As of September 20, The Los Angeles Philharmonic has officially opened the doors to the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center, welcoming its first class of Inglewood students.
The Beckmen YOLA Center, located in the heart of Inglewood near the corner of La Brea Avenue and Manchester Boulevard, broke ground in April of 2019 and now the community will finally reap the many benefits it brings to the area. Designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, the 25,000 square-foot learning center is the first permanent home of the esteemed YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) program, which brings free music education to Inglewood students, and students throughout Los Angeles County, further cementing the LA Phil’s commitment to community engagement in the area.
Although the Inglewood Beckmen YOLA Center is the fifth YOLA site– it’s the first permanent, purpose-built facility for the YOLA program, and the music education hub will also serve as a performance and rehearsal space, gathering place and cultural resource center for students from existing and future YOLA sites. The now 15-year-old program is led by the legendary conductor and violinist Gustavo Dudamel, who is also the LA Phil’s Music and Artistic Director.
“This building is the realization of a beautiful dream: to create a space where young people can have access to beauty. It is a place of inspiration, transformation and a physical manifestation of our mission to change peoples’ lives through music. We believe strongly that everyone should be able to play in a world-class hall, with the best training and teachers, and the Beckmen YOLA Center will offer that to young people for generations to come. I am so grateful to my dear friend Frank Gehry for sharing his unstoppable vision in all of its genius and generosity, and we look forward to this building filling the community with ever greater harmony, ” says Dudamel.
