A program originally funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Musical Bridges is an exciting initiative to reach out the members of various Long Beach communities, with a particular emphasis on the Latino demographic. The program has included annual concerts at the Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA) and family concerts throughout the community, as well as the commissioning of a new work with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México, American Composers Forum and MoLAA.

The most recent Musical Bridges concerts were chamber-music events at St. Anthony Catholic Church

(The Seven Last Words of Christ by Franz Joseph Haydn) and at MoLAA (Voice of the Whale by George Crumb). The outreach has included special concert invitations to area firefighters and law-enforcement personnel.

The most important aspect of these concerts is the organizing and presenting partnerships with St. Anthony High School, the Museum of Latin American Art and the Long Beach Library Foundation. By partnering with these great local institutions, we’re able to introduce the joy of classical music to those who might not yet have discovered this wonderful art form.