The special on-air and online series — which has been created in response to COVID-19 — features selections curated by the noted conductor plus personal reflections on the music that keeps us together, even when we’re apart.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic and its music and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel, are remotely teaming up with USC-owned classical music stations KUSC in Los Angeles and KDFC in San Francisco to present At Home with Gustavo. The unique series is being created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the temporary closures of cultural venues across the world.
New episodes will be broadcast four times a week in English and once a week in Spanish. The limited-run series will air locally on KUSC and KDFC, be syndicated nationally through a partnership with PRX and presented internationally online.
Borne out of Dudamel’s desire to continue sharing music with audiences when it’s needed most, the series offers the conductor’s curated musical selections along with his personal reflections on the music and his experience of our current moment. Interviewed by KUSC’s Brian Lauritzen, Dudamel welcomes listeners into a communal experience designed to uplift and inspire during a difficult time, while also offering rare access into his own life in music.
The program is the result of a special partnership between people and organizations that share in the conviction that classical music has something unique to offer in this cultural moment, both a means to process our personal experiences and to connect with the community spirit necessary to weather the challenges ahead.
At Home with Gustavo connects to Hispanic culture
The Spanish programs — the first to air on KUSC and KDFC since the 1970s — reflect Dudamel’s vital connection to the Hispanic culture in Los Angeles and California, as well as the commitment of the stations, the LA Phil and Dudamel himself to ensuring that both the music and messages of the series include as many people as possible.
“For me, and I imagine for a lot of you,” Dudamel said, “music has been the thing that brings people together, even when we are apart. It’s important now more than ever that we find ways to connect and find comfort and inspiration. While I can’t perform for you right now, I am excited about a new way that I can share music.
“Starting next Tuesday, I will be partnering with KUSC in Los Angeles and KDFC in San Francisco on a new radio show that I will record right here in my home. I will be talking with my friend Brian Lauritzen and sharing with him, and you, some of my favorite recordings. And unlike in a concert, I get to talk directly to you about why I love this music and why I think you will, too. Some shows will be in English, some in Spanish, but the music needs no translation.”
When and where to hear At Home with Gustavo
At Home with Gustavo can be heard from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday on KUSC and KDFC, with an additional Spanish language broadcast on KUSC from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. Sundays and on KDFC from 6-7 p.m. Sundays.
KUSC can be heard over the air on 91.5 FM, streaming live on KUSC.org, on the free iOS and Android apps, and via smart speakers. Find all the ways to listen on the KUSC website.
KDFC can be heard all across the San Francisco Bay Area, streaming live at KDFC.com, on KDFC’s free iOS and Android apps, and via smart speakers. Learn more on the KDFC website.