Salonen and the LA Philharmonic take on the forces of nature

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic

The Los Angeles Philharmonic perform Prometheus, Poem of Fire

Liv Redpath, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Jingjing Xu

By Néstor Castiglione, 12 January 2026

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Reviewed at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles on 9 January 2026

Sibelius, The Oceanides symphonic poem for orchestra, (Aallottaret) Op.73

Smith, Rewilding

Debussy, La Damoiselle élue

Scriabin, Symphony no. 5 "Prometheus, Poem of Fire", Op.60

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Piano

Liv Redpath, Soprano

Jingjing Xu, Mezzo-soprano

Los Angeles Master Chorale

Los Angeles Philharmonic

Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor

Grimanesa Amorós, Multimedia artist

Dudamel and Catalan choirs dazzle in Beethoven’s Missa solemnis

Néstor Castiglione, 20th February

In Los Angeles, Gustavo Dudamel conducts Beethoven's Missa solemnis for the first time... and it proves worth the wait.

*****

Shock, spectacle and endurance: Yuja Wang and Thomas Adès at full tilt

Laurence Vittes, 8th February

If Prokofiev’s original intention in his Second Piano Concerto was shock and awe, Yuja Wang gives exactly the right performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

***11

John Adams leads Americana, past and present, with LA Phil

Néstor Castiglione, 23rd January

Compelling as a composer and conductor, Adams restored Roy Harris' Third Symphony to the Los Angeles repertoire, alongside one of his most recent works.

*****

Winter Daydreams and a Jazz Age Nutcracker at Disney Hall

Néstor Castiglione, 18th December

A feast of Tchaikovsky with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under guest conductor Thomas Wilkins.

****1

Ligeti shines at Disney Hall under Gimeno's baton

Laurence Vittes, 14th December

Renaud Capuçon adds a degree of theatricality to his Mozart with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

***11

Matthias Pintscher: a triple threat comes to Disney Hall

Néstor Castiglione, 13th November

Los Angeles Philharmonic audiences got a taste of Pintscher as conductor, concerto partner, and composer.

*****

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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.

Esa-Pekka Salonen and the LA Philharmonic take on the forces of nature