Hollywood Bowl Violist Erik Rynearson

Life Is Easier in France

Erik Rynearson is principal violist of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, and has been a regular substitute musician with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 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, Rynearson sat down in our green room to tell us about what he’s been listening to, how he got into music, and why he’d hate-watch Fantasia with Stravinsky.

| Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

LA Opera Principal Violinist Ana Landauer

Being a Violinist Is Like Being a Gymnast

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 …

| Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Cellist Evgeny Tonkha

Bach Is Like a Universe

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 …

| Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Hot Girl Summer Is a Utopian Notion

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

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 | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

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

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

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 …