Interview: Prodigy Sophia Lalin of LORD OF THE RINGS: LIVE CONCERT at the Peacock Theater @ LA LIVE!

 "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring."  cinematic visual feast was directed by Peter Jackson and written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson, the film is based on the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien's 1954 novel for Warner Brothers Pictures subsidiary, New Line Cinema. He shared it serves as a metaphor for Cold War nuclear disarment for the rings are the rings of the Red Buttons to eject nuclear bombs.  The originators of the Coachella Music Festival are presenting the 25th Anniverary screening with a live 55 piece orchestra with the Los Angeles Children's Chorus for the angelic but haunting voices. One singular voice stands out beonging to prodigy classical singer oft compared to Jackie Evancho, the vocal sensation, Sophia Lalin. 

As the first installment in the trilogy, it features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin (President of SAG-AFTRA) , Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, and Andy Serkis.

The original score composed by world famous Howard Shore which will be played life by the Pacific Symphony with lead teen vocalist, Sophia Lalin of the Los Angeles Children's Choir. Sophia sat down with Broadway World's Hollywood writer Gavin Glynn to take TEN QUESTIONS IN TEN MINUTES to expound on her trajectory music career thus far: 

What season  and month did you arrive on earth? 
I was born in April, in the spring season. 

Who was the first live performer you saw, at what age, and where?
The first live performer I saw was Melodee Fernandez, who was performing with the Zarzuela Project in the LA Opera. 

Who first recognized your singing talent, and at what age did you realize it yourself?
When I was 5 years old, my dad took me to one of his mission trips and he asked me to sing a traditional Mexican song in front of all the volunteers. From that my dad discovered that I had a singing talent. I realized myself that I had a talent for singing when I would perform at churches at the age of 5, and people would then come up to me saying that I would go big as a musician. 

Do you sing primarily by ear like Jackie Evancho, or do you read charts and vocal lines like Ariana Grande?
I do both but, primarily, I sing by ear naturally, like Jackie Evancho. 

How did you land the ideal solo in this prolific production celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring:  Live Concert! produced by the founders of the iconic Coachella Music Festival?
I landed this opportunity through Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) who was asked to be in this production. LACC held auditions for the lead solo, and I was offered the solo.

Is your vocal work available on platforms like Apple Music or Spotify?
Not yet!

What is your take on singing to tracks versus performing with a live 55-piece orchestra?
Performing live gives you more freedom and really helps you connect better with the music. 

What are your future plans regarding college or touring?
 In College, I would like to go into the medical field but also have a minor in music.  (Fun Fact: Johns Hopkins is rated #1 in Medicine and Music with their world-renowned conservatory The Peabody Institute) 

How do you feel about pop stars taking leading roles on Broadway? Should they be allowed to "riff" to make the part their own?

I think it really depends on who the pop star is because some vocal techniques and acting do not seemingly translate to live Broadway performances.

The Peacock Theater (formerly NOKIA)  is a fantastic venue!  Are there other venues you hope to perform in or return to, such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Greek Theater, or Vibrato?
One of my favorite places to perform is the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I always look forward to coming back to perform there. I am also looking forward to performing this summer twice at the Hollywood Bowl on the Wes Anderson show (Friday, July 10, 2026, 8PM), and Beethoven 9 with Gustavo Dudamel (Thursday, August 20, at 8PM). 

The Grammy® Award-winning Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) and LACC soloist Sophia Lalin join forces with Pacific Symphony, soprano Kaitlyn Lusk, and voices/LA, and for one of the Southland’s most highly anticipated summer events – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, In Concert, which makes its Los Angeles debut with four performances July 16-18, 2026, at The Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. 
The epic motion picture will be projected on a 60-foot screen accompanied by Howard Shore’s legendary Academy®- and Grammy® Award-winning score performed live on stage by 238 musicians. The considerable musical forces, led by guest conductor Ludwig Wicki, include some 78 Pacific Symphony musicians, 110 singers from voices/LA, and 50 members of LACC, and as well as Lusk and a soloist from LACC.

Howard Shore commented on the 25th Anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring, In Concert: “The Lord of the Rings has been translated into 40 languages and has attracted a global fan-base, but the fan community doesn’t often have the opportunity to come together in person and coalesce around a performance at this high level. There is something unique and powerful that happens – a synergy is created in bringing together the music – live on a large scale, with the film, in a magnificent house.”
The music of The Lord of the Rings is counted among film music’s most complex and comprehensive works offering a unique performance that allows the music to bear the narrative weight of the films creating a new and dramatic live concert experience. 

Shore’s score not only captures Fellowship’s sweeping emotion, thrilling vistas and grand journeys, but also echoes the very construction of Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Styles, instruments and performers from around the world provide each of Tolkien’s cultures with a unique musical imprint. In operatic fashion, these musical worlds commingle, sometimes combining forces for a culminated power, other times violently clashing…and always bending to the will of the One Ring and its own ominous family of themes.

This production of The Lord of the Rings, In Concert, is presented by Goldenvoice, and follows over 18 years of sold-out performances of The Lord of the Rings, In Concert, across the globe. Celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary, this performance comes 15 years since The Fellowship of the Ring, In Concert, was performed in Anaheim, California in 2011. Lordies are expected to line up early for tickets selling sooner rather than later. Don't forget your pointy ears!

Foto credit: LACC

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