Wasserman Music

Wasserman Music
Name	Wasserman Music
Background	classical ensemble
Origin	Los Angeles, California
Genres	Classical, Contemporary, Film Music
Years active	1980s–present

Wasserman Music is an American music organization based in Los Angeles that produces, manages, and presents classical and contemporary concert projects. Founded in the late 20th century, the organization works with orchestras, chamber groups, film studios, and educational institutions to commission new works, curate repertoire, and facilitate recordings. It maintains collaborative relationships with major cultural institutions and media companies across the United States and Europe.

History

Wasserman Music was formed amid a landscape shaped by institutions such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, and Royal Albert Hall. Early collaborations connected the organization with artists associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and Vienna Philharmonic. In the 1990s and 2000s the group expanded projects linking the company to festivals and venues including the Tanglewood Music Center, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and the BBC Proms. Partnerships with film and media entities such as Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Netflix influenced the ensemble’s crossover initiatives. Strategic alliances with conservatories and universities like the Juilliard School, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Curtis Institute of Music, and USC Thornton School of Music supported commissioning and residency programs.

Services and Repertoire

Wasserman Music offers artist management, concert production, commission administration, and music supervision for audiovisual projects. It programs repertoire spanning baroque and romantic works linked to figures such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky alongside contemporary works by composers associated with John Adams (composer), Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Arvo Pärt, and Tan Dun. The organization curates themed seasons that reference repertory connected to the Baroque music revival, Historicism (music), and contemporary movements tied to ensembles like the Ensemble InterContemporain, Kronos Quartet, and Asko Ensemble. Services also include production coordination for recordings involving labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Classical, Naxos, Decca Records, and EMI Classics.

Notable Artists and Ensembles

Wasserman Music has worked with soloists, conductors, and ensembles whose careers intersect with institutions like the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Santa Fe Opera, and the Vienna State Opera. Collaborators have included conductors connected to the Gustavo Dudamel lineage and performers associated with Itzhak Perlman, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang, and Mitsuko Uchida. Chamber partnerships referenced artists who performed with the Guarneri Quartet, Juilliard Quartet, Takács Quartet, and Emerson Quartet. The roster has included contemporary advocates whose names appear alongside Caroline Shaw, Eric Whitacre, Nico Muhly, Osvaldo Golijov, and Jennifer Higdon.

Recordings and Publications

Recording projects coordinated by Wasserman Music have appeared on catalogs alongside releases from Philips Records, Harmonia Mundi, Chandos Records, and Bridge Records. Projects included soundtrack albums tied to productions by Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Ennio Morricone, and Alexandre Desplat, as well as contemporary classical albums referencing catalogues of Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Publications and program notes produced for concerts have been distributed in partnership with institutions such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, GRAMMY Awards submission committees, and archives connected to the Library of Congress and British Library.

Educational and Community Programs

Educational initiatives have been developed in collaboration with schools and organizations like The Colburn School, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, National Endowment for the Arts, and youth ensembles such as the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America and Young Artists Orchestra. Community outreach projects referenced partnerships with civic organizations tied to the Los Angeles County arts programs, festival education arms like the Austrian Cultural Forum, and international exchange programs involving the Fulbright Program and Goethe-Institut. Masterclasses and residencies featured faculty linked to the Royal College of Music, Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, and conservatory programs at Eastman School of Music.

Awards and Recognition

Wasserman Music’s projects have been associated with accolades and nominations from bodies such as the Grammy Awards, BAFTA Awards, Academy Awards, Pulitzer Prize for Music, and industry recognitions from trade publications including Billboard (magazine), The New York Times, and The Guardian (London). Collaborations with award-winning artists who have received honors from institutions like the Kennedy Center Honors, Polar Music Prize, and national arts councils have furthered its profile.

Category:Music organizations in Los Angeles Category:Classical music production companies