Backstage with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil at Coachella – KCRW

Gustavo Dudamel prepares with violin players backstage at Coachella. Photo by Timothy Norris for the LA Phil.
The sun is low in the sky on Saturday at Coachella, but it’s still pushing 97 degrees at the Outdoor Theatre. In spite of — or maybe because of — the oppressive heat, the mood backstage is frenzied as crew members ready the next act. 
They look like any other band you might see at the festival, sporting matching black pants, T-shirts, and a pop of color via their Adidas sneakers. But instead of electric guitars and basses, they’re holding… tubas, trumpets, and cellos. Also, there are 75 people in this band. 
That’s because this is the Los Angeles Philharmonic, making their Coachella debut under the direction of maestro Gustavo Dudamel.
It takes about 10 minutes for everyone to file onstage, find their seats, and begin tuning. Dudamel arrives last — in a tailored take on the all-black/Adidas combo — greeted by cheers, whistles, and cries of “Yeah Venezuela!,” in salute to the conductor’s home country. He gives a quick bow and turns to the orchestra. With a flourishing gesture that’s not quite a jump, he leads them into  the opening trills of Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” The crowd goes wild. 

Members of the LA Phil wait to perform backstage at Coachella. Photo by Mary Carreón.
The thing is, Dudamel tells me just before the set, is that the Phil is actually right at home at a place like Coachella. 
“All of these great composers in the past — Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler, all of them — they were big rock stars at their time,” he says. “And they, and all the music, have a connection.”
A collaboration between Coachella and the LA Phil has been in the works for more than a decade, according to Johanna Rees, Vice President of Programming for the LA Phil — and has been a dream of Dudamel’s since he joined the Phil as Music & Artistic Director in 2009. 
It’s happening just in the nick of time — this fall marks the beginning of the conductor’s final season with the Phil. But Dudamel, whose tenure has established the Phil as one of the world’s most progressive orchestras, says the gig isn’t a victory lap — it’s about showing how natural and exciting classical music can feel in any setting. 

Gustavo Dudamel performs with the LA Phil at the Outdoor Theatre at Coachella. Photo by Timothy Norris for the LA Phil. 
“Are you having fun?” he calls out to the crowd between songs. 
They cheer affirmatively. 
“Are you ready for more?” he presses. 
They scream back louder. 
“Let’s do it!” he calls out, before taking the orchestra into John Williams’ “Imperial March” from Star Wars. 
Again, the crowd goes wild.  
Dudamel and the LA Phil are on the 2025 Coachella poster as artists in their own right — a first for an orchestra and conductor at the festival. Their setlist is a mix of straight classical pieces and collaborations with pop artists. Think of it like Dudamel’s mixtape. 
EDM giant Zed, country singer Maren Morris, Latin pop star Becky G, Icelandic folk artist Laufey, and hip-hop’s LL Cool J & Z-Trip were among the half dozen musicians who joined in on the first weekend. British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield and a new slate of surprise guests were on deck for Weekend 2.

Gustavo Dudamel and DJ Z-Trip blend sounds on stage at Coachella. Photo by Timothy Norris for the LA Phil.
Dudamel says the idea is to highlight the connective tissue across time and genres, and show how these sounds all influence each other. He points to Becky G’s 2014 pop hit “Shower,” which was among the Weekend 1 interpolations, as an example. 
“You see an inspiration [in that song] that is coming from (the) Canon of Pachelbel. So we try to connect with some baroque music to go to her song.” 
Once collaborators were locked in — something of a scheduling feat — Dudamel, the artists, and arranger Derrick Hodge embarked on the weeks-to-months-long process of selecting songs and assembling the interpretations.
„ I tried to make sure each thing had some level of risk, and then going forward in unique ways to match the spirit of Gustavo and the Phil,“ Hodge says. 
Rehearsals continued up until the night before their Coachella performance.

Gustavo Dudamel poses with LA Phil bass players backstage at Coachella. Photo by Timothy Norris for the LA Phil. 
“They have the ideas of like, ‘ Hey, how about we do this with the oboes or the harp or the gongs or percussion?’” Rees explains. “And so it really is a question about how do we want to think … about retelling the story of that song? And there’s no limits. I mean, when you have a band that size, it can really do pretty much anything, you know?” 
The Phil is no stranger to pop crossovers or casual outdoor venues — celebrity collaborations are a staple of their summer programming at Hollywood Bowl. Still, Coachella — with its multiple stages, trend-forecasting lineup, and decidedly younger, rowdier crowds — is a different animal. 
Which begs the question: What’s proper audience etiquette for enjoying the LA Phil at Coachella?

Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil perform with LL Cool J, DJ Z-Trip, and a gospel choir at Coachella. Photo by Timothy Norris for the LA Phil. 
Dudamel is characteristically philosophical. “The perception of music has many contexts,” he says. “And if you understand that, you know, you don’t have any limitations. And in this case, we are expecting really for the people to get connected, but enjoy, and enjoy in their own way that they feel. This is the thing.” 
Once the set is over, the orchestra has to turn around and head back to LA for shows at Disney Hall. Dudamel wishes they could stay to hear the other acts. 
“ I wish to listen all of them,” he says, eyes widening. “It’s Green Day here. It’s Post Malone, Lady Gaga … there even is a Venezuelan band playing here, Rawayana, which, you know, is wonderful. So, of course I will come back, for sure. I will open the time to come because this is, this is amazing!”
Maybe next time, as a fan in the crowd.
Hey! Did you enjoy this piece? We can’t do it without you. We are member-supported, so your donation is critical to KCRW’s music programming, news reporting, and cultural coverage. Help support the DJs, journalists, and staff of the station you love.
Here’s how:
More from KCRW Features
Latest
Get Involved
Featured
The best of what to see, hear, eat, do, and more.
Get the latest from KCRW in your inbox 3x a week.

source