If you were asked to name one person who had the greatest impact on a major city’s musical life, in most cases you’d cite a visionary civic leader, wealthy philanthropist, or charismatic conductor.
But when it comes to Los Angeles, that distinction goes to an architect.
Frank Gehry, who died Dec. 5 at age 96, marked his adopted hometown in numerous ways. But the greatest gift the always-innovative Canadian immigrant gave Southern California was a series of dazzling performance spaces for classical music — some yet to be completed.
Gehry is best known as the designer of Walt Disney Concert Hall, which is widely considered one of the finest music venues ever built in America. Opening in 2003, it gave the Los Angeles Philharmonic a world-class hall and the city a photogenic landmark. Distinctively modern yet warm and inviting, it provided a visual equivalent to the orchestra’s innovative programming.
But his impact on the region was hardly limited to one building. Gehry transformed a former bank branch in Inglewood into an acclaimed performance and rehearsal space for Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. He also designed a major expansion to the Colburn School campus. The project is currently under construction and will include an 1100-seat concert hall and a 700-seat studio theater.
In his spare time, the enthusiastic music lover designed sets for opera productions — most notably an ongoing staging of Richard Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelungs cycle in Disney Hall which kicked off in 2024 and resumes next May.
The cultural landscape of many other cities also benefited from Gehry’s touch. His Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago’s Millennium Park is a standout, even in a city renowned for its amazing architecture. In Miami Beach, his New World Center — home of the New World Symphony — celebrates its 15th anniversary this January.
But it’s L.A. where his loss will be felt most keenly.
“Los Angeles mourns the loss of one of its most beloved and impactful cultural giants,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “With a body of work spanning more than six decades, Mr. Gehry made Los Angeles his home, his canvas, and his proving ground — his buildings sparking economic and cultural renewal, inspiring generations of artists, architects, and dreamers.”
In its official statement, the Los Angeles Philharmonic praised his “maverick imagination.”
“We are all heartbroken to say goodbye to Frank Gehry, a longtime creative partner and close member of the L.A. Phil family,” the statement read. “We plan to honor his legacy in 2026, and our hearts are with his family, friends, and everyone his life touched.”
On social media, Philharmonic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel addressed Gehry directly, using his nickname for the architect, “Pancho.”
“Today you expand into the infinity of your beautiful spirit, filling us with your inspiration and your generosity eternally,” Dudamel wrote. “Thank you for your friendship, for your guidance, for your dedication and for your immense love.”
Grant Gershon, music director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale — the other ensemble that calls Disney Hall home — also expressed deep gratitude.
“Frank Gehry gave the city of L.A. the greatest gift imaginable,” Gershon said. “Walt Disney Concert Hall has inspired countless life-changing performances for audiences and artists alike. This building has enriched my own life beyond measure. Thank you and Godspeed, Frank.”
Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center (of which Disney Hall is a part), praised Gehry’s “profound and courageous artistic vision.” She added that the facility “revitalized Grand Avenue as a center for arts and culture.”
“The Music Center is honored and proud to have had Frank as both a partner and a friend,” she continued. “His support for the arts will live on as an integral part of his legacy, and his incredible buildings will serve as a reminder that we should dream — and create — boldly.”
Sel Kardan, president and CEO of the Colburn School, said it “has been our collective honor to have known Frank Gehry, worked so closely with him, and experienced his genius and humanity. Frank loved music and musicians deeply, and had such a commitment to supporting young people.
“At the end of September, he visited our construction site with Esa-Pekka Salonen and was so pleased to see the progress and tremendous potential of our project,” Kardan continued. “We are profoundly grateful that he was able to witness the impact of his transformational contribution to Colburn firsthand, with his dear friend by his side.”
