angeles for a one-night-only performance, featuring John Adams’ Naïve and Sentimental Music—originally dedicated to and premiered by Salonen—a work that combines the scale and scope of a Bruckner symphony with Adams’ free-flowing and expressive minimalist language. Gramophone praised Lisa Batiashvili’s ability to tell a story through inventive phrasing and range of color that keeps the listener perpetually “in the moment.” The violinist joins Salonen for one of her specialties, Sibelius’ beloved concerto.
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Tue Mar 26 8:00 PM
LA Phil Chamber Music with the LA Phil
Walt Disney Concert Hall
From string quartets and piano trios to wind quintets or a brass ensemble, chamber music concerts feature members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing in small groups, creating an intimate and compelling concert experience. Come early and en...Show More
From string quartets and piano trios to wind quintets or a brass ensemble, chamber music concerts feature members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing in small groups, creating an intimate and compelling concert experience. Come early and enjoy a glass of wine on us to complete the perfect night out.
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Thu Mar 28 8:00 PM
Sat Mar 30 8:00 PM
LA Phil Michael Tilson Thomas Leads Tchaikovsky
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The four tableaus of Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka...Show More
The four tableaus of Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka are vividly brought to life by Michael Tilson Thomas, who actually met the composer in Los Angeles in his youth. Thomas once described Stravinsky as an “amazing mind that was searching always for the most original solution” to his inventions, and he brings that keen understanding to conducting Stravinsky’s work. Tchaikovsky wrote his Fourth Symphony as a mirror to the many conflicts in his life, wrestling with fate and personal turmoil, leading to a passionate thrill ride of a symphony.
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Sat Mar 09 11:00 AM
Sat Mar 23 11:00 AM
LA Phil Swan Lake: Reimagined
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Experience how Tchaikovsky's timeless composition inspires a revamped story for a modern audience by featuring selected pieces from the classic suite and, of course, a dancing accompaniment.
These 45-minute interactive Los Angeles Philharmo...Show More
Experience how Tchaikovsky's timeless composition inspires a revamped story for a modern audience by featuring selected pieces from the classic suite and, of course, a dancing accompaniment.
These 45-minute interactive Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts introduce young audiences to symphonic music. Before each concert, families are invited to participate in hands-on arts workshops.
This concert is recommended for children ages 5 to 11.
Show Less -
Tue Mar 05 12:00 PM
Sat May 04 12:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents Music off the Wall
Jerry Moss Plaza & Plaza Gallery
For the first time in its 60-year history, The Music Center transforms Jerry Moss Plaza into an interactive augmented reality gallery featuring 16 digital artworks, with accompanying music, brought to life through visitors’ smartphones. This free ...Show More
For the first time in its 60-year history, The Music Center transforms Jerry Moss Plaza into an interactive augmented reality gallery featuring 16 digital artworks, with accompanying music, brought to life through visitors’ smartphones. This free AR exhibit in the heart of DTLA showcases local and global artists and their captivating creations.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Fri Mar 22 11:00 AM
Sun Mar 24 2:00 PM
LA Phil John Adams’ City Noir
Walt Disney Concert Hall
LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams leads the orchestra in Stravinsky’s colorful and Impressionistic Song of the Nightingale, which is set in the court of the Emperor of China. With influences ranging from Brahms and Mozart to ...Show More
LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams leads the orchestra in Stravinsky’s colorful and Impressionistic Song of the Nightingale, which is set in the court of the Emperor of China. With influences ranging from Brahms and Mozart to Sigur Rós and Radiohead, Timo Andres is a favorite young composer of Adams’ who conducts the world premiere of his concerto written for pianist Aaron Diehl. Adams closes the program with his City Noir, inspired by Los Angeles and classic films that the composer said is reminiscent of “a very crowded boulevard peopled with strange characters… who only come out very late on a very hot night.”
Show Less -
Tue Mar 05 12:00 PM
Sat May 04 12:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents Music off the Wall
Jerry Moss Plaza & Plaza Gallery
For the first time in its 60-year history, The Music Center transforms Jerry Moss Plaza into an interactive augmented reality gallery featuring 16 digital artworks, with accompanying music, brought to life through visitors’ smartphones. This free ...Show More
For the first time in its 60-year history, The Music Center transforms Jerry Moss Plaza into an interactive augmented reality gallery featuring 16 digital artworks, with accompanying music, brought to life through visitors’ smartphones. This free AR exhibit in the heart of DTLA showcases local and global artists and their captivating creations.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Wed Mar 20 7:30 PM
Sun Mar 24 2:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
When Alvin Ailey and a small group of African American dancers took the stage on March 30, 1958, at New York City’s 92nd Street Y, the engagement was for one night only, but it turned out to be the start of a new era in the arts, launch...Show More
When Alvin Ailey and a small group of African American dancers took the stage on March 30, 1958, at New York City’s 92nd Street Y, the engagement was for one night only, but it turned out to be the start of a new era in the arts, launching a revolutionary company that transcends barriers and celebrates the African American cultural experience. For 65 years, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has showcased the work of diverse choreographers, amplifying a myriad of voices alongside Ailey’s own. Returning to The Music Center to launch a multi-year residency, America’s most popular modern dance company will expand on its choreographic tradition, adding new choreographers to the company’s repertory with world premieres and beloved classics that illustrate the breadth of Ailey’s rich catalog, including Alvin Ailey's signature work Revelations.
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Fri Mar 22 11:00 AM
Sun Mar 24 2:00 PM
LA Phil John Adams’ City Noir
Walt Disney Concert Hall
LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams leads the orchestra in Stravinsky’s colorful and Impressionistic Song of the Nightingale, which is set in the court of the Emperor of China. With influences ranging from Brahms and Mozart to ...Show More
LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams leads the orchestra in Stravinsky’s colorful and Impressionistic Song of the Nightingale, which is set in the court of the Emperor of China. With influences ranging from Brahms and Mozart to Sigur Rós and Radiohead, Timo Andres is a favorite young composer of Adams’ who conducts the world premiere of his concerto written for pianist Aaron Diehl. Adams closes the program with his City Noir, inspired by Los Angeles and classic films that the composer said is reminiscent of “a very crowded boulevard peopled with strange characters… who only come out very late on a very hot night.”
Show Less
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