Founded in 1964, the organization has consistently reimagined its role in the cultural landscape of Southern California, adapting to the shifting needs of our city and seeking to create an increasingly impactful multidisciplinary performing arts center. Through decades of responsible and ethical placemaking, the County of Los Angeles has entrusted us with managing Los Angeles’s premier performance venues and active civic spaces, including The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, The Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Jerry Moss Plaza, and Gloria Molina Grand Park. We provide exceptional service to our resident companies, including Center Theater Group, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, and Master Chorale; and we welcome over two million visitors annually to our campus.   

In support of our mission, The Music Center understands that its responsibilities cannot lie solely within the framework of a traditional performing arts center. We began to reimagine our role as a cultural anchor with the arrival of President and CEO, Rachel S. Moore, in 2015. The Music Center embraced engagement as its core curatorial value with an emphasis on programming that is accessible, inclusive, and relevant to and reflective of Los Angeles’ diverse communities.  This shift in priority resulted in TMC Arts, a unified programming engine guided by the vision of art created by, with, and for the community. Programs include:
• The Music Center’s Performing Artists in Schools and Neighborhoods.: series of neighborhood concerts and residencies by Music Center performing artists
• Digital Innovation Initiative: an initiative to increase digital technology-based arts experiences that bring people together and build a sense of community
• Partner Network Initiative: a network with arts community partners for mutual benefit
• Dance & Dancing: Expanded participatory dance experiences at The Music Center