Gustavo Dudamel ready for his Disney Hall close-up

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Tonight will be a night of many firsts for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Gustavo Dudamel will conduct his first concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall as the orchestra’s new music director. Composer John Adams will be on hand to present the world premiere of ‘City Noir,’ a piece that the Philharmonic commissioned. And the Music Center will offer its first outdoor simulcast of an L.A. Phil concert -- to an expected crowd of 3,000.

If that’s not enough, there will be celebrities and press galore on hand tonight for what is being billed as Dudamel’s Inaugural Concert. The evening, which officially starts at 7 p.m., features a performance of ‘City Noir’ followed by Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1.

The concert will be broadcast live on KUSC-FM (91.5). It is also being taped for a PBS broadcast later this fall as well as a coming DVD release by Deutsche Grammophon.

Unlike Saturday’s Hollywood Bowl concert, ‘¡Bienvenido Gustavo!,’ tonight’s performance is a formal event where many in the audience will be decked out in tuxedos and evening gowns. Following the concert, there will be a dinner on closed-off Grand Avenue for VIPs and guests who purchased a Gala package.

Culture Monster will be on the ground and reporting from Disney Hall and the Music Center plaza. So check back for stories, updates, photos and Mark Swed’s review of the concert.

-- David Ng

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