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.


War of the Worlds radio credits:

LA Phil New Music Group
Music by Annie Gosfield
Concept, Direction, Libretto by Yuval Sharon
Conducted by Christopher Rountree
Production Design by Calder Greenwood

Presented by the LA Phil
Co-produced with The Industry and Now Art.
The War of the Worlds radio play by Howard Koch used by permission of Peter Koch
War of the Worlds is sponsored by Meyer Sound.