The L.A. Philharmonic Hosts Digital Open Mic
Bing Wang performs her personal favorite piece, "Méditation" from Jules Massenet's opera Thais. Collaborating with for the first time on piano is her son Andrew Gong. (Photo Courtesy of LA Phil's Youtube account)
For the first time in 98 years, the Hollywood Bowl is cancelling its summer season. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, who operates the venue, announced in a press release on the 13th that, “In response to the latest guidance of public health officials and in an effort to protect our artists, audiences, staff, and community from the spread of COVID-19, we are canceling the 2020 season at the Hollywood Bowl.”
There is no doubt that summer in LA will not be the same without the sound of music echoing from its iconic amphitheater. However, not all is lost as the LA Phil launched their first ever digital Open Mic Night on May 7. The interactive experience allows student insiders who are artists and music lovers to stay connected with each other by talking, listening, or playing music.
One of the overseers of this digital experience, publicist Lisa White, has tackled this project in the midst of the last two stressful weeks the association has encountered. She states that the LA Phil hopes to keep people connected in music. “We hope Open Mic Night helps keep this community connected while we can’t present concerts and events for students and young professionals at our physical venues,” White said.
While nothing can compare to the experience of a live concert, this open mic night offers an alternative way for people who are quarantining at home to still enjoy music.
The advantage is that they will be able to connect with music lovers around the world. There is no date when the LA Philharmonic will open their doors again, but White states that if the students want to continue the online open mic night, that they will continue with it in some form.
The theme of the first open mic centered around the interpretations of different scores from films. While there isn’t any footage saved from the first open mic night, the LA Phil offers other at home performances of the Watch&Listen section of their website.
The performance theme for this week is the Three B’s, which includes Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and any artist with names that begin with “B.”
The upcoming May 21 event will be held through Zoom at 7pm PT. They are currently accepting performance and audience sign ups; those that are interested must be 18 years or older. A link to the Zoom call will be emailed to the performers and audience the day of the event.
The LA Philharmonic Association hopes to encourage students to participate in these events and remain connected music lovers, though stuck at home.
