Los Angeles Music Center
A major performing arts campus in downtown Los Angeles comprising theaters, concert halls, public spaces, community programs, and arts education initiatives.
Last updated November 4, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Los Angeles Music Center, officially the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County, is a large performing arts complex in downtown Los Angeles, California. It brings together multiple venues, resident artistic organizations, public programs, festivals, education initiatives, and community activities on an urban campus owned by Los Angeles County. Its principal venues are the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater, commonly known as REDCAT. The campus also includes outdoor performance and gathering areas, including amphitheaters and a central plaza. The institution grew out of a mid-1950s effort to establish a permanent home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Dorothy Chandler led a major private fundraising campaign that ultimately generated almost $20 million. Los Angeles County supplied the site and financed the remaining construction requirement through mortgage revenue bonds. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opened in December 1964, giving the Philharmonic a permanent downtown venue. The Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre followed in 1967, completing the original core of the complex. These venues established the Music Center as a civic, cultural, and architectural landmark and as an important platform for theater, opera, orchestral music, choral performance, dance, and large-scale public events. The campus's resident companies have included and continue to center on the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and Center Theatre Group. The Music Center itself presents or supports performances and programs beyond the work of those resident organizations, including dance presentations, outdoor concerts, participatory arts events, family activities, festivals, and educational programs. The center has presented leading domestic and international dance companies and has been associated with significant theatrical and operatic productions. Its venues have also hosted notable performers, premieres, and American debuts, contributing to Los Angeles's development as a major performing arts center. A major expansion came with the opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall in October 2003. Designed by Frank Gehry, the 2,265-seat hall became the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale and added a distinctive contemporary architectural identity to the campus. The project also incorporated REDCAT, a 266-seat venue operated in association with the California Institute of the Arts, as well as outdoor program areas. The Music Center later undertook a $40 million renovation of its principal plaza, begun in 2018, which increased its stated event capacity from approximately 2,500 to 5,000 people and improved public access and usability. The Music Center operates as a nonprofit-oriented civic arts institution within a county-owned complex rather than as a conventional commercial entertainment company. Los Angeles County supports maintenance, operations, grounds, security, and ushering, while income from the campus garages helps offset those expenses. The Music Center oversees buildings, grounds, theater occupancy, restaurant facilities, archives, and its own public programming; resident companies remain responsible for the productions they present. In addition to ticketed performances, the center places substantial emphasis on free or low-cost participation. Its Active Arts initiative, launched in 2004, includes public singing, dancing, drumming, and other informal art-making activities designed to broaden participation across communities. Education is another central part of the institution's identity. Since 1979, Music Center education and family programs have reached millions of students and participants through initiatives such as World City, the Blue Ribbon Children's Festival, the Very Special Arts Festival, and the Spotlight Awards. The annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration,…
History
The Los Angeles Music Center was created through a civic campaign to give Los Angeles a permanent downtown home for major performing arts organizations, especially the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In April 1955, Dorothy Chandler began raising private money for the project. Her campaign ultimately secured almost $20 million in donations. Los Angeles County provided the land and financed the balance, reported as approximately $14 million, through mortgage revenue bonds. The arrangement established the complex as a public cultural asset supported by a combination of county resources, philanthropy, earned revenue, and the artistic activity of resident organizations. The first building, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, opened on December 6, 1964. Zubin Mehta conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the inaugural program, which also featured violinist Jascha Heifetz. The opening positioned the Music Center as a major new cultural institution for Southern California. The remaining original venues were completed in 1967. The Mark Taper Forum was dedicated on April 9 and became known for adventurous and politically resonant theater; its opening production was John Whiting's The Devils. The Ahmanson Theatre was dedicated on April 12 and opened with Man of La Mancha presented by the Civic Light Opera. Its first dramatic season combined prominent actors and established playwrights, helping define the venue as a large-scale dramatic theater. Over subsequent decades, the Music Center became a platform for important theatrical, operatic, orchestral, and choral work. Productions associated with the Mark Taper Forum included premieres such as The Shadow Box, Zoot Suit, Children of a Lesser God, and Angels in America. The Ahmanson hosted major performers including Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Katharine Hepburn, and Maggie Smith. The complex also saw the American debuts of conductors including Simon Rattle and Esa-Pekka Salonen. The Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale collaborated on a performance accompanying the restored silent film Alexander Nevsky. These activities broadened the center's reputation beyond a local concert venue. Opera became an increasingly important part of the campus's institutional life. The Civic Light Opera presented its final Music Center season in 1987, while Los Angeles Music Center Opera was formed in 1986. Its productions included Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, directed by Jonathan Miller and designed by David Hockney. The complex also developed a substantial dance-presentation role. A major turning point came in 2000 with a sold-out presentation of the Bolshoi Ballet in Romeo and Juliet and a new interpretation of Don Quixote. Later presentations included New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Beijing Modern Dance Company, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, the Kirov Ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre, Nuevo Ballet Español, Miami City Ballet, and Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg. This work evolved into the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center program. The campus expanded substantially in the early twenty-first century. Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry, opened on October 23, 2003. The 2,265-seat hall became the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale. The project also added the 266-seat Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater, or REDCAT, together with outdoor spaces including the W. M. Keck Foundation Children's Amphitheatre and the Nadine and Ed Carson amphitheatre. The expansion gave the Music Center a new architectural landmark and increased its capacity for music, contemporary performance, education, and outdoor programming. Public access has remained a defining theme. The annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration has been held on Christmas Eve since 1960, offering free performances by singers, dancers, and musicians and reaching viewers through PBS SoCal. The Music Center launched Active Arts in July 2004 to encourage informal, participatory arts-making beyond conventional seated performances. Activities have included Dance Downtown, Drum Downtown, A Taste of Dance, Public Practice, Friday Night Sing-Along, and the Music Center Holiday Sing-Along. The programs are designed to be free or inexpensive and to welcome people with varied cultural and artistic backgrounds. Education and family programming expanded from 1979 onward. Initiatives such as World City, the Blue Ribbon Children's Festival, the Very Special Arts Festival, and the Spotlight Awards connect schools, families, and young artists with the performing arts. The Music Center has reported serving more than 16 million people through its education and family programs since their inception, with nearly one million students and teachers reached in a typical year according to the supplied reference material. The institution has also developed curriculum resources used in arts education materials. The physical campus underwent another major change with the renovation of Music Center Plaza, begun in July 2018 at a reported cost of $40 million. The project doubled the plaza's stated capacity and improved accessibility. In 2019, the monumental bronze sculpture Peace on Earth by Jacques Lipchitz was moved approximately 100 feet west to accommodate the redesigned space. The work, dedicated in 1969, had been commissioned with support from donors Lawrence E. Deutsch and Lloyd Rigler. Another notable public artwork, Robert Graham's Dance Door, was donated by Frederick and Marcia Weisman in 1982. Governance remains distinct from that of a commercial theater operator. Los Angeles County owns the venues and supports basic site functions, including maintenance, operations, grounds, security, and ushering. Garage income helps offset these costs. The Music Center operates the campus, manages venue occupancy and associated facilities, maintains archives, and presents its own programs, while the four resident companies are responsible for their productions. Its continuing identity is therefore a combination of county cultural infrastructure, philanthropic institution, performing arts presenter, public gathering place, and education provider.
- 2019
Peace on Earth is relocated
[1]The Lipchitz sculpture was moved west within the plaza as part of the renovation and accessibility improvements.
- 2018
Music Center Plaza renovation begins
[1]A $40 million renovation started to improve the plaza and expand its stated event capacity.
- 2004
Active Arts launches
[1]Active Arts began offering free or low-cost participatory activities including dance, drumming, singing, and public art-making.
- 2003
Walt Disney Concert Hall opens
[1]The Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall opened, adding a major concert venue and REDCAT to the campus.
- 2000
Major international dance presentation begins
[1]The center's dance initiative gained visibility through a sold-out Bolshoi Ballet engagement featuring Romeo and Juliet and Don Quixote.
- 1986
Los Angeles Music Center Opera is formed
[1]An opera organization was formed at the Music Center and later presented productions including Tristan und Isolde.
- 1982
Dance Door enters the campus art collection
[1]Frederick and Marcia Weisman donated Robert Graham's bronze sculpture Dance Door to the Music Center.
- 1979
Education and family-program era begins
[1]The Music Center began the education and family programming described as serving millions of students and participants over subsequent decades.
- 1969
Peace on Earth is dedicated
[1]Jacques Lipchitz's large bronze sculpture Peace on Earth was dedicated in the Music Center plaza.
- 1967
Original campus is completed
[1]The Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre were dedicated in April, completing the original three-venue complex.
Products and positioning
A civic, nonprofit-oriented performing arts campus that combines internationally significant resident companies and venues with accessible public events, arts education, community participation, and cultural presentation.
Opera and large-scale performing arts venue · 1964
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
The first completed venue of the Music Center, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opened in 1964 as a permanent home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It has approximately 3,197 seats and has hosted orchestral concerts, opera, dance, ceremonies, and other large presentations.
Theater venue · 1967
Mark Taper Forum
The 739-seat Mark Taper Forum opened in 1967 and became associated with ambitious, contemporary, and politically engaged theater. It is one of the principal venues connected with Center Theatre Group and has been linked to significant premieres and new American plays.
Theater venue · 1967
Ahmanson Theatre
The Ahmanson Theatre opened in 1967 and accommodates approximately 1,600 to 2,007 seats depending on configuration. It presents large-scale plays, musicals, and other theatrical productions and has hosted prominent actors and major stage works.
Concert hall · 2003
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Designed by architect Frank Gehry and opened in 2003, Walt Disney Concert Hall has 2,265 seats and is the principal home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale. It also supports special performances, educational activities, and public programming.
Contemporary performance and arts venue · 2003
Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT)
REDCAT is a 266-seat venue incorporated into the Walt Disney Concert Hall project and associated with the California Institute of the Arts. It provides space for contemporary performance, interdisciplinary work, exhibitions, and experimental artistic activity.
Dance presentation program · 2000
Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center
This presentation program brings domestic and international dance companies to Los Angeles. Its programming has included classical ballet, modern dance, contemporary companies, and culturally diverse ensembles, expanding the Music Center's role beyond resident-company performances.
Participatory arts program · 2004
Active Arts at The Music Center
Launched in 2004, Active Arts provides free or low-cost opportunities for the public to make art together outside the conventional audience format. Activities have included dancing, drumming, singing, storytelling, and informal group practice.
Arts education · 1979
Music Center education and family programs
The Music Center's education portfolio connects students, teachers, families, and artists through school resources, festivals, awards, workshops, and participatory programs. Named initiatives include World City, the Blue Ribbon Children's Festival, the Very Special Arts Festival, and the Spotlight Awards.
Marketing campaigns
- 2004Active Arts
Los Angeles
Active Arts was created to broaden the public experience of the performing arts through participatory, admission-free or low-cost activities.
Outcome. The program established recurring activities such as Dance Downtown, Drum Downtown, Friday Night Sing-Along, and the Music Center Holiday Sing-Along.
- 2000International dance presentation initiative
Los Angeles · International touring market
The Music Center expanded its dance profile through high-profile engagements, beginning with a sold-out Bolshoi Ballet presentation.
Outcome. The initiative developed into the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center program and included major ballet and modern-dance companies.
- 1979Education and family programs
Los Angeles · United States
The Music Center developed a sustained education and family-program strategy intended to connect schools, children, teachers, and families with the performing arts.
Outcome. The institution reports that these programs have served more than 16 million people since their inception.
- 1960Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration
Los Angeles County
A free Christmas Eve program featuring singers, dancers, and musicians was established as a recurring public celebration at the Music Center.
Outcome. The event became a long-running annual tradition and was later televised by PBS SoCal.
- 1955Permanent home fundraising campaign
Los Angeles · United States
Dorothy Chandler led a private fundraising effort to create a permanent home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and establish a major downtown performing arts complex. The campaign raised almost $20 million in private donations.
Outcome. The campaign enabled construction of the Music Center, with Los Angeles County providing the site and additional financing.
Brand decisions
2018
Renovate Music Center PlazaStrategyBackground
The main plaza required modernization and improved accessibility while the institution sought a more flexible public gathering and event space.
Action taken
The Music Center began a $40 million plaza renovation intended to increase capacity and improve the public realm.
Aftermath
The stated event capacity increased from approximately 2,500 to 5,000 people, and Peace on Earth was relocated within the plaza.
Renovation cost. $40 million (2018)
2003
Open Walt Disney Concert Hall and REDCATProduct launchBackground
The Music Center sought to expand its campus and provide a major contemporary concert venue for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and related artistic activity.
Action taken
The Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall opened with 2,265 seats and incorporated the 266-seat REDCAT venue and outdoor program spaces.
Aftermath
The expansion added a major architectural landmark and strengthened the campus's position in orchestral, choral, contemporary, and interdisciplinary performance.
1955
Pursue a permanent downtown performing arts complexStrategyBackground
Los Angeles lacked the permanent downtown home sought for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and broader civic performing-arts activity.
Action taken
Dorothy Chandler initiated private fundraising while Los Angeles County supplied the site and arranged additional financing.
Aftermath
The effort produced the Music Center, whose first venue opened in 1964 and whose original complex was completed in 1967.
Reported project financing. Almost $20 million in private donations; approximately $14 million in county mortgage revenue bonds (1955-1967)
Recent events
- 2019
Peace on Earth sculpture is relocated after plaza renovation[1]
Other
Jacques Lipchitz's monumental bronze Peace on Earth sculpture was reinstalled roughly 100 feet west of its original location to accommodate the renovated plaza and improve accessibility.
- 2018
Music Center Plaza renovation begins[1]
Other
A $40 million renovation of the main plaza began, with the stated objective of improving the public space and increasing its event capacity from approximately 2,500 to 5,000 people.
- 2003
Walt Disney Concert Hall opens[1]
Product launch
The Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall opened on October 23, adding a 2,265-seat concert venue, REDCAT, and outdoor program spaces to the Music Center campus.
- 1967
Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre complete the original complex[1]
Product launch
The Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre were dedicated in April, expanding the Music Center's program from orchestral performance into theater and wider dramatic presentation.
- 1964
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opens as the first venue of the Music Center[1]
Other
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opened in December with a Los Angeles Philharmonic performance led by Zubin Mehta, establishing the first completed venue of the downtown performing arts complex.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/los-angeles-music-center · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled