Beck Embarks on Orchestral Tour, Calls Classical Music a ‘Spiritual’ Sound

Beck performs onstage during A GRAMMY Salute to The Beach Boys in Hollywood, Calif., on Feb. 8, 2023. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Singer-songwriter Beck is momentarily trading in his signature blend of musical genres, including alternative rock, electronica, folk, and hip-hop, to perform some of his greatest hits with a classical twist.

Earlier this month, the 53-year-old musician kicked off a short orchestral tour, which includes performances in select cities across the United States, with each stop featuring an orchestra native to that area.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Beck reflected on the inspiration behind the tour, sharing that he used to regularly attend performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and was moved by the “spiritual” sounds of classical music.

“It was a kind of personal pilgrimage or a meditative rite,” he explained of his weekly trips to see the orchestra play. “It felt like something that would add this kind of rich layer to my life and felt very personal. There is something about that sound that is spiritual.”

“I can’t quite put my finger on it,” he said. “But I would walk out of there feeling a bit different, like somebody washed my brain.”

Orchestral Tour

Beck’s limited run of shows kicked off on July 3 at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, Washington, about 20 miles northeast of Seattle. The performance showcased sounds by the Symphony Orchestra.

The musician’s other tour dates include a show at the Hollywood Bowl on July 6 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and a stop at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, on July 10, featuring The Berkeley Symphony.

On the East Coast, Beck is scheduled to perform with The Boston Pops Orchestra in Lenox, Massachusetts, on July 23 and The Philadelphia Orchestra at The Mann Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 25. Two days later, the singer will play with the National Symphony Orchestra at the famed Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, before taking the stage of the historic Carnegia Hall in New York City to perform with the Orchestra of St. Lukes for a two-night run on July 29 and July 30.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Beck called the orchestral performances a “magical human experiment,” noting that he was impressed by the collaborative shows because of the minimal time all of the musicians have had to rehearse.

“We get like a two-hour run through on the day of, but it’s the first time we’re playing together. It’s the first time they’re playing the songs. But the music is all written out and they play it perfectly,” he explained.

“It’s a bit miraculous because you’re used to rehearsing for many weeks or months and then you go out on a tour and then it works,” he continued. “But this is sort of an instantaneous kind of magical human experiment, where you just bring dozens and dozens of people together, and then it somehow works. It’s still a bit of a novelty to me.”

‘Long-Time Pipe Dream’

The eight-time Grammy Award-winning artist released his debut studio album, “Golden Feelings,” in 1993, unveiling several albums the following year, including “Stereopathetic Soulmanure,” “One Foot in the Grave,” and “Mellow Gold,” which featured his breakthrough single “Loser.”

Subsequent albums included “Odelay” (1996), “Mutations” (1998), “Midnite Vultures” (1999), “Guero” (2005), “Morning Phase” (2014), “Colors” (2017), and “Hyperspace” (2019).

Beck was introduced to music at an early age: His mother, Bibbe Hansen, is a performance artist and actress, best known for appearing in various Andy Warhol films, while his father, David Campbell, is a renowned composer and conductor.

Mr. Campbell, who has guest-conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, among many others, helped the musician plan out the arrangements for his limited-run tour.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News published on July 1, Beck elaborated on his decision to collaborate with local orchestras during his tour, explaining that he was first asked to perform with the London-based Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at The Residency Festival in Orlando, Florida, last fall.

“I really enjoyed that show. It was pretty dreamy,” he said. “We just put that together quickly and it was such a great experience. And I think the promoters [liked] it so much that they proposed we do more of these shows this year,” he said, adding that he hoped his 2024 Orchestral Tour wouldn’t be “a one-off thing.”

“It’s something I’d like to do more often,” he continued. “I think it allows a whole other body of work that’s kind of dormant in my live shows to really come to life and get its proper due.”

Earlier this summer, Beck took to Instagram to share that he was “digging deep into several decades of orchestral work” sprinkled throughout his many albums to draw inspiration for his forthcoming performances.

“We’re putting together something special for these upcoming summer orchestral shows,” he wrote on June 7. “Getting to bring these arrangements and songs to life for the first time with live Orchestra has been a long time pipe dream that’s finally coming to light.”