In a fusion between music and art, the LA Philharmonic will be holding Noon to Midnight: Field Recordings in and around the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Saturday, Nov. 16. Unlike the usual shows or concerts that take place, this event, as suggested by its title, will be going on from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., offering guests the unique opportunity of spending their day at the Hall. Despite music being the main draw for concerts at the Hall, more than one art medium will take the many stages in the area. Namely, the premiere of the multimedia show Lightscape by artist Doug Aitken (tickets for this portion are separate). Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid is the curator behind the overarching event and a signal that the day was carefully crafted for the best experience.

Tickets for the day are available now, with the Lightscape portion separate. On top of other shows at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, we often giveaway tickets to venues around the LA area. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram to find out when we drop the giveaway.

Words: David Sosa

An ambitious art show

First conceptualized in 2020 after a successful collaboration that began in 2017, the brainchild of Aitken, the LA Philharmonic, and the LA Master Chorale, Lightscape will transform downtown into a bright realm with an equal amount of introspection and artistic liberation. With the Hall serving as the world premiere for Lightscape, it’s only fitting that Aitken and Co. swing big, resorting to multiple mediums like film to answer existential questions related to our place in an ever-changing interpersonal and environmental world. Each jump to the next medium will be backed by minimalist compositions from a wide variety of artists, rightfully complimenting the project’s cinematic nature.

If you’d wish to experience Lightscape after its premiere at the Hall, it will come to the Marciano Art Foundation, nearby on Wilshire, from Dec. 17 to March 15, 2024. Outside of Lightscape, the Aitken, LA Philharmonic, and LA Master Chorale team plan on continuing to collaborate through other musical experiences they curate with one another.

Over 35 composers

Considering Reid’s pedigree going into the event, having won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her opera, p r i s m, it’s understandable that expectations are high. Fortunately, Noon to Midnight exceeds any possible notions of what it might be through its sheer enormity. With a project as big as Lightscape, the whopping 35 composers that contributed — a list that includes Marc Lowenstein, Derrick Skye, and Andrew Yee — is the kind of effort that’s appropriate for a project that hopes to immerse guests in the marriage between sight and sound. Out of those 35, 14, including Lowenstein, Skye, and Yee, will have new works of their own to premiere alongside Lightscape’s premiere. Beyond the compositions accompanying Lightscape, 15 ensembles will also take to the Hall on the same day, as well as five conductors.

Something for everyone

Whether you’re a longtime follower of Aitken and Reid’s art or a casual concertgoer, Noon to Midnight is an experience that will challenge what venues such as the Hall can deliver to audiences. With Lightscape at the centerpiece of the day, the hours leading up to the premiere are jam-packed with other live performances that will keep the energy going, ranging from works from Philip Glass and Gabriella Smith to two set times for the LA Phil New Music Group, performing compositions unconducted and conducted. Food trucks and a beer garden will also be available throughout the day.

Since the programs start at 12 p.m. at the earliest, with enough wiggle room to go between the Hall’s main stage, BP Hall, and Keck Amphitheatre/Blue Ribbon Garden, make sure to plan ahead of the day to make sure you catch everything that interests you. And even if the world of classical music is still foreign to you, the all-hands-on-deck effort that’s going into Noon to Midnight is one made with careful consideration of music, devotion to creating moving multimedia art, and reaffirming the day’s immersive opportunities.

Learn more about this exciting event, and check out what other shows are coming up at the Walt Disney Concert Hall such as Star Wars in Concert, Leslie Odom, Jr. The Christmas Tour, Jennifer Hudson Holiday Concert and more.