The wait is over for one of Frank Gehry’s most highly-anticipated projects in the past few years.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Saturday for the newly-opened Youth Orchestra Los Angeles Center in Los Angeles. Gehry was joined by LA Philharmonic director Gustavo Dudamel at the Inglewood ceremony, which included performances by both of the 102-year-old institution’s orchestral ensembles.

Speaking about the new Center, the 92-year-old architect stated simply: “To the kids of Inglewood, I say, 'LET IT RIP!' This is your building, and I hope you use every inch of it to experiment and to further your creative explorations. It was a joy for me to make, and I hope that it is a joy for you to use.” 

Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts was also on hand, saying the community has “looked forward to this day for so long,” and expressing the relief that the schoolchildren and their parents felt after not being able to attend classes in person during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The building serves as the first permanent home for the youth orchestra component and carries forward a mission of free world-class music education for the community. The new Center has the same acoustic dimensions and calibration by acclaimed acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota as Gehry's landmark Walt Disney Concert Hall twelve miles away.

The ceremony seemed especially poignant for Dudamel, who said: “Being here with our community and seeing how music can transform a physical space into a home, is why I am a passionate supporter of YOLA and helping to develop the next generation of musicians.”

Find more images of the newly opened Center in the gallery below.