The LA Times just published a story on Esa-Pekka Salonen. An interesting anecdote from the article revealed that People had selected him to be on their 50 sexiest people list, and that he had declined(!). This is all tied together somehow because this is Salonen's 17th and last year as Music director for the LA Phil. After this year, he begins his tenure at the London Philharmonia and Gustavo Dudamel takes over as the next......

A preview of Mahler, conducted here by Simon Rattle at the BBC Proms Mahler's 8th Symphony is titled the Symphony of a Thousand because the premiere had over 800 vocalists on stage accompanying an orchestra of around 200. It's epic. It's the last appearance of Salonen as the Music Director, and due to the lack of opportunities to see the 8th symphony, this a program that should not be missed. There are eight soloists,......