Stage Director

Experience the enchantment of Shakespeare's magical forest at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with "A Midsummer Night's Dream with Dudamel" on October 3 and 4, 2024. Under the baton of the illustrious Gustavo Dudamel, the Los Angeles Philharmonic brings to life Mendelssohn's whimsical incidental music, transporting audiences into a world of drama, fairies, and comedy. This performance is further illuminated by video projections and the captivating narration of Spanish actress María Valverde.

The evening also marks the world premiere of Gabriela Ortiz's Cello Concerto, performed by the talented Alisa Weilerstein. This LA Phil commission, supported by the MaddocksBrown Fund for New Music, showcases Ortiz's unique rhythmic and harmonic colors, solidifying her status as one of the world's most significant composers as praised by Dudamel.

This event is part of the Saturday Evenings 1 SA1 Series, albeit on a Thursday, and promises an unforgettable blend of classical music and theatrical magic. Join us for a night where music and storytelling intertwine seamlessly, offering a unique and immersive experience.

EPSG:4326

A Midsummer Night's Dream with Dudamel

Walt Disney Concert Hall

The innovative semi-staged production of Beethoven’s Fidelio, created for both Deaf and hearing audiences, was called an “outright breakthrough for opera” by the Los Angeles Times when it was performed in 2022. With a story told through the composer’s music sung by hearing vocalists and the expressive gestural poetry of sign language by Deaf actors, the performances explore the search for communication—both primal and sublime—that is at the heart of all artistic expression.

Premiered in 1805 as Beethoven was reckoning with his own Deafness, Fidelio is a tale of triumph over oppression as the noblewoman Leonore goes undercover to daringly rescue her husband from political imprisonment. Dudamel conducts the LA Phil and a star-studded cast in a groundbreaking event co-directed by Alberto Arvelo and Joaquín Solano and produced in collaboration with Los Angeles’ acclaimed Tony Award®-winning Deaf West Theatre (Artistic Director, David Kurs) and Venezuela’s Coro de Manos Blancas (White Hands Choir.)

Beethoven’s Fidelio with Dudamel and Deaf West Theatre 2024

In Gustavo Dudamel’s words, “Music after Wagner was never the same. Wagner's operas pushed music to its physical and emotional limits … paving the way not just for composers like Mahler and Richard Strauss, but for everything from Star Wars to Metallica.” For the first time, Dudamel helms a fully staged production of one part of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, navigating the epic naturalism, endless melodies, and gripping harmonies. The mythical world of Das Rheingold springs forth from Walt Disney Concert Hall with the help of the ever-innovative Frank Gehry, direction by Alberto Arvelo, and costumes by Cindy Figueroa. The Grammy Award-winning Ryan Speedo Green lends his voice to Wotan, headlining an internationally renowned cast.

Dudamel Leads Das Rheingold
Celebrating Frank Gehry

The Hollywood Bowl transforms into Shakespeare’s magical forest when Gustavo Dudamel leads Mendelssohn’s whimsical incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Complete with projections on the Bowl’s shell and a narrator to be announced, the piece casts a musical spell, filled with drama, fairies, and more than a little comedy. Spanish pianist Javier Perianes plays with “a combination of evident modesty and utter brilliance” (The Sunday Times) and joins Gustavo for Manuel de Falla’s rich and mysterious Nights in the Gardens of Spain.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Dudamel

Hollywood Bowl

Beethoven’s Fidelio with Dudamel and Deaf West Theatre

Gustavo Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a deeply emotional, innovative new semi-staged production of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, created for both Deaf and hearing audiences. Told through the composer’s music sung by hearing vocalists and the expressive gestural poetry of sign language by Deaf actors, the performances explore the search for communication—both primal and sublime—that is at the heart of all artistic expression.  Premiered in 1805 as Beethoven was reckoning with his own Deafness, Fidelio is a tale of triumph over oppression as the noblewoman Leonore goes undercover to daringly rescue her husband from political imprisonment. Dudamel conducts the LA Phil and a star-studded cast in a groundbreaking event directed by Alberto Arvelo, co-directed by Joaquín Solano and produced in collaboration with Los Angeles’ acclaimed Tony Award®-winning Deaf West Theatre (Artistic Director, David Kurs) and El Sistema’s Coro de Manos Blancas (White Hands Choir, Artistic Director, María Inmaculada Velásquez).

Alberto Arvelo

Stage Director

Events

Past events

3 - 4 Oct, 2024

A Midsummer Night's Dream with Dudamel · Los Angeles Philharmonic

16 - 17 May, 2024

Beethoven’s Fidelio with Dudamel and Deaf West Theatre 2024 · Los Angeles Philharmonic

About

Alberto Arvelo hasn't added a bio