ESA-PEKKA SALONEN DURING WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL'S CONSTRUCTION

The building of Walt Disney Concert Hall became ever more complicated, and the decision-making turned cumbersome and lengthy. A complex mesh of political, planning, management, and bidding problems led to a shutdown of the project in 1994. But in 1996, through press articles, key events, professional support, and a fund-raising campaign, Walt Disney Concert Hall began to show signs of life. When it finally opened in October 2003, this architectural masterpiece and acoustical marvel forever changed the musical landscape of Los Angeles.

In the end, what matters most, of course, extends beyond the people and the particulars of its creation to the future life of the building itself. Walt Disney Concert Hall has engaged audiences with the greatest ideas in music and architecture. The space of the Concert Hall has challenged conductors and musicians to rise to a new level of performance. It has transformed the Los Angeles Philharmonic, inspiring it to be more daring, and the city of Los Angeles, becoming what President and CEO of the LA Phil, Deborah Borda, terms a “convener” of intellectual thought and discussion.