Music

Twyla Tharp’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee celebrates one of America’s most groundbreaking and lauded choreographers. Over six decades, Tharp has redefined the boundaries of dance, blending ballet, jazz, modern dance, and popular culture to create a uniquely dynamic and innovative body of work. Ms. Tharp has choreographed over one hundred sixty works, including dances, television specials, Hollywood movies (Hair, Ragtime and Amadeus), full-length ballets (The Joffrey, American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet), Broadway shows (Movin’ Out, Come Fly Away) and even figure skating routines. She has won a Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, nineteen honorary doctorates, the National Medal of the Arts and a Kennedy Center Honor, to name a few.

Twyla Tharp’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee honors an artist who has profoundly shaped modern dance. It is a celebration of her unparalleled legacy and a reminder of the power of art to evolve and inspire. The performance honors Tharp’s work to date and ongoing contribution to dance, featuring her award-winning ballet set to Beethoven’s “Diabelli Variations.” She also presents a new piece with music by Philip Glass and some of her most iconic pieces, including Push Comes to Shove and In the Upper Room, alongside new works. Tharp’s use of music to create works of startling originality and beauty defines this important milestone performance.

Performances begin February 22, 2025 at the Soraya.

For more details and purchase tickets, click here.

The Soraya’s celebrated Jazz at Naz festival returns for its fourth season, running from February 1-February 20, 2025. Recognized as one of the premier winter jazz festivals on the West Coast, Jazz at Naz brings together a diverse lineup of world-class performers, from jazz legends like 2024 Kennedy Center Honoree Arturo Sandoval and Chucho Valdés to up-and-coming stars like five-time GRAMMY nominee Lakecia Benjamin, alongside current jazz masters Christian McBride and Jason Moran.

The festival kicks off on February 1 with the Pacific Jazz Orchestra, featuring Broadway sensation Eva Noblezada, conducted by Christopher Walden. Lakecia Benjamin will take the stage next, performing on February 5 and 6 in the Jazz Club with her dynamic Pursuance: The Coltrane Project. On February 7 and 8, the legendary bassist Christian McBride and his new quintet, Ursa Major, will perform. The festival continues with renowned pianist Jason Moran on February 13, who will present a tribute to the great Duke Ellington, joined by the CSUN Jazz “A” Band. February 15 will feature Kurt Elling, who will celebrate the iconic Weather Report with Yellowjackets and special guest Peter Erskine. The festival will close on February 20 with a remarkable performance by Chucho Valdés: Irakere 50, featuring special guest Arturo Sandoval and the electrifying Cimafunk.

Jazz at Naz also extends its reach globally with a livestream option for just $19, making it accessible to jazz fans everywhere.

For tickets and more information, click here.

The month the LA Phil kicks off with Zemlinsky’s The Little Mermaid (Feb 7-9), conducted by Xian Zhang. This symphonic fairytale, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s story, captures the mermaid’s longing and heartbreak through beautiful, winding strings. Pianist George Li will also perform Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, bringing a lyrical depth to the evening.

On February 7, Grammy Award-winning jazz singer Samara Joy makes her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut. The twenty-four-year-old Bronx native has been praised for her refined, distinctive style, drawing comparisons to jazz legends like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. Her Grammy-winning album Linger Awhile showcases her deep curiosity for jazz history, with unique takes on classics like “Misty” and “Round Midnight.”

From February 13-16, Seong-Jin Cho joins the LA Phil for Ravel’s Concerto in G, one of his favorite works, with Paavo Järvi conducting. The program also includes Bacewicz’s Concerto for String Orchestra and Brahms’ Piano Quartet arranged for orchestra, a piece that was transformed by Schoenberg and premiered by the LA Phil.

The Mahler Grooves Festival (Feb 20-23, 27-28) concludes the month with Gustavo Dudamel conducting Mahler’s First and Tenthsymphonies, along with Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy’s Magic Horn), exploring themes of love, loss, and the supernatural. Baritone Simon Keenlyside and mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova will join this emotional exploration.

With such an extraordinary array of performances, February at Walt Disney Concert Hall promises a month to remember.

For more information and tickets, click here.

Angelenos can look forward to a broad array of entertainment coming to the BroadStage (pun intended) this month and next. Established in 2008 at Santa Monica College, BroadStage prides itself on energizing audiences and community through bold and sometimes daring artistic performances. February 11 marks the return of Norwegian-born soprano Lise Davidsen following her triumphant West Coast debut in the 2023/24 Celebrity Opera Series. Winner of the 2015 Operalia competition in London in 2015, Lise has solidified her place as an opera superstar, earning praise that positions her as an artist “in a league of her own” (Peter Gelb, Metropolitan Opera). On February 15, GRAMMY®-Award winner Terri Lyne Carrington pays homage to legendary jazz drummer / composer Max Roach’s 1961 “Freedom Now Suite” by sonically reimagining the suite, while honoring the still poignant social justice message – We Insist! The composition acknowledges Roach’s legacy and its continued relevance while bringing forward a new story of jazz’s future.  Acclaimed violinist / vocalist / actor Lucia Micarelli brings her newest project, ROOTS, to the BroadStage on February 22 in a concert journey through the tapestry of American music, from classical masterpieces to the infectious rhythms of jazz and timeless melodies of the Great American Songbook to the rustic charm of fiddle and folk tunes. Montreal-based dance company RUBBERBAND arrives for two performances March 8 and 9 with their electrifying fusion of hip-hop, classical ballet and contemporary dance that is innovative, barrier breaking and awe-inspiring.

For details and tickets click here.