Mark Swed has been the classical music critic of the Los Angeles Times since 1996. Before that, he was a music critic for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and the Wall Street Journal and has written extensively for international publications. Swed is the author of the book-length text to the best-selling iPad app, “The Orchestra,” and is a former editor of the Musical Quarterly. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist in criticism, honored in 2021 and 2007.
Latest From This Author
A sweet new LACMA show, USC Opera, ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ and Maurice Sendak’s ‘Wild Things’ at Skirball Cultural Center top our list of SoCal’s best culture to experience.
April 13, 2024
Klaus Makela, appointed music director of the Chicago Symphony at the age of 28, has been likened to Gustavo Dudamel. Why orchestras’ chasing of youth could have downsides.
April 12, 2024
What to see and do in L.A. this week? We’ve got a must-see at the Geffen Playhouse, pioneering photography at the Getty and a Judy Garland musical.
April 6, 2024
Love him or hate him, Philip Glass is inescapable. His 20 piano etudes have become essential listening, his impact on three generations of artists indelible.
April 4, 2024
A standout concert, a promising play, the return of the Butterfly Pavilion and more recommendations for your week ahead. Plus ICYMI briefs on the Broad museum expansion and more.
March 30, 2024
The famed Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini died Saturday. Listen to his music, and you’ll still hear life in every note.
March 27, 2024
Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen’s statement about the San Francisco Symphony board has crucial ramifications for arts organizations including the L.A. Phil.
March 20, 2024
What the success of John Cage’s ‘Europeras 3 & 4’ in Detroit and Christian Wolff’s 90th-birthday celebration in New York reveal about this moment in music.
March 18, 2024
Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony add color and, courtesy of a perfumer at Cartier, scent to Scriabin’s ‘Prometheus.’ Does the novelty prove effective?
March 6, 2024
A curious L.A. Opera double bill pairs Viennese composer Alexander Zemlinsky’s ‘The Dwarf’ with the Black American composer William Grant Still’s ‘Highway 1, USA.’
Feb. 28, 2024