LA Has World Class Culture Events!
Just because you live in The OC doesn’t mean you have to stay there. Los Angeles has extraordinary arts and culture events. Tweet that to your San Francisco friends as they ride the Google Bus! Here is a January sampling.
Le Salon De Musiques on January 8.
I can’t praise this chamber music series enough! Each concert features:
- A brief discussion on the works from the chair of The Colburn Conservatory of Music. Truly, each piece has a story.
- The performance. Typically three works from overlooked composers or overlooked pieces from well known composers. I love KUSC, but you won’t hear these works on that station.
- Q and A with the musicians.
- Catered reception. The mingling is a real value-add. I’ve met interesting, accomplished arts lovers from France, Russia and Argentina.
The event is expensive, but it is one of those rare experiences that is worth it. You will have attended an exclusive club and experience classical music the way it was performed for the original patrons: In an salon-like setting.
Los Angeles Art Show, January 13 – 15.
This yearly event brings together 100+ high-end galleries and recognizable art works from around the country. The draw for me is the breadth and the quality in one venue. You also get to see the asking price for the art. Admission is $25 with online coupon, but there may be other deals available online.
This is in downtown LA. You can easily make a day of it via the other local draws such as Hennessey & Ingalls bookstore or jazz vocalist Jesse Palter at hipster restaurant Perch.
Pasadena Symphony Orchestra performs Bach and Handel on January21.
There are so many reasons to visit Pasadena: Craftsman style houses, brick architecture, The Norton Simon, restaurants, The Pasadena Playhouse, etc. Enjoy it during the winter when it is temperate.
Art Los Angeles Contemporary at the Barker Hanger, Jan. 26 – 29.
You might hate contemporary art. I hate most of it too, but some of it is compelling as are some of the examples from the 60+ participating galleries. The other draw is how these old airport buildings have been repurposed into art studios.
If I am going to make a day of it, some of the destinations I would include are the Ains homes Mar Vista, the galleries at Bergamot Station (another repurposing feat) and the defiantly independent Abbot Kinney retail district. These destination won’t put you through the usual Santa Monica traffic headaches.
