MUSE/IQUE Welcome To The Dream Factory In April; Huntington In May

Los Angeles native, GRAMMY winner and internationally renowned violinist Anne Akiko Meyers and Sy Smith, known as “the hardest working woman in underground soul,” join Rachael and the orchestra for this program. 

Los Angeles based Smith helped cultivate the nu-soul scene a decade ago and is thought of as one of the most progressive artists of that genre to date.

Since her teens, Meyers has performed around the world as soloist with leading orchestras, in recital and has recorded more than 40 releases, which have become staples of classical music radio and streaming platforms.  Fandango, a live performance with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic, received two Latin GRAMMY Awards.

Concerts take place Wednesday, April 30 at 7:30pm outdoors at the Huntington Library in San Marino and Saturday May 3 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, May 4 at 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm indoors at The Wallis in Beverly Hills.

Audiences will relive the golden days of Hollywood, where audacious dreams were built on soundstages by composers, actors, and directors, and lit up across the world on silver screens. 

The program includes music from many of the most important film composers of film history including Max Steiner (“Gone With the Wind”), Erich Wolfgang Korngold (“Captain Blood”), Dimitri Tiomkin (“Rawhide”), Franz Waxman (“Sunset Boulevard”), and John Williams (“E.T.”).

Anne Akiko Meyers will be featured on Richard Whiting and Johnny Mercer's “Hooray for Hollywood,” José Padilla's “City Lights” Theme and Charlie Chaplin's “Smile,” Miklós Rózsa's “Spellbound,” David Raskin and Johnny Mercer's “Laura,” and Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg's “Over the Rainbow.”

MUSE/IQUE presents a story of resilience and imagination that transformed Hollywood into a beacon of opportunity. When immigrant artists (including many talented Jewish composers) fleeing oppressive rule across Europe landed in Los Angeles, they brought with them new influences and perspectives that changed studios like MGM, 20th Century Fox, and Universal Studios forever. Through the lens of these pioneering filmmakers, Artistic & Music Director Rachael Worby and our artists explore how even in the darkest of times, fantasy and creativity can rebuild hope.

Reservations for these April and May performances of WELCOME TO THE DREAM FACTORY are now open for members. For those new to MUSE/IQUE, please visit muse-ique.com to learn about attending MUSE/IQUE events and to explore membership plans.

More about the 2025 MUSE/IQUE Season

MUSE/IQUE is in the midst of a two-year exploration of key musical moments in America—the first initiative of its kind in MUSE/IQUE history. In 2025, they expand on the themes that were introduced in 2024. MUSE/IQUE Artistic and Music Director Rachael Worby said about Make Some Noise which she curated, “When artists and thinkers make loud choices and take bold stances, they teach us that nothing is impossible.”  This two-year season is presented by LeeAnn and Ron Havner / JCS Family Foundation.

The season continues this summer with THE UNAMERICANS (June 10-11, 15) reprising a 2023 favorite concert about the Hollywood Blacklist; LIKE IT LIKE HARLEM (August 8-10) with salsa, boogaloo, and the making of a new musical playground in New York City. The season concludes in fall with MADE IN MEMPHIS (September 12-14) about Stax, Soul and the Black artists who started a sound revolution, and HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF Etta James? - the guts and triumph of an American icon (October 14-15, 19).