One wouldn't really expect to go to the LACMA to go see great classical music, but during the season every Sunday at 6 there is a free concert of some great mid-career musicians or student virtuosos, broadcasted on 88.5 KCSN. Today we have violinist Hahn-Bin and pianist John Blacklow performing the Mozart and Franck violin sonatas. Next week on Friday we have jazz singer/songwriter/pianist Bill Cantos takes the stage, and on Sunday we have cellist... [continue]

For some reason it's not letting me upload pictures, so here is a video! This week's classical pick is a pick of several jazz concerts. There are always shows at the standard locations like the Baked Potato and Catalina Jazz Club, and free jazz and wine at Hollywood and Highland on Tuesdays. Tonight at 7 PM in Pasadena you have a FREE performance from the Ernie Andrews Quartet at Levitt Pavilion. The Hollywood Bowl... [continue]

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is the brainchild of Joss Whedon, who has enlisted his friends Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillon, and Felicia Day to create a musical in which Dr. Horrible (Harris) blogs about his daily routine, reading fan letters, and of his attempts to join the Evil League of Evil. Captain Hammer (Fillon) is his nemesis and Felicia Day (a Buffy alum) is his love interest that he never talks to. Part 1... [continue]

This week didn't seem to be as hot as predicted, but this week's classical pick is packing some heat! Which is literally the case here, since they will have fireworks at the end of the show this Thursday at the Hollywood Bowl. The program has a distinctly Eastern flavor, with music from Russian and Chinese composers, with the world famous pianist Lang Lang and LA Phil's Assistant Principal cellist Ben Hong as the soloists. The... [continue]

LAist was able to check out a couple of concerts last weekend, in two completely different venues. The program included some very patriotic affair, with the California Phil providing all of the fireworks. These concerts were mentioned as last week's classical pick, and did not disappoint. Although the program was exactly the same, the orchestra was able to adjust accordingly to the acoustics at each venue and offered a different interpretation but the same unbridled... [continue]

Every Summer the number of outdoor concerts increase significantly. Why not? It's beautiful outside. In Marina Del Rey, they hold classical and popular concerts every Thursday and Saturday. This Thursday we have the opening ceremonies including two pre-concert events Trooping the Colors and a Water Show on the main channel. The highlight of this concert is USC professor Marek Szpakiewicz performing the Elgar Cello Concerto in E Minor. According to our all-powerful all-knowing editor, "you'll... [continue]

This title was bestowed upon the Luther Burger by Real Life comics. Inspired by an episode of the Boondocks, a few brave souls from the heart of the Valley undertook the monumental task of creating and eating a Luther Burger. It consists of one pound of ground beef, cheese, grilled onions, and five strips of bacon. Sounds over the top? Replace the buns with Krispy Kreme donuts and you've got yourself a Luther burger. And... [continue]

This is a difficult movie to market without a red-band trailer, due to the subject matter. The Wackness is this summer's "it" indie movie. It's got all of the typical elements you'd see in an indie film; it's the coming-of-age story of an apathetic and depressed graduate (Josh Peck) who meets and falls in love with a carefree girl (Olivia Thirlby). This chance encounter allows him to experience a whole slew of emotions he... [continue]

the Rabbit of Seville, with a "cameo" by Leopold Stokowski This week we revisit some classic cartoons at the Hollywood Bowl. It pairs the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Looney Tunes characters as it incorporates the music and the cartoons live on stage. This is the final performance of the show before 2010 when they present a new 20th anniversary edition. It includes the Rabbit of Seville and What's Opera Doc? This is a fun... [continue]

part 1 of "Rhapsody in Blue" from Fantasia 2000 The California Phil is one of the many great orchestras in the Los Angeles area that offers varied and exciting programming in the Ambassador and the Walt Disney Concert Hall throughout the year. They open up their summer season with a concert at the Arboretum, a beautiful botanic garden located in the heart of Arcadia. The Arboretum is a 127-acre park which includes the famous... [continue]

One of the most exciting things to do in the summer is to go see some shows at the Hollywood Bowl. It has a variety of classical and popular shows and has been known to bridge the gap between the two genres with their collaborations between artist and orchestra (Remember this?). This season marks the end for Salonen as a music director and has added two talented conductors Bramwell Tovey and Thomas Wilkins. This season... [continue]

The Classical Pick of the Week segment has returned from a brief hiatus to bring you news about the LA Opera's new production of Tosca. With all the elements of a great Hollywood movie (love triangle, obsessive love, backstabbing, dramatic ending) Tosca has become one of the most frequently performed operas of our time. It has been considered the "greatest film score of all time" and has only four more performances left as they... [continue]

Interesting interview with Menotti Go next weekend to UCLA to see the Medium, an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti, who sadly passed away last year. Seating is extremely limited, but you guys are in for a treat because its playing four days in a row, it’s FREE, and it’s in English. You can also join us in our dubious distinction as the oddest group of people ever (see the comments). The opera is structured... [continue]

If Wagner was still alive today, he would have just celebrated his 195th (!) birthday yesterday. His influence was felt by many including Baudelaire, Freud, Joyce, Nietzsche, and any/every important contemporary of his. Some recent adaptations in mainstream media that come to mind include a terrible Tristan + Isolde movie and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy (based off of Wagner's Ring cycle). For me most memorable tribute to Wagner comes from a not-too-recent... [continue]

As the seasons for many reputable music groups come to an end, there are fewer options to choose from every week, so feel free to spare yourself of any extra stress and check LAist for any news on upcoming concerts. Hope you are all managing to keep yourselves busy and not counting down the days until the Hollywood Bowl season begins. We are revisiting the Disney Hall once more, which has been prone to several... [continue]

This week’s classical pick doesn’t really have anything to do with erotica, unless you reason that Beethoven’s "Eroica" Symphony ushered in the Romantic Era of classical music, which was said to have encouraged intimate and passionate (erotic?) feelings inside the listener. Anyways, the Los Angeles Philharmonic is performing this heroic third symphony (Eroica means heroic in Italian) and continue the year long celebration of Messiaen. Pierre-Laurent Amard (I just heard a wonderful recording of Ligeti's... [continue]

LAist has had some well documented cases of searching for that elusive “hidden bakery-café” in Burbank, or that extra parking spot at the Porto’s on Hollywood Way and Magnolia. And my suggestion? It doesn’t provide a solution for either of those problems, but an excellent alternative in Cake Monkey. It’s a nondescript bakery (basically a kitchen and an office, they are looking for a retail spot) wedged between a locksmith and a flowershop on Burbank... [continue]

Matt Haimovitz is not your everyday cellist. His resume includes performances with every major orchestra, but his choice of venues include nightclubs, bars, coffee houses, and a stop at CBCG. He is known for his performances of contemporary pieces, and his MySpace page showcases interpretations of Bach and Led Zeppelin. This classical pick actually takes place next Sunday, featuring two world premieres, a west coast premiere, and the Ligeti Cello Concerto. Ligeti was considered Stanley... [continue]

the Kronos Quartet performing "Lux Aeterna" The Kronos Quartet is a highly regarded avant-garde string quartet, recognized outside of classical music circles for their collaborations with artists including David Bowie, Allen Ginsberg, Dave Matthews, Nelly Furtado, and playing on soundtracks of the popular Aronofsky films The Fountain and Requiem For a Dream ("Lux Aeterna" is the popular composition used regularly outside of the film). This weekend KCRW presents a concert of the Kronos Quartet... [continue]

The kind folks who read LAist every week (that’s YOU!) live all over this fantastic city and we try to have a little something for everyone. This week’s classical pick has us hanging out at the Norton Simon Museum in the Pasadena/SGV area for a concert featuring musicians of the Grammy-Award winning Southwest Chamber Music group. This Saturday’s program includes Charles Ives’ Children’s Day at the Camp Meeting, Schubert’s Shepherd of the Rock (believed to... [continue]