War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds is a new opera performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and on the streets of Los Angeles. Orson Welles' 1938 "fake news" radio program led millions of panicked listeners to believe that aliens were invading Earth. Yuval Sharon has used the original radio script as the basis of this audacious new performance piece.

The LA Phil New Music Group performed the opera onstage at Walt Disney Concert Hall and broadcast live onto the streets of downtown LA. through three refurbished WWII-era sirens – reactivated for two-way communication. Performers stationed at the sirens sent their reports of alien invasion back to the Concert Hall. Annie Gosfield composed the work.

For more details on the performers, click here.

LA Phil New Music Group

Music by Annie Gosfield

Concept, Direction, Libretto by Yuval Sharon

Conducted by Christopher Rountree

Production Design by Calder Greenwood