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No "same old" for you...

As the weather starts cooling down, the season is heating up! We're so glad you're on this mailing list, but don't let this be your only resource: do sign up for direct updates from your favorite orgs, and I challenge every one of you to expand your horizons this year. Go to at least one thing a quarter (that's three months for you non-corporate types) that you never would have considered a few years ago. You might find some new favorites, make some new friends, and reshape how you think about the arts. All of it will feed your own work, support your community, and make life fun.

What's next for you? (After all, classical music proves that the old doesn't need to be the same...)

P.S. This week also includes a celebration of a life that had just that kind of influence. Sunday afternoon, USC Thornton School of Music will provide a musical memorial of Alan Louis Smith, who was an integral part of USC's musical life, and who passed away last Halloween. His contributions to Southern California arts were considerable, and we were proud to present his Vignettes as part of our unSUNg concert series several years ago. The concert will be livestreamed if you can't make it in person, and I hope anyone who remembers Alan will celebrate him in some way this week.

Read about Alan here

Vocal-related events in Southern California

September 29

Pepperdine alumnus Fernando Grimaldo (’18) returns to Pepperdine for a Spanish and English recital.

Grimaldo's program Meditaciónes de Fe (Meditations in Faith) features work by Esteban Salas, Manuel Ponce, and Lin Manuel-Miranda. Originally from Houston, Texas, Grimaldo is a teaching artist with Houston Grand Opera and received his MM in voice performance from the University of Michigan.

She loved him. He crushed her wings.

Lights, camera, action: An American officer in turn-of-the-century Japan wants a bride, and a greedy marriage broker obliges, assuring him that the union can be easily dissolved. The innocent Cio-Cio-San believes they’re in love, even as Lt. Pinkerton moves on. For three years, she fights off rising debts and new suitors, refusing to believe she’s been abandoned. But when their long-awaited reunion finally arrives, the lieutenant isn’t alone—and he isn’t here for her. End scene.

USC Thornton faculty members and alumni present a concert of music by the beloved, long-time (now deceased) faculty member, Alan Louis Smith, along with music that he loved as a performer and teacher. This event is curated by Keyboard Collaborative Arts Director, Kevin Fitz-Gerald and Chair of Vocal Arts & Opera, Lisa Sylvester.

Livestream the event on YouTube: Sunday, September 29 at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

October 1

Kicking off the 2024/25 season with the LA Phil’s annual gala concert, Gustavo Dudamel joins forces with legendary pianist Lang Lang for a glittering evening featuring Rachmaninoff’s dramatic and lush Piano Concerto No. 2 as well as Alberto Ginastera’s Estancia, which Dudamel and baritone Gustavo Castillo recorded with the LA Phil in a recent Grammy-nominated album.

October 3

Walt Disney Concert Hall transforms into Shakespeare’s magical forest when Gustavo Dudamel leads Mendelssohn’s whimsical incidental music from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Complete with video projections setting the scene and actress María Valverde narrating in Spanish, the music offers drama, fairies, and more than a little comedy. Dudamel has called Gabriela Ortiz “one of the most important composers in the world” for her distinct use of rhythm and harmonic colors. Alisa Weilerstein performs the world premiere of the Mexican composer’s new Cello Concerto.

This concert is narrated in Spanish with English supertitles.

...for more listings, and click "Submit Event" at the top to submit your happening!

Events must be submitted by Wednesday evening of the appropriate newsletter week to be included on Friday's issue. Please do not submit auditions or deadlines to the calendar - contact us instead, and we'll help spread the word in other ways.

PLEASE NOTE: Things change, and we are not always notified.

Always check the presenter's own website or social media pages for availability, and get details and updates directly from the source.

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