The Santa Monica High School (Samohi) Symphony and Chamber Orchestras will take the stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall as part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association’s Mahlerthon, a daylong celebration of the music of Gustav Mahler.
The event, presented in collaboration with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), Inner City Youth
Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA), UCLA Philharmonia, musicians from the USC Thornton Symphony, and the Colburn Orchestra, will take place on March 2, 2025.
“It is a tremendous honor for the Symphony to have been invited by the Los Angeles Philharmonic to perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall,” said Jason Aiello, Samohi Director of Orchestras. “Gustav Mahler’s music is the ultimate challenge for musicians, both technically and emotionally, but the students are excited and doing amazing work. To be the only high school orchestra program included in this concert is a testament to the tradition and long-standing support of the arts from our community.”
Mahlerthon reimagines a historic tradition established by the Gustav Mahler Society of California, which once presented the composer’s ten symphonies and Das Lied von der Erde in a single day. This year’s event, part of the LA Phil’s Mahler Grooves festival, will feature live orchestral and chamber performances, culminating in full presentations of Mahler’s Second and Sixth symphonies.
The Samohi Symphony and Chamber Orchestras will perform selected movements from Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, Totenfeier, and other Mahler arrangements during the first half of the program, beginning at 12 p.m. Other participating ensembles include YOLA, performing movements from Mahler’s First Symphony, and ICYOLA, presenting selections from the Third The Samohi Symphony Orchestra.
Later in the evening, the UCLA Philharmonia and Colburn Orchestra will perform Mahler’s Sixth and Second symphonies, with the latter joined by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, soprano Madison Leonard, and
mezzo-soprano Avery Amereau.
In addition to the live performances, Mahlerthon will feature Mahler’s Universe, a series of short documentaries commissioned by the Mahler Foundation in collaboration with Het Concertgebouw, available for viewing in BP Hall from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Tickets for Mahlerthon are available for purchase online here or by phone at 323-850-2000.
Donations to the Santa Monica Education Foundation partially fund the Samohi Symphony and support music education for Santa Monica students from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. The Foundation’s investment in arts education helps develop the exceptional musicians who perform at the high school level and beyond. For more information about the Santa Monica Education Foundation visit www.smedfoundation.org.
