LA Phil Cancels Balance of 2020-21

 

Walt Disney Concert Hall

March, 2017

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

The LA Philharmonic has bowed to the inevitable and canceled the rest of their planned 2020-21 season. Here's the email to subscribers and ticket purchasers:

We are sad to share that, due to the continuing COVID-19 crisis, all LA Phil-presented concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall have been canceled through June 9, 2021. While this news may not be surprising in this climate, it is heartbreaking to keep our venues silent and not be able to share in the experience of live music with you.

As a result of this cancellation, we’ve compiled answers to some common questions to help alleviate any confusion.

If conditions change, could the LA Phil plan new concerts that would happen in spring 2021?
The LA Phil is closely monitoring federal, state, and local public health guidelines and regulations. If we are able to stage socially distanced or outdoor live events in the spring, subscribers will have the opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public.

Will the 2021/22 season include the same artists as the 2020/21 season?
While some of the guest artists who were scheduled to perform in the 2020/21 season may join us for our 2021/22 season, the programs will be different. We anticipate sharing the 2021/22 season programming with you in April 2021.

If I purchased concert tickets, how are those tickets being handled?
Any tickets purchased for the 2020/21 season have been returned as an account credit. As programs will be changing, it relieves you of the need to exchange tickets later. You can simply use your account credit to purchase individual concerts when they become available.

If I have previously requested an account credit or refund, how can I confirm that this request has been completed? 
You may log in to your account at my.laphil.com to confirm the status of any previous requests. You are able to see account credit total amounts and you may confirm that a refund has been processed by viewing your subscription under Order History. If you need additional assistance, you may contact Audience Services at information@laphil.org or by calling 323 850 2000 from 10am to 6pm Monday through Friday.

Can I talk to someone about my tickets?
Yes, we are here to answer any questions you may have and guide you through this process. Please contact us by email at information@laphil.org or by phone at 323 850 2000 between 10am and 6pm Monday through Friday. Due to heavy phone volume and reduced staff, we encourage you to contact us by email to avoid experiencing longer-than-normal wait times.

What is the LA Phil doing during this time?
The LA Phil is continuing to share music online and on the air. In September we launched the first season of SOUND/STAGE, a series of short concert films recorded on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl. We are excited to announce the second season will kick off in early January. On January 15, In Concert At the Hollywood Bowl , which ran on KCET and PBS SoCal in the Los Angeles area this summer, will be given a national run. Our newest venue, The Ford, launched a fully digital 2020 seasonfeaturing performances, workshops, and summits with some of Los Angeles’ most exciting artists. Check out our social media channels and websites, or sign up for a weekly Watch & Listen email to get the latest performance videos, playlists, interviews, and more from the LA Phil.

How can I help?
Please consider making a donation to the LA Phil and Learning programs like YOLA, which have continued to serve musicians in under-resourced communities throughout this crisis. Between the concert cancelations at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl this year, the LA Phil has lost approximately $105M as a result of the pandemic. We need your support to help sustain our work during this period, as we continue to realize Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel’s vision of music for all.

Thank you for being a part of the LA Phil family. Knowing that there is a community of music lovers waiting to come together again gives us something to look forward to – our first concert with you as part of our audience is going to be one we will all remember and cherish.

In the meantime, we wish you good health and great music.

And here's the press release:

In accordance with current guidance from public health officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association is cancelling the remainder of its previously scheduled concerts for the 2020/21 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall through June 9, 2021.

While Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and The Ford are closed to the public due to COVID-19, the LA Phil is bringing its music and programming to the broadest possible audience through a far-reaching set of media partnerships and digital initiatives. These wide-ranging programs will continue in the new year and will include new episodes of the LA Phil’s innovative media project SOUND/STAGE, which brings together short concert films with essays, interviews, and bonus performances by some of today’s most exciting artists and thinkers; In Concert at the Hollywood Bowl, a six-episode television series hosted by Gustavo Dudamel airing on PBS stations nationwide starting January 15; and more. 

Chad Smith, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s David C. Bohnett Chair Chief Executive Officer, said, “As hard as it is to lose entire seasons at the Hollywood Bowl, The Ford and now Walt Disney Concert Hall, we are responding creatively under Gustavo’s leadership, so we can continue to bring music, learning programs and important conversations to the largest possible audience in Los Angeles and beyond. This is truly a joint effort of the entire LA Phil community, with leadership from our Board, ongoing support from our generous donors, the open-hearted collaboration of our brilliant orchestra and staff and the work of some of the finest media and programming partners in their fields. Together with all of Los Angeles, we will arrive on the other side of this pandemic. We now look toward next summer, when we will welcome audiences back to the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford and celebrate each iconic venue’s centenary with new meaning and purpose.”

Gustavo Dudamel, Music & Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, said, “Cultural institutions like ours must be a part of the very fabric of our community, and during this challenging time we must strive to inspire and empower people even more through our music and programming. We must reach across genres through screens, livestreams, and more, and remember that each note we play also carries with it an element of hope for the future and a desire for a better world. In the end, I believe that music and art will heal the soul of our community.”

Launched in May 2020, the “Play Your Part” fundraising campaign aims to mitigate the approximately $105 million revenue loss the LA Phil will experience as a result of COVID-19. The campaign helps to support the LA Phil’s operations and programs such as YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), which have continued to operate throughout the pandemic. 

Thomas L. Beckmen, Los Angeles Philharmonic Board Chair, said, “As we look forward to brighter days, we must ensure that the LA Phil remains vibrant and is supported until we are once more able to gather. The LA Phil continues to be here for all of us, and so we must play our part in bolstering this great institution so it can serve the people and communities of Los Angeles and the world long into the future.”

The LA Phil will continue to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and will reassess the Association’s situation as necessary.