Performance Sounds of LA

An annual concert series that explores LA's varied musical geography, celebrating the work of masters as well as up-and-coming musicians

A jazz band performs on the indoor stage of an auditorium
From left: Quinn Johnson (Piano), Tony Dumas (Bass), Joel Taylor (Drums), and Louis Van Taylor (Sax) perform as part of Sounds of LA at the Getty Center, 2025. Photo: Karen Du

About

Sounds of LA is an annual concert series that explores our city's varied musical geography, celebrating the work of masters as well as up-and-coming musicians from around the globe. Each month features two concerts by charismatic musicians who combine global influences in unexpected and original ways.

In partnership with Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Past

  1. Sounds of LA: Woven Verses: Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat in Concert

    Performance

    Side-by-side image of two women, one wraps her arms over shoulders with a scarf, the other stands with her hands in her hair.

    Sisters Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat take Persian poetry to new heights and spaces, presenting their new project “Woven Verses” at Getty

  2. Sounds of LA: Jimetta Rose & the Voices of Creation

    Performance

    Black-and-white photograph of a group of people wearing white on a sidewalk, smiling and laughing at the camera.

    Join us for an uplifting evening where collective voices come together to heal the soul through the power of gospel choir traditions with jazz, soul, and funk

  3. Sounds of LA: Pamyua: Inuit Soul

    Performance

    Four people sing into microphones against a blue-lit background.

    Drumsongs from the Indigenous cultures of Greenland and Alaska weave traditional melodies with contemporary vocalization, funk, and more

  4. Sounds of LA: Celebrating the Jazz Legacy of Altadena

    Performance

    Grainy black-and-white close up of hands playing a shiny trumpet.

    Join us for reflection, healing, and celebration as we honor the rich musical legacy of Altadena