Present Music Competitors

For over 100 years, the LA Phil has embodied the spirit of Los Angeles. Guided by our commitment to innovation, excellence, and access, the LA Phil operates four major venues: Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, The Ford, and the Beckmen YOLA Center in Inglewood. At our core is our orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, whose brilliant performances and dedication to the future of music led The New Yorker’s Alex Ross to declare it “so far ahead of other American orchestras that it is in competition mainly with its own past achievements.” We bring the same principles to YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), our music learning program that has provided instruments, education, and opportunities to thousands of students and families in LA. On stage, off stage, and in the community, the LA Phil’s work reflects the incredible array of music and cultures that have shaped Los Angeles, and the power of music to inspire and connect people.

American Composers Orchestra (ACO), founded in 1977, is dedicated to the creation, celebration, performance, and promotion of orchestral music by American composers. With a commitment to diversity, disruption, and discovery, ACO produces concerts, middle school through college composer education programs, and composer advancement programs to foster a community of creators, audiences, performers, collaborators, and funders. American Composers Orchestra (ACO) has premiered works by 800 American composers, including over 350 world premieres and commissioned works. These recordings are available on platforms like ARGO, CRI, ECM, and Nonesuch. Since 1991, ACO’s EarShot has offered new music Readings in NYC, expanding to national Readings in partnership with orchestras nationwide. EarShot has included the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute, CoLABoratory, Pathways, and more. Composers who participated in Readings have won prestigious awards such as the Pulitzer, Grammy, and more. EarShot now includes orchestral readings, CoLABoratory fellowships, consortium commissions, professional development, commissioning/consortia, and, starting in 2023, publishing. EarShot's goal is to broaden the definition and role of the composer and build replicable models for co-created projects between composers, artists, and community partners. ACO's Sonic Spark program has brought composers and musical teaching artists into NYC public schools since 1999, using composition to foster student creativity and achievement. ACO has received awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, BMI, and ASCAP.

For seven decades, the Paul Taylor Dance Company has been a leader in the best in dance performance and dance education, driven by a belief that exceptional dance is a transformative and essential contributor to culture and well-being. Our Company holds some of the best dance that exists on the concert stage. The complete repertory includes 147 dances by legendary dancemaker Paul Taylor, great works from the 20th and 21st centuries by other esteemed artists, and new works by some of today's most vibrant creators including Resident Choreographer Lauren Lovette. Dedicated to sharing modern dance with the broadest possible audience, the Company tours annually, both domestically and internationally, having reached audiences in over 650 cities in 66 countries. Central to this output of modern dance excellence are our education offerings. Under the direction of Carolyn Adams, the Taylor School is committed to providing high-quality dance education to students of all ages, from introductory classes to rigorous professional classes, from tiny tots to elders. Through a wide range of classes, formats, and activities, the school seeks to nurture, sustain, and advance the field of dance by sharing Paul Taylor’s rich repertory, fostering the talents of budding choreographers, and exposing students to a wide range of dance styles and techniques. As an American art form, modern dance has emerged from its inherent multiculturalism. The Taylor School embraces the rich history of the field while providing innovative dance education initiatives and seeks to produce the next generation of dancers, dance makers, dance audiences, and dance advocates.