Out West Arts: Performance at the end of the world

Lionel Bringuier looking much cuter than his LA Phil press photos
Photo: Micke Grönberg/SR

Apparently, the LA Phil press department never sleeps as evidenced by this curious oddity – LA Phil Assistant Conductor Lionel Bringuier was identified by CNN as one of the “Young People who Rock”. According to their website, YPWR is “a weekly interview series focused on people under 30…who are doing remarkable things.” Bringuier is off to a strong start this season with some appearances in the Phil’s new music “Green Umbrella” series where he led performances of the works of Kaija Saariaho. He also survived the Lorin Maazel led performances of Britten’s War Requiem last week with no apparent signs of damage. Bringuier will be fielding questions from the on-line community on "CNN.com Live" this Friday, February 1, at 11:30 AM (PST) per their website. You can even submit a video question if you like – either way it sounds much more interesting than those dreary presidential debate questions.

Speaking of youth and the LA Phil, we’ve another series of Gustavo Dudamel concerts coming up at the end of March and inquiring minds like myself who have been speculating about his interest/aptitude towards contemporary music may finally be getting some hints. The programs he will lead on March 28-30 will include the LA Phil’s own beloved Esa-Pekka Salonen’s composition Insomnia. Now there is some potentially clever programming. FYI – there is a dreadful puff piece interview with Dudamel on the LA Phil website where Gail Eichenthal asks brilliant zingers like “Why do you suppose music is so well-suited to rescue children from poverty on the streets?” Thank you Ms. Eichenthal for exhibit A in my argument about the problems with the media's coverage of (and the public's overenthusiasm to) Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra. Western culture saves the great, unwashed masses once again. Who needs global economic justice and peace when you have art?

And on a brighter note, the 2008 Hollywood Bowl season is on its way with Salonen conducting Mahler’s 8th in September, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Thibaudet in the Khachaturian Piano Concerto, and a largely Philip Glass program led by Leonard Slatkin.

Labels: LA Philharmonic