The Orfeó Català and the Chamber Choir of the Palau de la Música have culminated his time with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Triumphantly, once again with the audience on their feet and with even more euphoria. "Gustavo Dudamel is euphoric with the Orfeó Català," stated the general director of the Palau de la Música, Joan Oller, after the last of the concerts in Walt Disney Concert Hall. Dudamel has found the heart to make the Solemn MassAnd they are expected to resume their collaboration in the coming years, perhaps with the New York Philharmonic, of which Dudamel will be principal conductor starting this fall. But, for now, Oller isn't revealing any further details about future projects with the Venezuelan conductor. "The relationship with Gustavo was already very good, and now he's seen that we've responded by coming to Los Angeles well-prepared, with everything in place, and I think that's why he's so euphoric these days," Oller explains.

The architect Frank O. Gehry (1929-2025) discovered classical music as a child when his mother took him to concerts in his native Toronto. As an architect, his first major concert hall was the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a steel ship that this weekend will host the Orfeó Català's US debut with a Solemn Mass Beethoven's concert hall, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. "What interested me most was giving the hall a soul and bringing people together," Gehry said about this project. "In the end, I created a kind of intimacy surrounding the orchestra, which begins to break down the traditional shape of the space." shoebox "The hall is enclosed, reducing the distance between the orchestra and the audience, bringing them closer," he explained. Gehry was convinced that comfort and good hall qualities allow the audience to better connect with the music. That's why Walt Disney Hall was inspired by Hans Scharoun's Berlin Philharmonic. Gehry's seats are arranged in concentric terraces around the stage, and the upholstery features a multicolored floral print. "Somehow, people would feel more connected. So I was thinking about the object itself, separate from the walls of the hall. This gave me much more freedom. It was like putting a ship inside a box," Gehry said.

The Solemn Mass Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is one of the most demanding works in the symphonic-choral repertoire. It is usually tackled by veteran conductors, but increasingly, younger generations are not afraid to take on its challenge. Among them is the Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel, who will conduct it for the first time this weekend with the LA Phil in Los Angeles, on February 20, 21, and 22. For this exceptional occasion, Dudamel has invited the Orfeó Català and the Palau de la Música Chamber Choir to perform. The Orfeó Català will make history with its US debut, and, to top it all off, this is Dudamel's farewell season with the LA Phil.