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Los Angeles Music Center

Los Angeles Music Center

Architects: Welton Becket and Associates, Ellerbe Becket (Ahmanson Theatre 1990s redesign), Frank Gehry (Disney Concert Hall)

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opened: 6th December 1964

Mark Taper Forum opened: 9th April 1967

Ahmanson Theatre opened: 12th April 1967

Walt Disney Concert Hall opened: 24th October 2003

Website: www.musiccenter.org Open website in new window

Telephone: (213) 972-7211 Call (213) 972-7211

Address: 135 North Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Show address in Google Maps (new window)


The Los Angeles Music Center is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States, and the U.S. West Coast equivalent of New York’s Lincoln Center. It is home to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (an Opera House), the Ahmanson Theatre (Broadway-style proscenium arch theatre), the Mark Taper Forum (180-degree thrust stage), and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Featured Photos

Detailed Information

The original Music Center complex was designed by Welton Becket in the New Formalism style. Becket also designed Los Angeles’ Capitol Records Building, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, and the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The Music Center complex was completed in 1967, although the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion was open from 1964.

Becket was guided by his “total design” philosophy. He and his team engineered every aspect of the project, including master/site planning, all interior work, fixtures, finishes and furnishings, all with the goal of creating a unified and integrated look. At Dorothy Chandler’s personal request, internationally acclaimed artist and designer Tony Duquette joined the Becket team as Art Director.

The Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall was added to the complex in 2003, and the site now covers 12 acres.

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion – an Opera House – opened to much acclaim in December 1964 and was originally called the Memorial Pavilion. In December 1965 the City of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors announced that it would be renamed in honor of Dorothy Chandler, the major driving force behind the creation of the Music Center and one of its largest individual donors.
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is the largest venue of the Music Center complex with a seating capacity of 3,156. It largely replaced the Philharmonic Auditorium, opened in 1906 as the Temple Auditorium, seating roughly 2,700 and located at northeastern corner of the intersection of 5th St and Olive St.
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion was originally home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Link opens in new window, however they are now based at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The venue remains home to LA Opera Link opens in new window. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is familiar to many throughout the world having hosted over 20 Academy Award (Oscars) ceremonies from 1969 through 1999.
According to L.A. Opera’s history of the Oscars at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Link opens in new window, perhaps the most notable moment of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion’s hosting of the Oscars occurred when Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin was given an Honorary Academy Award in 1972. Chaplin had moved to Switzerland in the early 1950s and severed all ties with Hollywood. His Honorary Oscar was an attempt by the Academy to make amends. It had been 20 years since Chaplin had set foot in the U.S. and he was hesitant to come back, but when he walked onto the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to receive his Oscar, he received a 12-minute standing ovation – the longest in Oscar history.
You can read more about the historic theatres which have hosted the Oscars, including the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, here.
The three chandeliers that hang in the Founders Lobby (now called Stern Grand Hall) measure 17ft high by 10ft in diameter (5.2m by 3m) and each weigh 1.5 tons. Each chandelier is comprised of approximately 27,500 individual glass pieces.
The Founders Room at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, reserved for donors who have contributed generously to the Music Center, boasts two chandeliers that were originally designed for the movie The Great Waltz (1938) Link opens in new window. Designer Tony Duquette determined that the room required three chandeliers and commissioned a third to match the existing two chandeliers.
The theatre’s house curtain was designed by Tony Duquette and features a huge sunburst pattern, subtly executed in shades of gold lamé and appliques of iridescent metal cloth. Duquette was originally told his design was too difficult to manufacture and so he rented the Shrine Auditorium and hired his own seamstresses to create the 3,000 pound (1,361kg) curtain.
Opening night was 6th December 1964, with a gala concert given by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta.
Ahmanson Theatre
Ahmanson Theatre
Ahmanson Theatre
The Ahmanson, a large-scale traditional Broadway-style proscenium theatre, opened 12th April 1967 with a production of Man of La Mancha presented by the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Association.
The theatre was originally intended to be called the Center Theater, however in December 1965 the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors announced that it would be named for philanthropist Howard Ahmanson (Chairman of the Board of Home Savings and Loan Association) in recognition of his generous financial gift via the Ahmanson Foundation.
In the mid-1990s the Ahmanson underwent a major redesign by architectural firm Ellerbe Becket (the successor firm to the original architects Welton Becket and Associates), which saw the balcony and mezzanine levels moved closer to the stage, the width of the auditorium reduced by the addition of boxes on the side walls, flexible dividers installed at mezzanine and balcony levels, and the acoustics improved.
The $13 million project took 17 months and commenced after the final performance of The Phantom of the Opera on 29th August 1993. The redesigned theatre opened with the first national tour of Miss Saigon on 25th January 1995, having been officially dedicated at an exclusive reception in late December 1994 which was hosted on the theatre’s stage.
During the years when the Ahmanson Theatre hosted multi-year runs of The Phantom of the Opera (May 1989 to August 1993) and Miss Saigon (January 1995 to October 1995), and was under renovation between those productions (August 1993 to January 1995), the James A. Doolittle Theatre in Hollywood, now known as the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre, was home to Center Theatre Group’s productions, including Fences featuring James Earl Jones, Six Degrees of Separation featuring Marlo Thomas and Donald Sutherland, Jake’s Women featuring Alan Alda, Fool Moon featuring Bill Irwin, and Falsettos.
The 1994-95 redesign project added the ability to reconfigure the seating capacity from 2,103 to 1,700, and even down to 1,300, using acoustic dividers mid-Mezzanine and mid-Balcony. As of 2019 the dividers are still serving their purpose after more than 25 years.
The theatre’s original décor featured rich reds and pewter gray tones. Purples and golds, alongside natural light-colored wooden tones, were introduced as part of the redesign project in the mid-1990s.
In 2004 the need was identified for an expanded Founders Room, and in 2006 the new Founders Room opened at Orchestra level on the house right side of the theatre, in what had previously been identified by a stagehand as “an old storage room used by MCOC (Music Center Operating Co.)”. The 2,500 sq ft Founders Room, as opened in 2006, enjoys direct connections from Grand Avenue as well as the center’s subterranean parking structure, and connects directly to the theatre’s Orchestra (house right) lobby. Companies which worked on the project include BA Collective Link opens in new window and Archello Link opens in new window.
In 2011 the theatre received several upgrades in order for it to better accommodate the sets and technical requirements of modern visiting productions. The theatre’s proscenium was widened and augmented with mesh curtains capable of hiding technical equipment. A unique, removable, and storable proscenium header was added. Other improvements included a new ceiling, fire curtain, structural rigging beams and curtain and lighting platforms.
The Ahmanson is currently home to Center Theatre Group Link opens in new window who present a wide range of productions throughout their season, including direct-from-Broadway one-time transfers.
Mark Taper Forum
Mark Taper Forum
Mark Taper Forum
The Mark Taper Forum opened in April 1967 and is the smallest of the Music Center’s venues. It was named for S. Mark Taper, a prominent real estate developer, banker, and philanthropist, and the largest single donor to the Music Center project.
Opening night was 9th April 1967 with a special presentation by the Center Theater Group of John Whiting’s “The Devils”, a play based on the book by Aldous Huxley.
With a seating capacity of 738 in a 180-degree semicircular amphitheatre arrangement around its thrust stage, the Taper is the smallest of the four major performance spaces at the Music Center. The thrust stage and amphitheatre-style seating is particularly successful at creating an intimate relationship between actor and audience.
The building’s exterior is the most stunning of the three buildings comprising the original Music Center complex, being a cylindrical drum wrapped in relief-sculpture concrete murals and surrounded by reflecting pools.
The mural wrapping around the Taper is an abstract pattern suggesting the movements of the performing arts and was designed by sculptor Jacques Overhoff. The mural is seven panels wide, repeated seven times around the circumference of the building. The artist chose seven panels for the width as the eye would never be able to see a wider mural from a single vantage point, given the circular shape of the building.
The Taper underwent a major $30 million renovation in 2007-08, led by Rios Clementi Hale Studios, to upgrade its technical capabilities and audience amenities.
One of the most successful productions to be staged at the Taper was Zoot Suit in 1978, telling the story of the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial and the Zoot Suit Riots. The production went on to be the first Chicano production on Broadway and was made into a film. Center Theatre Group revived the play for their 50th anniversary in 2018, where it again played to sellout audiences at the Taper with its run being extended three times.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall was added to the Music Center complex in 2003, a direct result of Lillian B. Disney donating $50 million for a new performance space in honor of her late husband Walt Disney and his dedication to the Arts and the City of Los Angeles.
The Walt Disney Concert Hall is home to the Los Angeles Master Chorale Link opens in new window, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Link opens in new window who transferred their home here from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion upon the concert hall’s opening.
Seating capacity is 2,252 with seats on all four sides of the vast Douglas Fir-lined concert hall. The interior is a concrete box which is structurally independent from the rest of the building. Acoustics have been greatly praised and there is no bad seat in the house.
The concert hall’s organ was designed by Gehry and Manuel Rosales and was nicknamed “Hurricane Mama”. The arrangement and style of the organ pipes visible in the concert hall was a design by Gehry. The organ has 6,125 individual pipes ranging from a few inches to 32ft in length.
The concert hall building also incorporates the 266-seat Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), named in honor of Walt Disney’s brother and partner, Roy, and Roy’s wife, Edna; the 350-seat BP Hall; the 300-seat William M. Keck Foundation Children’s Amphitheatre, and the 120-seat Nadine and Ed Carson Amphitheatre.

The major venues of the Los Angeles Music Center are managed and programmed by LA Opera Link opens in new window, the LA Philharmonic Link opens in new window, and Center Theatre Group Link opens in new window.

Movie, TV & Music Video Appearances

Movies

Television

Documentary

Award Shows

How do I visit the Los Angeles Music Center?

The Music Center offers a variety of tours:

The Music Center Symphonian Campus Tours
The Music Center Symphonians, who are voluntary docents for The Music Center, offers a 90-minute docent-led tour of The Music Center’s four theatres: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and Walt Disney Concert Hall. You can learn about the history and architecture of each of the theatres along with Jerry Moss Plaza and hear about how each of those spaces are enriched with incredible arts experiences. Find out about artistic presentations by Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera, LA Phil and TMC Arts, including the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center dance residencies, concerts, arts learning experiences and free and low-cost events on Jerry Moss Plaza. View artwork from across the globe including sculptures, tapestries, paintings and antiques from the 17th century to the present. Hear the stories collected through The Music Center’s nearly 60 years as the heart of Los Angeles County’s cultural life. Tours generally run every day however depend on visiting companies. For an up-to-date tour scheduled visit the Music Center’s Symphonian Tour page Link opens in new window.
Self-Guided Walt Disney Concert Hall Tours
Self-guided tours of the Walt Disney Concert Hall and gardens are free and available on most days; check the Tour Schedule on the Music Center’s website Link opens in new window to confirm availability. Tours run 60 minutes, are free, and start from the Walt Disney Concert Hall lobby. Note: access to the Concert Hall is subject to availability and daily operations; you may not get to see inside the Concert Hall.

Reservations are not required unless groups sizes are 15 or over. Information correct as of February 2024.


Upcoming Special Events

Campus Tour (Daily Tours)

Campus Tour

The Music Center Symphonians, who are voluntary docents for The Music Center, offers a 90-minute docent-led tour of The Music Center’s four theatres: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and Walt Disney Concert Hall.

You can learn about the history and architecture of each of the theatres along with Jerry Moss Plaza and hear about how each of those spaces are enriched with incredible arts experiences. Find out about artistic presentations by Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera, LA Phil and TMC Arts, including the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center dance residencies, concerts, arts learning experiences and free and low-cost events on Jerry Moss Plaza. View artwork from across the globe including sculptures, tapestries, paintings and antiques from the 17th century to the present.

Hear the stories collected through The Music Center’s nearly 60 years as the heart of Los Angeles County’s cultural life. Tours generally run every day however depend on visiting companies.

For an up-to-date tour scheduled visit the Music Center’s Symphonian Tour page Link opens in new window.

Click here to go to the event website. Link opens in new window

Further Reading

Online

Books

Technical Information

Ahmanson Theatre
Balcony Divider
Behind Row F (rear row of Balcony is row L)
Balcony overhang
Above row E of Mezzanine
Flying System
98 counterweight linesets operated Stage Left
Grid Height
75ft (22.9m)
Mezzanine Divider
Behind Row G (rear row of Mezzanine is row P)
Mezzanine overhang
Above row Q of Orchestra
Proscenium
40ft wide by 42ft high (12.2m by 12.8m), normal teaser out-trim 30ft (9.1m) high
Seating Capacity
2,103 on 3 levels configurable down to 1,700 or 1,300 using dividers in the Balcony and Mezzanine (Orchestra 988; Mezzanine 606 including boxes; Balcony 515 including boxes)
Stage Depth
45ft (13.7m)
Stage Width
110ft (33.5m)
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Flying System
108 counterweight linesets operated Stage Right at Stage level
Grid Height
90ft (27.4m)
Proscenium Height
30ft (9.1m)
Proscenium Width
58ft (17.7m)
Rear Stage Area
172ft wide by 40ft deep (52.4m by 12.2m)
Seating Capacity
3,156 on 4 levels (Orchestra 1,442 seats; Founders Circle 471; Loge 443; Balcony 750)
Side Stage Area (SL)
40ft wide by 60ft deep (12.2m by 18.3m)
Stage Depth
64ft (19.5m)
Stage Width
169ft (51.5m)
Mark Taper Forum
Seating Capacity
738 arranged in a semicircle around the thrust stage
Stage Depth
30ft (9.1m) at deepest point
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Seating Capacity
2,252
Historic Photos & Documents
Files displayed in this section may be subject to copyright; refer to our Copyright Fair Use Statement regarding our use of copyrighted media.

Photos of the Los Angeles Music Center

Jump to Photo Section:

  1. Los Angeles Music Center: Campus Photos
  2. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Auditorium
  3. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Stern Grand Hall
  4. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Founders Room
  5. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Public Areas
  6. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Oval Lounge
  7. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Backstage
  8. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Scene Dock Areas
  9. Ahmanson Theatre Auditorium
  10. Ahmanson Theatre Public Areas
  11. Ahmanson Theatre Backstage
  12. Walt Disney Concert Hall
  13. Walt Disney Concert Hall Public Areas
  14. Mark Taper Forum
  15. Music Center Plaza
  16. REDCAT
Los Angeles Music Center: Campus Photos

The Music Center campus, as seen from the U.S. Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles.

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Auditorium

The auditorium seats 3,156 on four levels and has been host to the Academy Awards (the Oscars) on more than 20 occasions.

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Stern Grand Hall

Originally known as the Grand Hall, this area was renamed the “Eva and Marc Stern Grand Hall” in September 2010 to reflect a significant financial gift from the Sterns in addition to acknowledging Marc Stern’s outstanding leadership at both the Music Center and LA Opera.

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Founders Room

Two of the three chandeliers in the Founders’ Room originated from the MGM film “The Great Waltz” (1938) Link opens in new window. When the decorator, Tony Duquette, decided that they would be used for this room but three were needed, another was built to match the original two chandeliers.

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Public Areas
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Oval Lounge
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Backstage

The stage was built to accommodate large-scale operas in repertory. The stage measures 169ft by 64ft (51.5m by 19.5m), with a 40ft (12.2m) deep scene dock to the rear of the stage. The grid is 90ft (27.5m) above the stage.

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Scene Dock Areas

The Rear Scene Dock is a 172ft wide by 40ft deep scene dock located directly behind the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. There is also a 40ft wide by roughly 60ft deep scene dock located Stage Left. The Stage Left scene dock is capable of being closed-off from the main stage area.

Ahmanson Theatre Auditorium

The Ahmanson Theatre was originally opened in 1967 but underwent a major remodel in 1994-95 which saw the Balcony and Mezzanine levels moved closer to the stage, the width of the auditorium reduced, and the acoustics improved.

Ahmanson Theatre Public Areas

The Ahmanson Theatre originally opened in 1967 and underwent a major remodel in 1994-95.

Ahmanson Theatre Backstage
Walt Disney Concert Hall

The 2,252-seat concert hall opened in 2003 and was designed by Frank Gehry. The organ is nicknamed “Hurricane Mama”, a name allegedly coined by organist Cameron Carpenter.

Walt Disney Concert Hall Public Areas

The 2.252-seat concert hall opened in 2003 and was designed by Frank Gehry.

Mark Taper Forum

The Mark Taper Forum is a 738-seat semicircular amphitheatre arranged around a thrust stage. It opened in April 1967.

Music Center Plaza
REDCAT

The Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theater (REDCAT) is located within the Walt Disney Concert Hall building and is an experimental theatre space.



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