When stuck on a long flight, my imagination tends to get out of hand. I thought it would be fun to speculate what kind of car some of our favorite composers would have driven.
David Yang, Artistic Director
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827, Germany) 1972 Plymouth Satellite Custom Completely badass, powerful, rebel
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791, Austria) 1960 Fiat 500 Fun, playful, quick, iconic
Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809, Austria) 1960 VW camper van (with surfboard) For those who love life
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975, Soviet Union) 1970 Trabant 601 Best vehicle to avoid attention from the authorities
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750, Germany) 1990 Chrysler Town and Country Twenty children on a provincial Kappelmeister’s salary? A simple minivan, no frills.
Philip Glass (b. 1937, United States) 1969 Checker Cab He actually drove a Checker cab in NYC in the 70s
Antonio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741, Italy) 2023 Alfa Giulia Raw and fast, an Italian attention-grabber
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897, Germany) 1953 Mercedes 300 Cabriolet D Powerful, complex, unmistakably romantic
Leonard Bernstein (1918 – 1990, United States) 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante Lenny’s actual car. Is anyone surprised?
Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957, Finland) 1961 Saab 96 Quirky and utterly unique, makes you feel small in the presence of immense natural forces
Aaron Copland (1900 – 1990, United States) 1940 Ford Deluxe Rockville As American as apple pie
Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937, France) 1960 Citroën DS Mais bien sûr!
Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924, Italy) Mr. Softee Truck Sweet and delicious, everyone loves Mr. Softee
Arnold Schoenberg (1875 - 1951, Austria) 1937 LaSalle Herr Doktor Schoenberg’s actual car when he lived in L.A. (although he never actually learned to drive)
John Cage (1912 – 1992, United States) 1974 electric Citicar Undeterred by mockery and ahead of his time
Edward Elgar (1857 – 1934, England) 2023 Range Rover Stuffy but strong and oh so British
Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945, Hungary) Donkey Stubborn and doesn’t give a $&%* whether you like him or not
