Frank Gehry will design a new centre for Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA). It will be the second major building Gehry has designed for Los Angeles Philharmonic, following the Walt Disney Concert Hall (completed in 2003).
YOLA was set up in 2007 by LA Phil music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel. It engages with young people from Los Angeles’ poorest neighbourhoods, offering El Sistema-style music tuition. YOLA currently works with around 1,000 students.
Gehry will transform an existing building in Inglewood into a student complex and, once the building is completed in 2020, LA Phil will double the size of the YOLA programme. The new centre will be called The Judith and Thomas L Beckmen YOLA Center @ Inglewood.
“The Beckmen Center will take the core beliefs that I have expressed and turn them into something tangible for the children of Los Angeles and help ensure a brighter future for them and for all of us,” said Dudamel.
Gehry commented: “The LA Phil is the first orchestra anywhere to take such an enormous step for the future of its community. I’m proud to play my part by making spaces where the kids can feel inspired, and YOLA can open up the whole world of music to them.”
Details of the project were unveiled during the launch of LA Phil’s centenary programme (2018-19). Another highlight was the announcement of 50 new commissions from composers including Unsuk Chin, Julia Adolphe, Vijay Iyer, John Adams, Ashley Fure, Philip Glass, Andrew Norman and Steve Reich.