Orchestra to Move Into Alex Theater

Crowded out by other premier musical entertainment, officials of the 70-year-old Glendale Symphony Orchestra announced Thursday that the 90-piece traditional ensemble will abandon its spot at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles and set up headquarters at the newly renovated Alex Theatre in Glendale.

The switch will mark the first resident occupant of the Alex, to open New Year’s Eve as the city’s performing arts center after a $6.5-million, city-funded face lift.

Officials said they are relying on community and business support to maintain the orchestra, which will move from the Pavilion’s seating for 3,200 to the 1,452-seat Alex on North Brand Boulevard.

Maestro Lalo Schifrin called the smaller stage and seating capacity at the Alex “a challenge and an opportunity.”

Founded in 1923, the symphony is one of the oldest continuously performing orchestras in the United States. It had performed mainly in auditoriums of local high schools, the community college and at parks until it moved to the county Music Center 29 years ago.

The move to the Alex will give the company top priority in setting performances on Friday and Saturday nights, theater officials said. Performances are set to begin next October.