LA Phil Swan Lake and Liszt with Bronfman at Disney Hall

The Los Angeles Philharmonic opens a weekend of Tchaikovsky and Liszt at Walt Disney Concert Hall, with conductor Elim Chan on the podium and pianist Yefim Bronfman at the keyboard. If you are sorting through things to do in Los Angeles this fall and want something that leans toward the grand and the romantic, this program is a strong candidate.

When: October 16 to 18, 2026 (check the venue for exact curtain times) Where: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Tickets: Through the event page linked below

What is on the program

The headline is the Suite from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, the story of Odette, a woman turned into a swan by day and returned to human form at night. It is some of the most recognizable ballet music ever written, and a full orchestra in a hall built for sound is a very different experience from hearing it as a recording.

Ahead of it, Yefim Bronfman plays Liszt's Second Piano Concerto, a lyrical and technically demanding work that suits a pianist known for power and control. The first half also carries the world premiere of a newly commissioned piece by South Korean composer Donghoon Shin, so the evening mixes a repertoire staple with something nobody has heard yet.

Why Elim Chan

Chan is known for conducting with real physical energy, and a dance score like Swan Lake gives her plenty of room for it. Expect clear dramatic contrasts, from the quiet opening oboe theme to the full-orchestra climaxes.

Getting there

Walt Disney Concert Hall sits on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, next to the Music Center and an easy walk from the Metro stations at Civic Center and Pershing Square. Parking is available in the hall's underground garage, and rideshare drop-off is on Grand. Allow extra time on performance nights, since several venues in the area often have shows at once.

The published listing does not state a ticket price or a firm start time, so confirm both on the ticket page before you go. Evening concerts at this hall commonly start at 8 PM, but do not rely on that without checking.

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Browse more arts and culture events in LA if you want to build out a weekend around the concert. For anyone scanning LA events this weekend, a classical night in a Frank Gehry building is a dependable pick, and an easy one to pair with dinner downtown.