Festival Opening Event Eureka! Features Solo Performances and Exclusive Collaborations by Kronos Quartet, Terry Riley, Matmos, and World Premiere of Mike Einziger’s “Forced Curvature of Reflective Surfaces”

The Airborne Toxic Event Makes Walt Disney Concert Hall Debut; Performs with the Calder Quartet

Songs of the Sun features acoustic sets by Brian Wilson and “King of California” Dave Alvin; Special Guests The Living Sisters and Harper Simon also perform

A Night of the Beats with Charles Lloyd New Quartet Features Appearances by Poet Performers Exene Cervenka, Michael McClure, David Meltzer, and jazz musicians Alan Broadbent, Kurt Elling, Peter Erskine, Christian McBride and Joshua Redman

EUREKA!: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, AT 9:30 PM; THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT featuring CALDER QUARTET: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 AT 9:00 PM; SONGS OF THE SUN: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 AT 8:00 PM; A NIGHT OF THE BEATS: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8 AT 8:00 PM

West Coast, Left Coast festival is supported by grants from The James Irvine Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts; November 21 media sponsors: 89.9 KCRW and Dublab; December 6 media sponsor: 89.9 KCRW

The distinctive qualities that make California a sympathetic refuge for creative renegades are all explored musically in the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s upcoming West Coast, Left Coast festival curated by Creative Chair, John Adams. From the state’s unique landscapes that have inspired numerous masterpieces to the juxtaposed attitudes of its northern and southern regions, California is a place of limitless possibilities. Four special events during the West Coast, Left Coast festival offer one-of-a-kind concerts venerating the boundless musical culture of The Golden State.

The opening event of the LA Phil’s West Coast, Left Coast festival on November 21, aptly named “Eureka!,” is all about the discovery moment. Four diverse artists who developed their respective talents in the distinctive California environment - Terry Riley, ensemble-in-residence Kronos Quartet, Matmos and Michael Einziger - present work separately and collaboratively, drawing inspiration from one another as well as their West Coast roots.

The pieces being performed are interrelated. Electronic outfit Matmos and Kronos Quartet will perform a new version of “For Terry Riley,” a piece commissioned in its original form by the Kronos Quartet, and it draws inspiration from Terry Riley’s work. Kronos Quartet will perform Thomas Newman’s “It Got Dark,” which was commissioned for the Kronos Quartet. (The string quartet and orchestra version of the piece will premiere on Dec. 3 & 4, when Kronos performs with the LA Phil under the baton of Leonard Slatkin.) Michael Einziger, best known as the guitarist/co-founder of rock super-group Incubus, premieres “Forced Curvature of Reflective Surfaces,” a composition inspired by the form of Walt Disney Concert Hall and Mike’s profound personal interest in the connection between music and physics. He is currently attending Harvard University, where he is studying physics, human evolutionary biology, and musical composition. Founding father of minimalism Terry Riley will also be performing solo in Walt Disney Concert Hall’s organ loft, or as Riley likes to call it, “Hurricane Mama.”

On December 4, Los Angeles hometown heroes, The Airborne Toxic Event take the stage for their Walt Disney Concert Hall debut. The quintet, who exemplify California’s anthemic indie-rock sound, are joined by the Calder Quartet and an array of surprise guests and collaborators for this one-of-a-kind evening celebrating the distinct sound of East Los Angeles where “Airborne” was formed and still reside. Since the release of their debut album, The Airborne Toxic Event has garnered a loyal following including the likes of Morrissey and U2’s Adam Clayton. Their dramatic single, “Sometime Around Midnight,” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and was named iTunes’ No. 1 alternative song of the year on its Best of 2008 list. Inspired by the innovative American visual artist Alexander Calder, the Calder Quartet continues to expand the boundaries of chamber music by creating insightful pairings of the traditional and the contemporary.

On December 6, legendary California icon Brian Wilson performs a special stripped-down set, and Downey’s own roots-rock hero, “King of California” Dave Alvin, shares his heart and soul through down-to-earth blues and modern Americana music. Special guests The Living Sisters (Inara George, Becky Stark, and Eleni Mandell, all hailing from L.A.) and burgeoning songwriter Harper Simon (son of Paul Simon) , join these artists as they share their West Coast-inspired sounds in Songs of the Sun, a celebration of California’s sun-soaked musical influence.

The poetry of the Beat Generation and the bebop of jazz were indelibly linked by their hip non-conformity and spontaneous creativity. On December 8, LA Phil presents a Jazz series concert, A Night of the Beats, featuring the Charles Lloyd New Quartet, poet performers, Exene Cervenka, Michael McClure and David Meltzer as well as special guests Alan Broadbent, Peter Erskine, Kurt Elling, Joshua Redman, and former LA Phil Creative Chair for Jazz Christian McBride. With some of today’s finest artists performing some seminal Beat poems and jazz with a fresh twist, the audience will have an opportunity to relive the heady days of Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac. The first half of the performance explores beat generation poetry, read by Cervenka, Elling, McClure and Meltzer, accompanied by a jazz combo led by McBride. The second half of the performance features original beat poetry from McClure, performed with the Charles Lloyd New Quartet.

The LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION, under the vibrant leadership of Gustavo Dudamel, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable locations anywhere to experience music – Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association’s involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational concerts, children's programming and community concerts, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21 – TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2009

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles



WEST COAST, LEFT COAST FESTIVAL SPECIAL EVENTS



Saturday, November 21, at 9:30 p.m.

EUREKA! Festival Opening Event



Kronos Quartet

David Harrington, violin

John Sherba, violin

Hank Dutt, viola

Jeffrey Zeigler, cello



Terry Riley, organ



Matmos

Drew Daniel, electronics

M.C. Schmidt, electronics



Michael Einziger, composer

Suzie Katayama, conductor

Kirk Hellie, guitar

Rachel Lee, violin

Hillary Ditmars, violin

Cindy Wang, violin

Lucy Caplan, viola



Friday, December 4, at 9 p.m.

The Airborne Toxic Event featuring the Calder Quartet



The Airborne Toxic Event

Mikel Jollett, vocals, guitar, keyboards

Anna Bulbrook, viola, keyboards, backing vocals

Steven Chen, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals

Noah Harmon, bass, backing vocals

Daren Taylor, drums



Calder Quartet

Ben Jacobson, first violin

Andrew Bulbrook, second violin

Eric Byers, cello

Jonathan Moerschel, viola



Sunday, December 6, at 8 p.m.

Songs of the Sun



Brian Wilson

Dave Alvin

The Living Sisters

Harper Simon



Tuesday, December 8, at 8 p.m.

A Night of the Beats



Charles Lloyd New Quartet

Charles Lloyd, saxophones, alto flute, tarogato

Jason Moran, piano

Reuben Rogers, bass

Eric Harland, drums



Exene Cervenka, Michael McClure, David Meltzer, poet performers

Alan Broadbent, Kurt Elling, Peter Erskine, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, special guests



West Coast, Left Coast festival is supported by grants from The James Irvine Foundation

and the National Endowment for the Arts

November 21 media sponsors: 89.9 KCRW and Dublab

December 6 media sponsor: 89.9 KCRW

Tickets [$17 - $160; Eureka! West Coast, Left Coast Opening Event: The Airborne Toxic Event: $28 - $42; Songs of the Sun: $28 - $42; A Night of the Beats) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card by phone at 323.850.2000. When available, choral bench seats ($17) will be released for sale to selected Philharmonic performances beginning at noon on the Tuesday of the second week prior to the concert. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.

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