Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Last updated

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, LA, CA, jjron 22.03.2012.jpg
U.S. - Los Angeles Metropolitan Area location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area
USA California location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (California)
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (the United States)
Location135 North Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, California
Coordinates 34°3′23″N118°14′55″W / 34.05639°N 118.24861°W / 34.05639; -118.24861
Public transit LAMetroLogo.svg LACMTA Circle B Line.svg   LACMTA Circle D Line.svg   LACMTA Square J Line.svg   Civic Ctr
LAMetroLogo.svg LACMTA Circle A Line.svg   LACMTA Circle E Line.svg   LACMTA Square J Line.svg   Grand Av
Owner Los Angeles Music Center
Type Performing arts center
Seating typeReserved
Capacity 3,156
Construction
Built1962–1964
OpenedSeptember 27, 1964
Architect Welton Becket & Associates
Main contractors Peter Kiewit & Sons
Tenants
Los Angeles Opera
Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center
Website
Official website

The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center, which is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. [1]

Contents

Since the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and Los Angeles Master Chorale have moved to the newly constructed and adjacent Disney Hall which opened in October 2003, the Pavilion is home of the Los Angeles Opera and Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held its annual Academy Awards in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion from 1969 to 1987, 1990, 1992 to 1994, 1996, and 1999.

History

The Pavilion has 3,156 seats spread over four tiers, with chandeliers, wide curving stairways and rich décor. [2] The auditorium's sections are the Orchestra (divided in Premiere Orchestra, Center Orchestra, Main Orchestra and Orchestra Ring), Circle (divided in Grand Circle and Founders Circle), Loge (divided in Front Loge and Rear Loge), as well as Balcony (divided in Front Balcony and Rear Balcony).

Construction started on March 9, 1962, and it was dedicated September 27, 1964. [3] The Pavilion was named for Dorothy Buffum Chandler who

led [the] effort to build a suitable home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and rejuvenate the performing arts in Los Angeles. The result was Mrs. Chandler’s crowning achievement, the Music Center of Los Angeles County. Her tenacious nine-year campaign on behalf of the Music Center produced more than $19 million in private donations

noted Albert Greenstein in 1999.[ citation needed ] The building was designed by architect Welton Becket. The project was an example of his firm's approach of total design, in which he managed all aspects including design, construction, fixtures, and interior finishes to achieve a coherent whole. [4]

In order to receive approval for construction from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Chandler promised Kenneth Hahn that the building would be open free for the public for one day a year. The result was the Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration, a Christmas Eve tradition sponsored by the Board of Supervisors. The program is broadcast on PBS SoCal and an edited version of the prior year's show is syndicated to public television stations via PBS. [5] Peter Kiewit & Sons (now Kiewit Corporation) was the builder. [6]

The opening concert was held on December 6, 1964, with Zubin Mehta conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic with soloist Jascha Heifetz. The program included Fanfare by Richard Strauss, American Festival Overture by William Schuman, Roman Festivals by Ottorino Respighi, and Beethoven's Violin Concerto.

The stage as seen from the balcony at the 62nd Academy Awards in 1990. Oscars 2433 (255276298).jpg
The stage as seen from the balcony at the 62nd Academy Awards in 1990.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale, under Music Director Roger Wagner, was the other founding resident company at the Pavilion. Before creation of the Los Angeles Opera company, the New York City Opera came regularly on tour and performed in the Pavilion. One such tour, in 1967, consisted of two performances of Madama Butterfly , one of La Traviata , and two of Ginastera's Don Rodrigo , each with Plácido Domingo singing the main tenor role.

On December 16, 1970, the hall hosted the monumental 12-hour Beethoven Marathon for Beethoven's 200th birthday celebration. Admission was $1 and the finale running well past midnight was the 4th movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta. [7]

The hall's acoustics were controversial during the period the Los Angeles Philharmonic made the pavilion its home. Problems varied depending on the listening location, with the orchestra sounding too loud in some places and too muffled in others. But it was lauded for its remarkable sense of intimacy given its 3000 seats, allowing the orchestra to dramatically project and emote without sounding too bright or brash. Abe Meltzer, chief consulting acoustician, stated in 1986 that the basic issue was that the Pavilion was a multi-purpose room, rather than one tailored to orchestral concerts. [8]

The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is featured in the 2008 video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles .[ citation needed ]

The site was used as the location for an avant-garde perfume ad directed by Spike Jonze. [9]

Nick Hexum, the lead singer of the alt rock band 311, was briefly a waiter at this venue, as referenced in the lyrics of their song "Applied Science".[ citation needed ]

Annual Holiday Celebration

Since 1964, a Christmas Eve tradition for the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is the annual free Holiday Celebration funded by Los Angeles County. It used to be six hours (from 3 pm to 9 pm) of music and dance by groups from all around Los Angeles county, However, due to financial cuts in the county budgets, the celebration was cut in half to three hours, limiting the performers to no more than two or three musical numbers each. Also, because of the overcrowds, the audience members have to arrive three hours earlier, where they have to wear colored wristbands in order to gain admission. The performances now last from 3PM to 6PM Pacific Time, without any intermissions. The performances are also broadcast on the PBS SoCal public television station with a one-hour version broadcast on PBS since 2002. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. Colloquially referred to as the LA Phil, the orchestra has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September. Gustavo Dudamel is the current music director, Esa-Pekka Salonen is conductor laureate, Zubin Mehta is conductor emeritus, and Susanna Mälkki is principal guest conductor. John Adams is the orchestra's current composer-in-residence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Itzhak Perlman</span> Israeli-American violinist (born 1945)

Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-American violinist. He has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that have included a state dinner for Elizabeth II at the White House in 2007, and at the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama. He has conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Westchester Philharmonic. In 2015, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Perlman has won 16 Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and four Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zubin Mehta</span> Indian conductor

Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Concert Hall</span> Concert hall in Los Angeles, California, U.S.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 23, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Avenue, and 1st and 2nd Streets, it seats 2,265 people and serves, among other purposes, as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The hall is a compromise between a vineyard-style seating configuration, like the Berliner Philharmonie by Hans Scharoun, and a classical shoebox design like the Vienna Musikverein or the Boston Symphony Hall.

Mehli Mehta was an Indian conductor and violinist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall</span> Large event venue in Los Angeles, California

The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue in Los Angeles, California. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1975, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Music Center</span> Performing arts center in Los Angeles, California

The Los Angeles Music Center is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. Located in downtown Los Angeles, The Music Center is composed of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Roy & Edna Disney CalArts Theatre (REDCAT), and Walt Disney Concert Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Buffum Chandler</span> American cultural leader

Dorothy Buffum Chandler was a Los Angeles cultural leader. She is perhaps best known for her efforts on behalf of the performing arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Master Chorale</span> American professional chorus

The Los Angeles Master Chorale is a professional chorus in Los Angeles, California, and one of the resident companies of both The Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1964 by Roger Wagner to be one of the three original resident companies of the Music Center of Los Angeles County. Grant Gershon has been its music director since 2001, replacing Paul Salamunovich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welton Becket</span> American architect

Welton David Becket was an American modern architect who designed many buildings in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Taper Forum</span> Theatre in Los Angeles, US

The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighboring Ahmanson Theatre and the Kirk Douglas Theatre are all operated by the Center Theatre Group.

The Pacific Boychoir was formed in 1998 with 6 boys, and it now includes more than 175 singers from ages 4 to 18. The New York Times said the PBA goes “beyond the reach of most youth choirs” and the Los Angeles Times described the PBA quality of sound and musicianship as “astonishing.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazard's Pavilion</span> Former auditorium in Los Angeles

Hazard's Pavilion was a large auditorium in Los Angeles, California, at the intersection of Fifth and Olive Streets. Showman George "Roundhouse" Lehman had planned to construct a large theatre center on the land he purchased at this location, but he went broke and the property was sold to the City Attorney, Henry T. Hazard. The venue was built in 1887 by architects Kysor, Morgan & Walls at a cost of $25,000, a large amount for the time, and seated up to 4,000 people. The building was constructed of wood with a clapboard exterior, and the front was framed by two towers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royce Hall</span> Building on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles

Royce Hall is a building on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Designed by the Los Angeles firm of Allison & Allison and completed in 1929, it is one of the four original buildings on UCLA's Westwood campus and has come to be the defining image of the university. The brick and tile building is in the Lombard Romanesque style, and once functioned as the main classroom facility of the university and symbolized its academic and cultural aspirations. Today, the twin-towered front remains the best known UCLA landmark. The 1800-seat auditorium was designed for speech acoustics and not for music; by 1982 it emerged from successive remodelings as a regionally important concert hall and main performing arts facility of the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmanson Theatre</span> Performing arts theatre in Los Angeles, California

The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center.

Andrew von Oeyen is a concert pianist. He is a citizen of the United States and France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel Blue</span> American singer (born 1984)

Angel Joy Blue is an American soprano. She won the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for the Metropolitan Opera production of Porgy and Bess in the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Her voice has been recognized for its shining and agile upper register, "smoky" middle register, beautiful timbre, and ability to switch from a classical to a contemporary sound. She has performed internationally and won numerous awards including a Grammy Award, Operalia and Miss Hollywood. According to family lore, her father Sylvester predicted her to be "the next Leontyne Price" when she was born.

Ernest Martin Fleischmann was a German-born American impresario who served for 30 years as executive director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which he upgraded to become a top-ranked orchestra. A talented musician, he chose a career on the business aspect of music, rather than a life as a conductor.

John Thomas Holiday Jr. is an American operatic countertenor. His repertoire focuses on the Baroque and contemporary composers, including staged opera and opera in concert, works for voice and orchestra, and experimental mixed-media. He has participated in several world premieres. He has performed with several opera companies in the United States, toured with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and sung in Shanghai and several European cities. He also sings gospel, pop, and jazz; he was a contestant on season 19 of NBC's The Voice, a vocal competition television series.

References

  1. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at Structurae
  2. "The Music Center, Venue rentals". Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  3. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at Glass Steel and Stone (archived)
  4. "Welton Becket". musiccenter.org. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  5. "L.A. Holiday Celebration 2007 Background" (PDF). LA County Arts Commission. November 5, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  6. "26 Aug 1962, 27 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  7. Gent, George (December 17, 1970). "Beethoven Memorialized Many Ways". The New York Times. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  8. "The Pavilion's Acoustics: Do They Need Fixing?". Los Angeles Times. March 23, 1986. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  9. MacLeod, Duncan. "Kenzo World The New Fragrance". Inspiration Room. Archived from the original on October 11, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  10. "Holiday Celebration". LA County Arts Commission. 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.

Further reading