Bravo Gustavo

The venerable Granada was not surprisingly sold out when the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel performed for the last concert of CAMA’s 104th season international series.

It was one of the last chances to see Dudamel, 42, at the orchestra’s helm – he took over from Finn Esa-Pekka Salonen who had been in charge for 17 years in 2009 – before he heads to the East Coast as musical director of the New York Philharmonic in 2026.

The musicians, who are also celebrating their 104th anniversary, have visited our Eden by the Beach an astounding 300 times in that period, with 145 appearances at the Granada.

The concert also marked the retirement of CAMA president, Robert Montgomery, after eight and a half years.

After two experimental world premieres of Ellen Reid’s “West Coast Sky Eternal,” commissioned by the orchestra, and Gabriella Smith’s plucky performance of “Lost Coast: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra” with Gabriel Cabezas, the concert ended with Beethoven’s instantly recognizable “Symphony No.7 in A major.”

The LA Phil returns to our rarefied enclave on Dec. 12 under conductor emeritus Zubin Mehta with works by Schumann and Mahler.