Debussy & Stravinsky with Elim Chan at Disney Hall

A week after her Swan Lake matinee, conductor Elim Chan returns to the Walt Disney Concert Hall podium with a program that swings from watercolor haze to bold, hard-edged color. It is one of the more interesting LA concerts on the calendar this month, and it includes a world premiere.

When: Sunday, October 25, 2026, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM 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

Chan leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in two orchestral favorites. The first is Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, a hazy, impressionistic piece whose fragile atmosphere helped set off a revolution in how music could sound. Pierre Boulez said it "breathed new air into the art of music."

The second is Stravinsky's Petrushka, which takes the opposite approach. Where Debussy blurs, Stravinsky paints in contrasting blocks of sound, a Picasso-like treatment of color and movement that tells the story of a mischievous puppet, with Russian folklore and misadventure along the way.

The Samuel Adams premiere

In between, violinist Karen Gomyo gives the world premiere of Samuel Adams's Violin Concerto. Gomyo and Adams worked together before, on the premiere of his Chamber Concerto in 2018. Adams is the son of LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams, and his writing draws on his background as a jazz bassist, his interest in European modernism and acoustic-digital sounds. A premiere gives the afternoon a sense of occasion that a repertoire-only program rarely has.

If you caught Chan in Swan Lake the weekend before, expect the same physical, dramatic energy, though this program asks for color and precision more than sweep.

Getting there

The hall sits in Downtown Los Angeles, on Grand Avenue beside the Music Center. Metro's Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square stations are a short walk away, and the hall's underground garage is the easiest place to park. Rideshare drop-off is right out front. For a Sunday matinee, leave extra time, since downtown events can bunch up traffic around the hall.

Make a day of it

A 2 PM start leaves the evening open. The Broad, Grand Central Market and the Music Center plaza are all within a few blocks, so a live music Los Angeles afternoon here pairs easily with lunch and a gallery visit. Browse the concerts category for more shows around the city.

Practical notes

The listing we checked did not publish a ticket price, so confirm cost and seat availability on the event page before you go. Programs and soloists can change, so check the hall's listing close to the date. Arrive early: doors open well ahead of the downbeat, and a new work is worth hearing from the first bar.