By Robert D. Thomas

Music Critic

Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily
News

Upcoming seasons

I always find it interesting to look at upcoming schedules
and ferret out some clues as to what local ensembles will be up to next season.

— Gustavo Dudamel will be conducting the Los Angeles
Philharmonic on May 24 at the Rene and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall as part
of the Orange County Philharmonic’s 2012-2013 season (LINK). The program
includes Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major, K. 297b and
Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 107 (Reformation) so I presume those two works will show up at the end
of the upcoming Disney Hall season. The opening piece is labeled TBD. (LINK)

— Dudamel and the LAPO will be appearing on the “Great
Performers” series at New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
The March 27 concert will be the New York premiere of John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, which
will get its first performances May 31-June 3 at Disney Hall (the fact that
it’s being listed as the “NY premiere” would seem to indicate that the oratorio
is going to be performed on a tour that includes more than the Big Apple). The
March 28 NY concert includes Zipangu
by Qubec composer Claude Vivier, Debussy’s La
Mer, and the 1945 version of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, so you can expect to see those on the Disney Hall
schedule as well. (LINK)

We’ll get fuller details next week when the Phil’s 2012-2013
season is due to be released.

— Dudamel will also be appearing on the upcoming Carnegie Hall
season, leading his Simn Bolivr Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela in two Latin
America-themed concerts (LINK). Some of the music has been performed by the
L.A. Phil in recent seasons; some of it may show up this year, as well.

Los Angeles Opera
names Grant Gershon Resident Conductor

LAO’s 2012-2013 season is due to be released imminently but
this week it announced that Gershon been elevated to this new post beginning July
1 and continuing through the next two seasons.

Gershon, who is also music director of the Los Angeles
Master Chorale, has been LAO’s associate conductor since 2007. He’s the first
person to hold the resident conductor post since Randall Behr in 1985. In
addition to conducting one of the 2012-2013 productions, Gershon will work more
closely with General Director Plcido Domingo and Music Director James Conlon
in planning future seasons. Gershon conducted the world premiere of Daniel
Catn’s Il Postino last season and
has also led productions at Santa Fe Opera.

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(c) Copyright 2012, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Portions may be quoted with attribution.