LA Opera Principal Violinist Ana Landauer

Being a Violinist Is Like Being a Gymnast

| Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Ana Landauer is principal second violinist of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra and is an active chamber musician in the greater Los Angeles area. Before performing for the Zócalo/Artistic Soirées event “How Immigrants Composed L.A.,” presented in partnership with ASU Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Landauer sat down in our green room to tell us her violin origin story, her favorite venue to perform at, and how the pandemic changed her perception of performance.

October 28, 2022

Cellist Evgeny Tonkha

Bach Is Like a Universe

October 28, 2022

Evgeny Tonkha is a cellist who, since the age of 10, has toured Germany, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and the U.S. His musical achievements include 1st Prize and the …

Hot Girl Summer Is a Utopian Notion

We’ll Never Reach Its Coconut-Scented Siren Call, But That Shouldn’t Stop Us From Trying

by Jackie Mansky | September 9, 2022

Here in Southern California, the Santa Ana winds are blowing, summoning us back to school, back to our routines, back to our lives.

The potential that once hung so heady in …

Beyoncé’s Dance Floor Liberation

From the Golden Age of House to ‘Break My Soul,’ Black Divas Continue to Lift Us Up in Hard Times

by H. Zahra Caldwell | July 28, 2022

I can very clearly remember in 1993 the first time I heard Robin S.’s “Show Me Love.” I felt moved.

It wasn’t just me. The infectious groove and Black gospel diva …

Why Americans Love a Dance Challenge

From the Early 20th-Century Grizzly Bear to Lizzo’s Latest, Social Dancing Has Always Been Silly and Subversive

by Jackie Mansky | July 8, 2022

In what already feels like a different year—but was really just a few weeks ago—Reese Witherspoon, Selena Gomez, and just about every single person on the internet was posting a …

tktk | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Elvis Is an American Tragedy. Elvis Is Just Tragic

The Singer's Story Has a Lot to Say About This ‘Pitiful Country’—But Baz Luhrmann's Biopic Ain’t Nothin’ But a Dog

by Jackie Mansky | June 24, 2022

There’s much to be said about Elvis Presley, the quote-unquote King of Rock ‘n’ Roll who shook the country as a white kid singing Black America’s music.

But despite its nearly …

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