Bruce Anthony Kiesling

We’ve had some big YNPs in the past, but the LA Phil team outdid themselves this year, by putting on a stunning performance featuring an orchestra of nearly 300 and a choir of 1200 (that it not a typo…seriously 1200 singers). Conducting 1500 was an unbelievable thrill and the families of our performers were glowing with pride. Hmmm…Mahler 8 doesn’t seem so intimidating anymore, after all…that’s just for 1000 musicians….

Closed the season in Visalia last night with a very exciting performance of Mahler 1. Can’t tell you how excited I was to have so many audience members come away moved and overwhelmed by Mahler. Great night and the orchestra played passionately and powerfully. The antiphonal brass choir helped bring the season and the symphony to a raucous conclusion!  (who’s idea was that anyway?—oh yeah, it was mine—one of my best!). Congrats to the whole orchestra.

Still basking in the glow of all the wonderful playing of hundreds of the YOLA kids at WDCH yesterday. From our youngest orchestra playing “Apollo Suite” with additional winds/brass/percussion to our oldest playing selections from “Firebird,” it was an absolutely thrilling concert top to bottom. Special congrats to the HOLA winds, who played so great in my new arrangement of “Light Cavalry Overture” for orchestral winds. Bravo to all.

Just recovering from jet lag after a thrilling visit to London with the LA Phil and a group of YOLA kids who joined London musicians for a working rehearsal with Gustavo Dudamel. Great music, amazing YOLA kids on the trip, wonderful hosts from the Barbican, too. An absolute pleasure from start to finish. Full of so many fond memories.

Joining in the yearlong celebration of the centenial of Stravinsky’s masterful ballet, the TC Symphony Orchestra performed a thrilling account last night at the Fox Theater. As I said to the audience before our encore, “They played the snot out of that piece!” Congrats to the whole orchestra.

What a thrill it was to conduct the score to “Psycho” with the Tulare County Symphony as the full film played to a packed audience at the Visalia Fox Theater. Great music, great orchestra, great audience and a wonderful time had by all. Check it out here.

At long last, the soundtrack recording of “Foresight” is available on itunes, joining the previously available soundtrack to “Wesley.” Both beautifully played by the Carolina Film Orchestra. Check it out here.

Following up on last year’s performance with Stevie Wonder, Bruce led the YOLA Orchestra on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl last night with international superstar Juanes. The orchestra was outstanding, Juanes and his band was an absolute delight to work with at every moment, and reaction was overwhelming. One example of the great reviews.

In the process of completing work on the last of four animated shorts for regular collaborators The Gillder Frontier. More info on this exciting and brilliantly animated project coming soon.

Natalie Cole featured the Tulare County Symphony in a great performance in Visalia. Ms. Cole sounded fantastic and the orchestra did a beautiful job accompanying her many hits. Sting’s song “If I Ever Lose My Faith” was a major highlight of an all around tremendous show.