I worked as a volunteer last year and apparently the volunteer management just gets worse and worse for the youth volunteers. I have younger friends who currently volunteer for CalPhil and it's just horrible for them. The music and the ambience is GREAT , so if you're up for a concert or anything...CalPhil is the place for you. Maestro Victor Vener does a good job introducing each song with some sort of anecdote , personal experience or what not. He's a great guy. The orchestra itself is pretty good too. Music/Concerts = 5 of 5 Volunteer Experience = -1 (I vowed to never come back after my first year...it is beyond disorganized) read more

There's something intimidating or out-dated about orchestras. Or maybe it's because there's so many other things to experience here in Southern California that I forget their existence? Perhaps it's just me, but going to a see something in the classical music category is not the first inspiration that leaps to mind... However, I'm really glad I did. I mean, I've been to the Hollywood Bowl, but not for classical stuff. And the H-Bowl has such a bigger reputation that I wasn't even aware of Cal Phil...until my boyfriend's mother decided to celebrate her wedding anniversary with one of their Festival on the Green concerts. Firstly, since I am totally 100% adverse to traffic congestion and paying for parking, the parking situation for Festival on the Green (its last year at the Arboretum) was delightfully within my budget: FREE. I parked off one of the adjacent streets (watch out for free-range peacocks!), and (dangerously) jay-walked across Baldwin Avenue, under the watchful but non-ticketing gaze of a motorcycle cop (phew!). There, I met my party, and we sauntered off to wait in line for the gate to open. With us, we'd brought appropriate picnic gear: fold-out chairs, blankets, bags of supplies, drink, and food. Every other party in line also sported the same items. Suddenly, I got really excited by the prospect of picnicking in the warm twilight, consuming large amounts of food at a leisurely rate, and being surrounded by nature and live music. All of a sudden, it dawned on me that I ought to do this MORE OFTEN! Due to the large Asian population in the San Gabriel area, every volunteer was a local Asian teenager. That amused me for no real reason, other than the fact that I too am Asian. As soon as the gates opened, people flooded in to the lawn. Being light on my feet and competitive, I scouted ahead of my party and staked us a place right smack in the middle with a good view. There we set up camp, as the jazz trio warmed the crowd up with their opening act. The sun was still out, and it was fun to see what other's had brought for food. I set about eating a gigantic tofu salad that took me all of 90 minutes to consume. I can honestly say this grazing was really, really enjoyable. We had a little time before Cal Phil got started, and legged it to the porta-potties (very clean and non-smelly!), as well as explored the food booths (bought a huge slice of delicious carrot cake to be consumed in the dark). What was most engaging to me was Maestro Victor Vener: even though he was binoculars-away, his manner and voice was so warm and personal, it felt like he was speaking to you, the crowd, directly. He made it comfortable to enjoy the music...it was not something obtuse or esoteric. I even found myself swaying along to the music, recalling pieces from my childhood, and absolutely being riveted by those well-known, beloved orchestral pieces. I left feeling like I wanted to skip and twirl from the ambience and music! OK, so maybe I'm just easily moved, but I don't care...I definitely want to return for more enjoyable summer evenings on the Green! Thanks Cal Phil!!! read more

Did you know that Mozart enjoyed bowling? Did you ever wonder what those opera divas are really singing about? Do you consider yourself a classical music "dummy" and find the music obscure and inaccessable? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, or even if you didn't but still enjoy laid back, crowd-friendly concerts, the California Philharmonic under the baton of Maestro Victor Vener is the classical music experience for you! Now, I can't just say "is the 'concert' or 'orchestra' for you," because a Cal Phil show is truly an experience. As well as a 2-hour program of music, expect a great deal of interaction with master showman Vener, who consistently engages the audience with stories, clever anecdotes, and a plethora of information as to what, exactly, it is that you're listening to. (oh yeah, and if it sounds like I'm quoting their website, well I did spend enough time proofreading the damn thing . . .) The orchestra performs at several venues in the Pasadena area, and programs are tailored for the specific venues. First and foremost is the annual Festival on the Green, held every summer at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. Programs like "Dance Fever," featuring selections such as Strauss' "Dance of the Seven Veils" from the opera Salome performed back to back with "Queen's We Are The Champions" appeals to crowds of 5,000+ who bring picnics and spread blankets on the lawn to enjoy a mix of classical and popular tunes under the stars. If outdoor venues aren't really your cup of tea, during the summer the Cal Phil does Sunday matinees at Walt Disney Concert Hall downtown (yay!). In the winter, they call the Ambassador Auditorium in Old Town Pasadena home. The Ambassador is a fantastic venue - one of the most acoustically perfect in the US - and has been referred to as "the Carnegie Hall of the West." For you pop culture snobs, it was featured in Dreamgirls, filling in for the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. And for those of you who still aren't sold? Take it from an insider. I used to work there. I had the time of my life. The musicians are great & work all over the place - compare the program to the slipcover of any recording to come out of the studios in the last 5 years and you'll see a lot of identical names. Victor is great (and brilliant. and funny). The staff works so incredibly (maybe even ridiculously) hard, and yet they all obviously love it. Seriously, people. We did "We Are The Champions" and 5,000 people stood up and started waving lighters back and forth. Now, maybe for you Hollywood Bowl snobs who are used to crowds of 17,000+, this does not sound terribly impressive, but standing onstage that night I most certainly had goosebumps. A little background info: -don't call two days before a concert and expect seats in the front and center. This is guaranteed to annoy the box office and cause them to place you as far back and to the side as possible (well, okay, that would be unethical. But I promise they will complain about you.) -it is okay to share a table with people you don't know - some repeat subscribers met their tablemates at their first concert 11 years ago and still request the same table with the same group today! Isn't that cute? -arrive really early (read: early afternoon) to get in line for general lawn seating. Listen to jazz and enjoy your picnic in a choice lawn spot. -dress up when you go to the Ambassador or Disney. Nothing worse than being an employee (working & moving tables) dressed in a gown when people around you are in jeans. Be respectful, folks! -Have fun! Don't take this too seriously! The whole point is to make classical music accessible and enjoyable to everyone. Beethoven hoped music could save the world. At the Cal Phil, music certainly brings it a little closer together, and that's the first step. read more

Another snake in the grass of Los Angeles- Westfield Mall Office lies about ticket prices, doesn't tell you that there are no refunds until after you have paid. Dishonest business. After lying, selling me only one ticket (when I needed two) at double the price I was told they cost, they turned me away without any kind of compensation. I've been completely swindled. One ticket was printed in sections onto two sheets, appearing as two separate tickets. I asked for two, so this seemed normal. Two tickets. After arriving home, I looked closer and saw what the office had pulled. I though it was a mistake, but when I went to get my refund, they refused and suddenly stated they had a policy against refunds, and that it was printed on the back of the ticket. There is no indication of such a policy before you buy, you only find out afterward. Cal Phil, if it is your intention to take students who really love classical music, and screw them out of money you know full well they don't have to spare, congratulations. I was a big fan. Until now. I hope this orchestra makes the choice to take a good look at their staff and policies, and how they effect the community. Cal Phil's staff is dishonest. They lie about ticket prices to lure you, then when you find out you've been tricked, they keep your money. It's something they should be held responsible for. Avoid this... "company". They're only after money and have no qualms about straight-up stealing. For a student like me, $20 is food for the week. For two tickets, I can go without lunch for awhile. For one, you can forget it. As I see it, Cal Phil owes me $20.00 and until I see it, I will not stop spreading the word about the money they blatantly stole from me. It doesn't matter what a great orchestra Cal Phil is if they go around screwing broke people who are trying to support classical music with the tiny bit of cash they've scraped up by skipping meals for a long time. That's not clean money, and it's not ethical. Perhaps it's my fault for trusting the honesty of an orchestra I loved. If I had been more leery of Cal Phil, maybe I would still have lunch money for this week. Is that the price of trusting a little? Of thinking for once that it was going to be worth it to put my money down for music, for a community festival? read more

If i could i would give them no stars. I attended one of their events at Santa Anita Race Track titled Rodgers, Hammerstein & More. First off let me tell you it is not worth your time or money. For 30 minutes of the show the engaged couple and singers Soprano Jennifer Paz and the Barotine Anthony Fedorov basically complained about how they had a kid before they got married and self promoted their songs and youtube video. Saying please buy our stuff we had a kid and we need money. There was not a mention of this waste of time in the program, nor online. (See picture) Well i admit the financeé had a good voice the guy did not. They also promoted their personal views when they sang a religious song not mentioned either, many people left during this time. The venue itself was nice and the sound system was excellent but it was wasted by them. The info booth as well was no help at all in regards to assisting the elderly get into the golf cart transportation to the parking lot and many people complained and were frustrated because they needed it, who could blame them, it should of really just been called a pamphlet booth. Overall the theme was inconsistent and this was a missed opportunity for the orchestra. read more

California Philharmonic - No mention whatsoever of their 30 min self promotion and religious views - Performing Arts Near Me - Pasadena, California

Had a most enjoyable experience here today. It's been a long time (too long!) since I have taken in a symphony orchestra for a musical spin around the block. It's really OK to come in casual clothes for the afternoon, and hang out without knowing anything about music. If you do know your music, even Disney tunes, it's just an excellent experience. The Walt Disney Hall is really surprisingly user friendly. With multiple levels, nothing terribly hard to get to . Elevators, and Escalators are all in close proximity Many ushers to help. We ran for one when my friend lost her cell phone under her seat. That's the only thing there.. try not to drop anything. The floor is cantilevered, almost vertical at some angles. Maestro Victor Vener turns around to talk to the audience with a playful,friendly low key relaxed banter about whatever piece the California Symphony is about to play. Today, it was 'The Sorcerers Apprentice" from Fantasia among others. Bravo!. Just fantastic! A great place.. read more

I attended the concert at the Disney Hall in downtown. The venue is beautiful, and Cal Phil is a group of wonderful musicians. The music was kept light and sunny--perfect for summer. We heard many John Williams movie themes, i.e. "Star Wars", ET, etc. along with Aaron Copland-"Billy the Kid", and "1812 Overture", etc. Fun stuff. Lovely time! read more