LA and OC Weirdo Music and Art Forum

Enhance your listening and appreciation of classical music through Music 101 with KUSC's Alan Chapman.

I have attended several of these and Alan Chapman is always very educational and entertaining.

DATE: Wed / Jan 14, 2026 - 7:30PM

VENUE: WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
111 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

PARKING: $10.00 for the day. Disney Hall has a large underground parking structure. Other lots are available in the area. Street parking is difficult.

TICKETS: $7 + $1 fee

About this Performance
With vibrant visuals and many musical examples, Classical California KUSC’s Alan Chapman explores the wonders of some of the most popular symphonies. Along the way he’ll help you tune in to symphonic form and increase your listening enjoyment.

About Music 101
These music appreciation courses are designed for all audiences, from those who know very little about classical music to those who are lifelong listeners. Choose one or more classes, each of which explores a variety of topics illustrated with musical examples from the LA Phil’s season, plus vibrant visuals and a lively Q&A. See all upcoming Music 101 events and learn more, here.

Alan Chapman is a composer/lyricist, pianist, radio producer/host (Classical KUSC, Los Angeles) and educator. After receiving his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he earned a Ph.D. in music theory from Yale University. He is currently a member of the music theory faculty of the Colburn Conservatory. He was a longtime member of the music faculty at Occidental College and has also been a visiting professor at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. His analytical work has appeared in the Journal of Music Theory and in The New Orpheus: Essays on Kurt Weill, winner of the Deems Taylor Award for excellence in writing on music.

Well known as a pre-concert lecturer, Dr. Chapman presents the Preview Talks for Pacific Symphony's Classical Series. His lectures have been presented by virtually every major performing organization in southern California. He has been heard globally as programmer and host of the inflight classical channels on United and Delta Airlines.

Dr. Chapman is also active as a composer/lyricist. His songs have been performed and recorded by many artists around the world and have been honored by ASCAP, the Johnny Mercer Foundation, and the Manhattan Association of Cabarets. His children’s opera Les Moose: The Operatic Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle was commissioned by Los Angeles Opera. Peter and Mr. Wolf, the story of an eighth-grader’s tribulations in finding a science project, was premiered by Chamber Music Palisades with Chapman as narrator. He is much in demand as a creator of original musical material for special events.

He frequently appears in cabaret evenings with his wife, soprano Karen Benjamin. They made their Carnegie Hall debut in 2000 and performed at Lincoln Center in 2006. Their other collaborations include Music of the People, a concert of art song settings of 19th-century American music, and Movie Music Magic, a program of cinematic favorites.

We saw Bullock and Hanick perform Messiaen's "Harawi" last fall at the Wallis, and Seth Parker Woods most recently at REDCAT and Ojai.

Date: Thu, Jan 15, 2026 at 8 pm
Optional dinner at 6:30

Venue: Nimoy Theater
1262 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Parking: $3 after 5:00 pm

For information on parking, nearby restaurants, etc. visit the Nimoy Theater website: https://cap.ucla.edu/ucla-nimoy-theater

Tickets: $38.08 - $48.67
https://cap.ucla.edu/event/seth-parker-woods-julia-bullock-and-conor-hanick

"A cellist of power and grace" — The Guardian
“Bullock [is one] of the strongest American actor-singers to emerge in recent years.” — The New Yorker

“Performing with his back to an audience seated in an arc around him, Mr. Hanick’s playing was breathtaking, at once penetrating and mystifying.” — The New York Times

Powerhouse musicians Seth Parker Woods, Julia Bullock and Conor Hanick unite for an evening that showcases titan composers of lyricism and storytelling from the 20th and 21st centuries.

A three-time Grammy nominee, Woods has garnered a reputation for his versatile and inventive musicality, earning him global acclaim and the 2022 Chamber Music America Michael Jaffee Visionary Award. Woods is joined by Bullock, a Grammy-winning classical singer and artist, whose commanding operatic voice has conquered every genre from Baroque to contemporary. Hanick, a pianist praised for his precision and articulation of classic and contemporary fare, rounds out the trio.

Together, the musicians perform the works of George Walker, John Tavener, Ravel, Andre Previn and Nina Simone, as well as a new commission by Tania Leon (who was at Ojai this year).

Free discussion and Q&A that is part of a 3-evening event called "Nina Simone, Beyond Category", which also includes a 2-evening concert Jan. 26 & 27 (each evening is posted as a separate event.

Date: Jan 23 at 7pm PST

Venue: USC Newman Recital Hall
3616 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089

Free, but you must RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-nina-simone-changed-the-world-registration-1977943742980

How Nina Simone Changed the World

A Q&A with Pulitzer Prize–Winning Writer and Critic Salamishah Tillet and Jason King, Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music

Discussion and Q&A. Part of "Nina Simone Beyond Category", How Nina Simone Changed the World brings Pulitzer Prize–winning writer and critic Salamishah Tillet to the University of Southern California for a special conversation in anticipation of the 2027 publication of her forthcoming work, All the Rage: Nina Simone and the World She Made.
In this thought-provoking conversation event with Jason King, Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music, Tillet explores Simone’s enduring legacy as a cultural force and freedom fighter. Presented as part of Thornton’s Nina Simone: Beyond Category series, the evening invites audiences to consider Simone not just as an artist, but as a cultural innovator who, years after her passing, continues to reshape the landscape of possibility.

Nina Simone: Beyond Category is an event series presented by USC’s Thornton School of Music as part of its now annual Beyond Category Series. This groundbreaking program examines Nina Simone’s singular artistic voice and her multifaceted approach to music and the making of culture. Widely celebrated as a global icon of jazz, blues, and civil rights activism, Simone’s work was deeply rooted in classical music, which helped shape her phrasing, harmonic language, and improvisational brilliance. Fusing that classical precision with the emotional power of gospel, jazz, and blues, among other styles, Simone defied genre boundaries and created a body of work that remains uncategorizable—bold, boundary-breaking, and timeless.

View the entire Nina Simone: Beyond Category series here:

Monday, January 26, 2026: To Be Free – The Revolutionary Music of Nina Simone (Night One) INFO
Tuesday, January 27, 2026: To Be Free – The Revolutionary Music of Nina Simone (Night Two) INFO

Free Concert that is part of a 3-evening event called "Nina Simone, Beyond Category", which includes a discussion on Jan. 23 and a 2-evening concert Jan. 26 & 27 (each evening is posted as a separate event.)

Date: Jan 26 at 7:30pm PST

Venue: Bovard Auditorium
3551 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089

Free, but you must RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/to-be-free-the-revolutionary-music-of-nina-simone-registration-1977929283732

A two-night concert reimagining Simone's catalog—presented as part of USC Thornton’s "Nina Simone: Beyond Category" series.

### Admission

Admission is free. Help us continue to offer free events by making a tax-deductible donation at https://visionsandvoices.usc.edu/support.

### Description

Performed by USC Thornton School of Music students, faculty, alumni, and special guests, this unique concert event, taking place over the course of two evenings, celebrates Nina Simone’s classical training and its profound influence on her expansive, genre-defying musical vision, her creative genius, and her lifelong pursuit of personal, artistic, and collective freedom.

Simone’s singular musical voice unfolded through her original compositions and powerful re-imaginings of others’ work. Known for fusing styles as varied as blues, jazz, gospel, and classical—especially her early grounding in composers like Bach and Czerny—Simone created music that transcended genre in order to speak truth to power. Despite facing structural barriers and systemic limitations throughout her career, she courageously addressed civil and human rights struggles head-on, infused her art with a deep global consciousness, and offered searing reflections on the complexities of Black existence in America. Simone persisted in crafting a liberated artistic identity that has inspired generations and served as a wellspring.

Co-curated and hosted by celebrated pianist Lara Downes, USC Thornton School of Music Dean Jason King, and Jayson Jackson, Oscar-nominated co-producer of What Happened, Miss Simone?, these concerts offer a powerful reimagining of Simone’s catalog—an offering in the spirit of her liberation, transformation, and artistic life lived “beyond category.” Simone simultaneously stands as an important artistic muse for Lara Downes’ national initiative, The Declaration Project, an invitation across the nation for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to reflect on core concepts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence draws near on July 4, 2026.
Click here to learn more.

Related Events:
Friday, January 23, 2026: How Nina Simone Changed the World INFO

Tuesday, January 27, 2026: To Be Free – The Revolutionary Music of Nina Simone (Night Two) INFO

Presented by USC Visions and Voices and the USC Thornton School of Music in collaboration with the Recording Academy Black Music Collective.

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