Los Angeles Music Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Music Center |
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The Walt Disney Concert Hall, with the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to the right
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| Background | |
| Location: | 135 North Grand Avenue Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Visitors: | 1.3 million per year |
| Established: | 1964 |
| Resident Companies: |
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| Venues |
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| Performances: |
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| Also Called: | The Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County |
| Information | |
| Public transit: |  Civic Ctr Grand Av |
The Los Angeles Music Center is one of the biggest performing arts centers in the United States. It is also known as the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County. You can find it in downtown Los Angeles, California.
The Music Center has five main buildings. These are the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Roy & Edna Disney CalArts Theatre (REDCAT), and Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Every year, over 1.3 million people visit The Music Center. They come to see shows by its four famous resident companies. These include the Los Angeles Philharmonic (an orchestra), Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale (a choir), and Center Theatre Group (a theater company). The center also hosts many community events, art festivals, outdoor concerts, and educational programs.
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History of The Music Center
In April 1955, a woman named Dorothy Buffum Chandler started raising money. She wanted to build a permanent home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra. Mrs. Chandler managed to collect almost $20 million from private donations. The county provided the land and raised another $14 million.
The first building, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, opened on December 6, 1964. A young conductor, Zubin Mehta, led the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Famous violinist Jascha Heifetz also performed. The rest of the complex was finished in April 1967. The Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre opened shortly after.
Since it opened, The Music Center has hosted many important performances. New conductors like Simon Rattle and Esa-Pekka Salonen made their American debuts here. Many famous plays had their first performances at the Mark Taper Forum. These include The Shadow Box, Zoot Suit, Children of a Lesser God, and Angels in America.
Well-known actors like Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Katharine Hepburn, and Maggie Smith have performed at the Ahmanson Theatre. The Los Angeles Music Center Opera was created in 1986. It has put on many impressive shows.
The Music Center also hosts the annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration. This free event takes place on Christmas Eve. It features singers, dance groups, and musicians. You can even watch it on TV!
New Buildings: Walt Disney Concert Hall
On October 23, 2003, The Music Center added a new building. This was the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall. This expanded the campus to 11 acres (about 45,000 square meters).
The Concert Hall has 2,265 seats. It is the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall, there is also a smaller theater called the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT). It has 266 seats. There are also outdoor areas for performances, like the W. M. Keck Foundation Children's Amphitheatre.
Music Center Plaza Renovation
The main plaza at The Music Center was updated in July 2018. This $40 million project made the plaza much bigger. It can now hold up to 5,000 people, twice as many as before!
Performance Venues
The Music Center has several main performance halls. It also has some outdoor amphitheaters.
- Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: This hall has 3,197 seats.
- Mark Taper Forum: This theater has 739 seats.
- Ahmanson Theatre: This venue can seat between 1,600 and 2,007 people. The number changes depending on how it's set up.
- Walt Disney Concert Hall: This concert hall has 2,265 seats.
- Roy & Edna Disney CalArts Theatre (REDCAT): This smaller theater has 266 seats.
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Ahmanson Theatre
Public Art at The Music Center
The Music Center has some interesting sculptures. One is a large bronze sculpture called Peace on Earth. It weighs 10 tons and is 29 feet tall. Jacques Lipchitz, a famous sculptor, created it in 1969. The sculpture shows a dove flying down to Earth, bringing peace. There is also a Madonna figure inside a tear-shaped canopy. This sculpture was moved in 2019 to make way for the plaza renovation.
Another sculpture is called Dance Door. It was created by Robert Graham in 1978. It's a bronze door with figures of dancers carved into it.
Resident Companies
The Music Center is home to four main performing arts groups:
- Los Angeles Philharmonic: A world-famous orchestra.
- Los Angeles Opera: An opera company that puts on grand shows.
- Los Angeles Master Chorale: A large choir that performs many types of music.
- Center Theatre Group: A theater company that presents plays and musicals.
Education Programs
The Music Center believes that the arts are important for everyone. They help children grow and learn. Since 1979, their education programs have reached over 16 million students and teachers. Today, nearly 1 million students and teachers benefit each year.
The Music Center creates special learning materials about the arts. These are used in textbooks across the country. They are also available on The Music Center's website.
Some of their popular education programs include "World City" and the "Blue Ribbon Children's Festival." They also host the "Very Special Arts Festival" and the "Spotlight Awards" for young artists.
Active Arts Programs
Active Arts programs started in 2004. They are designed to help more people experience the performing arts. These programs offer free or low-cost events. They encourage people to sing, dance, play music, and tell stories together. It's all about having fun and enjoying art!
Active Arts programs bring people from different backgrounds together. They include events like "Dance Downtown," "Drum Downtown," and "Friday Night Sing-Along."
Dance at The Music Center
The Music Center has become well-known for its dance performances. Since 2000, it has hosted many famous dance groups. One of the first was the Bolshoi Ballet from Russia. They performed Romeo and Juliet and Don Quixote.
Many other top dance companies have performed here. These include the New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
How The Music Center is Run
The Music Center is managed by a Board of Directors. The County of Los Angeles owns the buildings. It helps pay for their upkeep, security, and staff. The money from parking garages also helps cover these costs.
The Music Center and its four resident companies are in charge of the shows. The Music Center also takes care of the buildings and grounds. They manage the theaters, restaurants, and the Music Center Archives.
Membership Groups
The Music Center has groups that support its work.
- The Blue Ribbon: This group was started in 1968 by Mrs. Chandler. It has over 450 women leaders from Los Angeles. They support the performing arts and donate money to the center's programs.
- Center Dance Association (CDA): This group promotes dance education. They also help more people enjoy dance in Los Angeles.
See also
In Spanish: Centro de Música de Los Ángeles para niños
