“Chad Smith, chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is a lot like ‘the man behind the curtain’ in The Wizard of Oz,” writes Jim Farber in Friday’s (8/31) San Francisco Classical Voice. “The difference is, Smith really is a wizard…. At the moment, the lion’s share of Smith’s time and attention is devoted to overseeing the celebratory 100th season of the Los Angeles Philharmonic [encompassing] a monumentally scaled succession of concerts and artistic collaborations; 50 commissions of new works … as well as the return of every LA Phil titled conductor and music director from Zubin Mehta to Gustavo Dudamel (with the exception of Simon Rattle)…. Says Smith, ‘As we approached the centennial season, we knew we wanted to tell a story of who we are and what we want to be….’ On Sept. 30 … the Phil will throw the mother of all block parties. 7½ miles of streets from Disney Hall to the Hollywood Bowl will be closed [to traffic].” Says Smith, “There will be 2,500 performers, and it will end with Gustavo conducting the Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl … with Katy Perry, Herbie Hancock, Kali Uchis, and members of Youth Orchestra Los Angeles.’ ”
Posted September 6, 2018
In photo: The Los Angeles Philharmonic performs at the Hollywood Bowl.
