LA Phil 2015-16: By the Numbers

The LA Phil has announced its 2015-16 season–Gustavo Dudamel’s seventh as music director–and there is a lot to be excited about. As has become my custom, I leave most of the punditry to others (All is Yar and Classical Life are always good places to start). I always like to run the numbers on each new season at the LA Phil. Here’s how 2015-16 looks:

• 12 commissions, 12 world premieres, 6 U.S. premieres, and 7 West Coast premieres. This breaks a previous LA Phil record for presentation of new music. The orchestra has never presented as many as 12 world premieres in a single season.
• In 2015-16, the LA Phil and visiting artists will present music by 8 different Baroque composers; 5 Classical-era composers; 22 Romantics; and 72 20th and 21st Century composers.
• That’s 7% Baroque, 5% Classical, 21% Romantic, and 67% 20th/21st Century
• Of the 107 composers on the 2015-16 season, 42 are living. That’s 39%.
• From those 42 living composers, the LA Phil will present 53 different works.
• (For comparison’s sake, in 2015-16 the New York Philharmonic will present works from 12 different living composers; Chicago – 7; Philadelphia – 5. More here.)
• An even 200 works on the 2015-16 season: 26 Baroque, 19 Classical, 53 Romantic, and 102 from the 20th/21st Century.
• That’s 13% Baroque, 9.5% Classical, 26.5% Romantic, and 51% Modern.
• Of the 19 Classical-era works, 13 are by Mozart and 3 are by Haydn. (84%)
• The most performed composers of the season will be Beethoven (16), Bach (14), Mozart (13), and Arvo Pärt (7).
• In 2015-16, the LA Phil turns 97 years old, Walt Disney Concert Hall celebrates its 12th birthday, and Gustavo Dudamel has four years left on his contract as LA Phil music director.