Mark Swed’s best classical music moments of 2013
The coolest concert hall on the planet, Walt Disney Concert Hall, turned 10 and partied nonstop, its wonders never ceasing.
MORE: 10 years of memorable performances | Full coverage (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
Exuberant over his return to L.A., Esa-Pekka Salonen led irresistible performances of his Violin Concerto and Sibelius Fifth Symphony.
MORE: Read the review (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Samoan choreographer Lemi Ponifasio’s ceremonial, shrieking, startling “Stones in Her Mouth” was the under-the-radar sensation of Radar L.A.
MORE: Read the review (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)
Opera at Union Station went from anomaly to sensation with the premiere of Christopher Cerrone’s mysteriously evocative “Invisible Cities.”
MORE: Scenes | Read the review (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Santa Monica series Jacaranda moved into the big time thanks to a guest appearance by Peter Eötvös and a Grammy nomination for a Cage CD.
MORE: Interview with directors behind ‘Jacaranda’ (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
CD of the year: magnificently penetrating German baritone Christian Gerhaher singing Mahler songs with Nagano and the Montreal Symphony. (Valery Hache / AFP / Getty Images)