Beginning his 36th season, Mischa Lefkowitz is one of the most seasoned members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and with a current total of forty-two CDs cut, he’s also one of the most recorded.  Starting the violin at age seven in his hometown of Riga in Latvia, Mischa has studied with the world’s foremost violinists and has won numerous prizes and competitions.  I have had the delightful opportunity to get to know Mischa and am always uplifted by his spirit.  We sat next to each other on a flight between Los Angeles and Caracas last season and I witnessed Mischa’s genuine qualities first hand; a flight attendant accidentally spilled hot coffee on his pants, to which Mischa smiled broadly and told her without one iota of unkindness: “Thank you for choosing me!”  Priceless.

 

Mischa called me up recently to ask for new photos of himself for a refreshed website and branding.  We decided to meet at Disney Hall and mosey around the exterior during magic hour and then maybe do some interior shots afterward.  Irina, Mischa’s wife, accompanied us for the two hours we had together.  After meeting, we walked across to the Department of Water and Power so that we could fit Disney Hall and some of the Dorothy Chandler as a background.  The DWP building is somewhat of an island as it is surrounded by a pool with fountains.  Here you see Mischa by one of these fountains, some of the encircling pool, and Disney in the background:

 

 

We went for several different looks so that he would have many winners from which to choose for different occasions.  Here’s one that includes more of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion:

 

 

Surrounding the DWP’s ground floor is a tall colonnade which lends strong perspective and focuses the eye on Mischa quite easily:

 

 

Then we crossed back to Disney Hall and had some fun with the wonderful exterior stainless steel lines:

 

 

Walking into the backstage area of the hall, I had to stop and take a quick shot of Mischa with a harp case stenciled with some specific warnings:

 

 

Mischa and Irina were a joy to work with; we had a great time during our session and we’ve got the photos to prove it!