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Néstor Castiglione

Néstor Castiglione

Néstor Castiglione is a freelance music critic, program note annotator, translator, and lecturer born and raised in Los Angeles. Aside from classical music, he also writes and lectures on the culture and popular music of early Shōwa Japan (1925 – 1945). His website is Echorrhea and you can also follow him on Instagram @echorrhea.

Author:Néstor Castiglione

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Hollywood and high-brow meet at the Bowl under Leonard Slatkin

By Néstor Castiglione, 24 July 2025

Matters cosmic and earthly intersect in Slatkin's latest visit to the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

*****

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Hollywood and high-brow meet at the Bowl under Leonard Slatkin

By Néstor Castiglione

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Kirill Gerstein's electricity impresses at the Hollywood Bowl

By Néstor Castiglione, 08 July 2025

Thomas Søndergård, great and not so great, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in their first Hollywood Bowl concert of the summer.

***11

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Gerstein's electricity impresses at the Hollywood Bowl

By Néstor Castiglione

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Earl Lee’s “Resurrection” steals the show at LA Phil’s Mahlerthon

By Néstor Castiglione, 02 March 2025

A monster Mahler concert at Disney Hall, with guest conductor Earl Lee stealing the show in the Resurrection Symphony.

*****

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Earl Lee’s “Resurrection” steals the show at LA Phil’s Mahlerthon

By Néstor Castiglione

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Stiff Ravel, but ebullient Brahms–Schoenberg from Paavo Järvi and the LA Phil

By Néstor Castiglione, 13 February 2025

Seong-Jin Cho proves rigid in Ravel, but the LAPO and guest conductor Paavo Järvi play Brahms–Schoenberg and Bacewicz to the hilt.

****1

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Stiff Ravel, but ebullient Brahms–Schoenberg from the LA Phil

By Néstor Castiglione

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Zubin Mehta finds fountain of youth in Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Gurre-Lieder

By Néstor Castiglione, 13 December 2024

A memorable, impassioned performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder in Disney Hall.

*****

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Zubin Mehta finds fountain of youth in LA Phil’s Gurre-Lieder

By Néstor Castiglione

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Abrams and the LA Phil groove in Stravinsky’s rise-and-grind at the Hollywood Bowl

By Néstor Castiglione, 22 August 2024

Tough, punchy Stravinsky from guest conductor Teddy Abrams and violinist Leila Josefowicz.

****1

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Abrams and the LA Phil groove in Stravinsky's rise-and-grind

By Néstor Castiglione

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“Iron Man” Kozhukhin dominates in Prokofiev

By Néstor Castiglione, 06 August 2024

Denis Kozhukhin crushes Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto, but guest conductor Ryan Bancroft is overwhelmed in Shostakovich 10.

***11

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“Iron Man” Kozhukhin dominates in Prokofiev

By Néstor Castiglione

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Gražinytė-Tyla and the CBSO serve up sonority in Los Angeles

By Néstor Castiglione, 12 October 2022

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and its former Music Director thunder in Disney Hall in the latest stop on their US tour.

****1

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Gražinytė-Tyla and the CBSO serve up sonority in Los Angeles

By Néstor Castiglione

Dudamel returns to Los Angeles to start off the Phil’s Ives cycle

By Néstor Castiglione, 20 February 2020

Dudamel starts off the inaugural concert in the LA Phil’s Ives symphony cycle.

*****

Dudamel returns to Los Angeles to start off the Phil’s Ives cycle

By Néstor Castiglione

Twilight draws on LA Phil’s look back at Weimar Germany

By Néstor Castiglione, 13 February 2020

The Los Angeles Philharmonic under Salonen look back at the dwindling twilight years of the Weimar Republic.

****1

Twilight draws on LA Phil’s look back at Weimar Germany

By Néstor Castiglione

Looking back at Weimar: Salonen conducts the LA Phil

By Néstor Castiglione, 07 February 2020

The Los Angeles Philharmonic under Salonen inaugurates their musical retrospective of Weimar Germany.

****1

Looking back at Weimar: Salonen conducts the LA Phil

By Néstor Castiglione

Action and reaction: Mehta conducts Wagner, Schoenberg and Webern

By Néstor Castiglione, 10 January 2020

Zubin Mehta returns to Disney Hall, demonstrating the multifaceted implications of Wagner and his “music of tomorrow”.

*****

Action and reaction: Mehta conducts Wagner, Schoenberg and Webern

By Néstor Castiglione

Americana, yesterday and today, at the Hollywood Bowl

By Néstor Castiglione, 22 August 2019

Guest conductor James Gaffigan celebrated musical Americana in a program of Copland, Barber, Ellington, and Karpman.

****1

Americana, yesterday and today, at the Hollywood Bowl

By Néstor Castiglione

High stakes from Fischer and Budapest Festival Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl

By Néstor Castiglione, 01 August 2019

Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra go out on a limb for a second night at the Hollywood Bowl.

****1

High stakes from the Budapest Festival Orchestra

By Néstor Castiglione

Kitschy, bombastic, virtuosic: the LA Phil and Dudamel’s Mahler 8

By Néstor Castiglione, 30 May 2019

Mahler's Eighth was the composer’s “gift to the nation”; Dudamel’s performance was a gift to Los Angeles.

*****

Kitschy, bombastic, virtuosic: the LA Phil and Dudamel’s Mahler 8

By Néstor Castiglione

Perianes, Avdeeva, Dudamel triumph in Beethoven

By Néstor Castiglione, 24 May 2019

Javier Perianes beguiles and Yulianna Avdeeva surprises in Beethoven’s last two piano concertos.

*****

Perianes, Avdeeva, Dudamel triumph in Beethoven

By Néstor Castiglione

Salonen and Sellars preside over close of LA Phil Stravinsky series

By Néstor Castiglione, 18 April 2019

Salonen brings his Stravinsky retrospective to a close with a pair of Greek-inspired scores.

***11

Salonen and Sellars preside over close of LA Phil Stravinsky series

By Néstor Castiglione

Rituals, funerary and celebratory, open up Salonen's Stravinsky series

By Néstor Castiglione, 12 April 2019

Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, arguably the conductor and orchestra par excellence of Stravinsky performance, debuts the first of their three-concert series dedicated to the former Angeleno.

*****

Salonen's Stravinsky series kicks off in LA

By Néstor Castiglione

Hope triumphs over despair: Dudamel conducts Mahler's Ninth in LA

By Néstor Castiglione, 28 February 2019

The Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel present Mahler’s Ninth Symphony as affirmation of life, rather than neurotic obsession over death.

*****

Hope triumphs over despair: Dudamel conducts Mahler's Ninth in LA

By Néstor Castiglione

Still, Ellington, the LA Phil and the disappointments of good intentions

By Néstor Castiglione, 16 February 2019

Works by Still and Ellington make their welcome appearance at Disney Hall, but the presentation left a bit to be desired.

***11

The disappointments of good intentions in LA

By Néstor Castiglione

Mälkki makes her mark in Saariaho, missed in Messiaen

By Néstor Castiglione, 18 January 2019

Mälkki triumphs in the subtleties of Saariaho, stumbles in the ecstasies of Messiaen.

***11

Mälkki makes her mark in Saariaho, missed in Messiaen

By Néstor Castiglione

Starman dimmed? Glass’ latest Bowie/Eno opus proves no Life on Mars

By Néstor Castiglione, 10 January 2019

A rare misfire showcasing the music of minimalism’s all-stars.

**111

Starman dimmed? Glass’ latest Bowie/Eno opus proves no Life on Mars

By Néstor Castiglione

MTT unleashes Ives at his raucous, crotchety best in Disney Hall

By Néstor Castiglione, 07 December 2018

MTT was back in Los Angeles for another spell as guest, this time bringing to local audiences one of his specialties of the house.

****1

MTT unleashes Ives at his raucous, crotchety best in Disney Hall

By Néstor Castiglione

Mälkki’s Mahler 5 proves a mixed bag in Los Angeles

By Néstor Castiglione, 01 November 2018

Susanna Mälkki’s choppy, uneven Mahler 5, preceded by a Steve Reich world première.

***11

Mälkki’s Mahler 5 proves a mixed bag in Los Angeles

By Néstor Castiglione

Strange and stirring Satyagraha at LA Opera

By Néstor Castiglione, 20 October 2018

After appearances in London and New York, Phelim McDermott's bold and imaginative production of Philip Glass’ Satyagraha arrives in Los Angeles.

****1

Strange and stirring Satyagraha at LA Opera

By Néstor Castiglione

Denève and Hadelich eloquent, bold in Sibelius and Ravel at the Hollywood Bowl

By Néstor Castiglione, 24 July 2018

Stéphane Denève and Augustin Hadelich each prove themselves to be at the very forefront of performers active today.

****1

Denève and Hadelich eloquent, bold in Sibelius and Ravel

By Néstor Castiglione

Dudamel serves up Otello at the Hollywood Bowl

By Néstor Castiglione, 15 July 2018

Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic unleash the darkness of Verdi’s late masterpiece Otello upon the picnickers at the Hollywood Bowl.

***11

Dudamel serves up Otello at the Hollywood Bowl

By Néstor Castiglione

Forever young: Blomstedt leads LA Phil in Beethoven and Sibelius

By Néstor Castiglione, 16 March 2018

Blomstedt’s lean and athletic performances of Beethoven’s and Sibelius’ second symphonies go to show that age really is just a number.

****1

Forever young: Blomstedt leads LA Phil in Beethoven and Sibelius

By Néstor Castiglione

Sweeping, elegant Tchaikovsky in Philadelphia, courtesy of MTT

By Néstor Castiglione, 03 March 2018

Michael Tilson Thomas returned to Philadelphia, this time showing both facets of his artistic career.

****1

Sweeping, elegant Tchaikovsky in Philadelphia

By Néstor Castiglione

A portrait of a world drawn closer, as depicted by Esa-Pekka Salonen

By Néstor Castiglione, 08 February 2018

The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s spotlight on Salonen the creative artist also imparted thoughts on our interconnected world.

****1

A portrait of a world drawn closer, as depicted by Esa-Pekka Salonen

By Néstor Castiglione

Bernstein's Mass gushes, swoons and rages under Dudamel in LA

By Néstor Castiglione, 01 February 2018

The Los Angeles Philharmonic proved that Bernstein's Mass, which had been dogged by critics at its première, has stood the test of time.

*****

Bernstein's Mass gushes, swoons and rages

By Néstor Castiglione

MTT brings maverick approach to Bruckner's Seventh in Los Angeles

By Néstor Castiglione, 14 December 2017

MTT delivered a Bruckner Seventh equal parts lyricism and dramatic power, while guest soloist Khatia Buniatishvili beguiled with her graceful Mozart.

*****

Bruckner's Seventh in Los Angeles

By Néstor Castiglione

Xian Zhang thrills in Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev at Disney Hall

By Néstor Castiglione, 10 December 2017

Xian Zhang made her Los Angeles debut in a program of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev,and Chen Yi.

***11

Xian Zhang thrills in Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev

By Néstor Castiglione

Clockwork precision and sparkle in Dutoit's all-Ravel program in Los Angeles

By Néstor Castiglione, 10 November 2017

Guest conductor Charles Dutoit returned to Los Angeles for a program devoted to one of the composers he is most closely associated with.

****1

Clockwork precision and sparkle in Dutoit in LA

By Néstor Castiglione

Chicago and Muti keep it safe, delivering potent Brahms at Disney Hall

By Néstor Castiglione, 22 October 2017

The Chicago Symphony make up for the loss of their city's other team earlier in the week, knocking one out of the ballpark in the heart of Los Angeles.

****1

Chicago and Muti keep it safe at Disney Hall

By Néstor Castiglione