Seth McFarlane commissions new fanfares by Williams, Göransson, McNeely, Newman, Newton Howard, and Powel for LACO

Academy Award-nominated artist Seth MacFarlane, bringing together the most celebrated film composers of our time. New fanfares by John Williams, Ludwig Göransson, Joel McNeely, Thomas Newman, James Newton Howard and John Powell will premiere throughout LACO’s 2027-28 season.

 

The fanfares will be featured as opening works for select concerts throughout the season and will also be performed at LACO concerts at The Wallis. The first premiere will be a fanfare by John Williams in fall 2027 at Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall.

 

The commissioning project was curated by MacFarlane who personally selected the participating composers, guided by genuine admiration for each one’s body of work.

 

Having collaborated with many of the industry’s most celebrated composers and musicians, MacFarlane is a dedicated supporter of musical preservation and greater recognition of film music as a vital artistic discipline. The initiative reflects his belief that the work of today’s film composers deserves a lasting place in the concert hall through the creation of new repertoire.

 

MacFarlane’s initiative is a natural fit for LACO, whose history is deeply intertwined with the music of Hollywood. Founded in 1968 by L.A.’s leading studio musicians, LACO has continued that legacy for more than five decades, with its musicians performing on virtually all major Hollywood film scores.

 

“The influence and contributions of film composers are impossible to overstate,” said MacFarlane. “Every one of us can probably recall or identify a theme from a film that became an indelible part of the soundtrack to our lives. To collaborate with LACO and composers of the caliber of John Williams, Joel McNeely, Thomas Newman, James Newton Howard, Ludwig Göransson, and John Powell, all of whom I genuinely admire, is a true gift.”

 

“As an ensemble and organization born from Hollywood studio musicians, this commissioning project is especially meaningful,” said Ben Cadwallader, Executive Director, LACO. “We are deeply grateful to Seth MacFarlane, with whom we share equal reverence and fandom for these film composers and film music. To collaborate with Seth and this extraordinary roster of composers is a dream come true for this orchestra. This project is part of an exciting new chapter for LACO, as the works will be premiered during our inaugural 2027-28 season in our new home in downtown Los Angeles, Colburn’s Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall.”

 

Each of the new fanfares will premiere during LACO’s 2027-28 season, coinciding with LACO’s inaugural performances in Colburn’s Frank Gehry-designed Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall, opening fall 2027.

 

LACO will announce its 2027-28 season in spring 2027.