LOS ANGELES, CA.- Acclaimed composer, bandleader, and saxophonist Kamasi Washington will bring unprecedented performances to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s (LACMA) new David Geffen Galleries on June 26, 27, and 28. With an ensemble of more than 100 musicians, Washington will perform his celebrated work Harmony of Difference in the museum's striking new building designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Peter Zumthor. The massive ensemble, many of whom are Los Angeles musicians Washington has played with across his storied career, will be dispersed over approximately 110,000 square feet of gallery space, making the building itself an acoustic instrument and integral part of the piece. Washington will lead the musicians in a series of performances that will never be repeated as the first public program in the new space.

Harmony of Difference is a six-movement suite composed by Washington that explores the beauty of contrast and unity through the musical concept of counterpoint: diverging melodies that ultimately unite into a harmonious whole. The June performances at LACMA will mark the first time this musical score is performed in its entirety.

LACMA also announced that East West Bank has partnered with the museum to support the opening series of events for the David Geffen Galleries, beginning with Kamasi Washington Live.

“This sonic preview will be an unforgettable experience,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director. “An Angeleno born and raised, Kamasi will breathe life into the David Geffen Galleries with music, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore the building through waves of sound. This performance marks the beginning of our countdown to the grand opening of the new building in 2026. We are incredibly grateful to Dominic Ng and East West Bank for their ongoing support of this special preview and the opening celebrations.”

Washington said, “I wrote Harmony of Difference in 2017 to celebrate the beauty of humanity’s diversity through a metaphor of music. In music it is the combination of different notes, chords, and rhythms that create beautiful songs. The same is true in life; most of humanity’s greatest achievements came from the combined efforts of people of different backgrounds with different knowledge and abilities. As we come together to learn and work with each other humanity advances and grows. This June at LACMA will be the first time I will be performing the entire Harmony of Difference suite in front of a live audience, and to do it in L.A., a true haven of diversity and my hometown, is really special. The Geffen Galleries has a truly unique acoustic environment that is perfect for Harmony of Difference. This performance will have more than 100 musicians spread throughout the space in ensembles of varying types playing the entire suite simultaneously. As people walk through the galleries they will directly hear the musicians they are closest to while hearing the ‘spirit’ of the other groups. This will be a truly once in a lifetime sonic experience that I’m so excited for people to witness.”

Tickets for Kamasi Washington Live at LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries go on sale on three dates, with the first on May 2, 2025, at 10 am PT. A limited number of tickets will be available on each release date.

• May 2 at 10 am PT ($60 for general public, $48 for LACMA members).
• May 22 at 10 am PT ($75 for general public, $60 for LACMA members)
• June 12 at 10 am PT ($100 for general public, $80 for LACMA members)

Tickets are available at lacma.org/kamasiwashington.

Named in recognition of David Geffen’s extraordinary $150 million gift, the new building received an additional $125 million investment from the County of Los Angeles. Spanning Wilshire Boulevard, the David Geffen Galleries feature floating staircases and elevators providing access to the exhibition-level galleries from both the north and south sides of the boulevard. Major construction was completed at the end of 2024, and LACMA has begun to move in key operating functions. As this process continues, the building and its surroundings will come alive with the installation of outdoor sculptures and the openings of dining and retail spaces.
The Kamasi Washington Live performances are the only opportunity for the general public to view the building before it is closed for art installation in preparation for the grand opening in April 2026.

Following the performances, LACMA members at all levels are invited to preview the new Geffen Galleries as a singular work of art. These special sneak peeks include:

• Sunday, June 29: Afternoon reception and preview for Partner-level members

• Monday, June 30: A sunset reception and preview for Friend, Supporter, and Partner-level members

• Tuesday, July 1: A sunset reception and preview for Individual and Dual-level members

• Thursday, July 3–Saturday, July 5: Member Previews for members at all levels

• Sunday, July 6: NexGenLA preview—L.A. County youth 17 and under can preview the building with an adult guest and participate in hands-on art making workshops.

Kamasi Washington is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader born and raised in Los Angeles. His four major bodies of work to date—The Epic; Harmony of Difference; Heaven and Earth; and Fearless Movement—are among the most acclaimed of this century. His short film As Told To G/D Thyself, a companion piece to Heaven and Earth, debuted at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival to widespread acclaim. In 2020, Washington scored the Michelle Obama documentary Becoming, earning Emmy and Grammy nominations for his work. Also in 2020, he co-founded the supergroup Dinner Party with longtime friends and collaborators Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, and 9th Wonder. Their EP Dinner Party (Dessert) was nominated for a Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album. In 2021, Washington contributed a cover of Metallica’s “My Friend of Misery” to the band’s Metallica Blacklist covers project. In 2025, Washington composed original music and the theme song for critically acclaimed animator and director Shinichiro Watanabe’s animated television series Lazarus. Washington has toured the world over and collaborated and shared stages with Kendrick Lamar, Florence & the Machine, Herbie Hancock—with whom he has curated the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Fest in 2023 and 2024—and many more.