For her last concert in Los Angeles before returning in January 2019, Susanna Mälkki conducts the LA Phil New Music Group in five world premieres commissioned by the LA Phil. The program, entitled “European Avant-Garde,” features works by leading European composers, with baritone Sean Michael Plumb and organist Francesco Filidei as additional soloists.

On November 13, the concert program includes Francesco Filidei’s Lamento, Arnulf Herrmann’s The Call, Lotta Wennäkoski’s Hele, Miroslav Srnka’s Overheating, and Yann Robin’s Übergang II. Ms. Mälkki, a supporter for the new generation of composers, spoke about the importance of introducing orchestras and their audiences to music by living composers:

“I think it is essential. We live in the 21st century: we follow the news, we follow the progress in science, we follow fashion, and so we also open the stage for the music of our time. I think that curiosity, discovery, and evolution are just as important elements in culture as they are in every other field of life.” (I CARE IF YOU LISTEN)

Additional information about the LA Phil New Music Group is available via the LA Phil website.