L.A. Chamber Orchestra 2025 Gala Celebration Honors Paul Broucek, President of Warner Bros. Pictures Music, and Philanthropists Pat and Sandy Gage

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) rolls out the red carpet for its 2025 Gala Celebration honoring esteemed studio executive Paul Broucek, President of Warner Bros. Pictures Music, “an entertainment heavyweight” (Digital Music News) who has made a global impact on the film and television industry, on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Skirball Cultural Center’s Ahmanson Ballroom in Los Angeles. The orchestra also fetes long-time LACO advocates and philanthropists Pat and Sandy Gage, whose involvement with the orchestra spans more than two decades. Proceeds from the from the black-tie (preferred) gala fundraiser benefit LACO’s artistic and educational initiatives.

Broucek will be presented with LACO’s Hollywood Ally Award for championing the orchestra's musicians in their professional studio work throughout his career. The Gages will be honored with LACO’s Heartstrings Award, presented to philanthropic community leaders, for their extraordinary commitment to the orchestra.

“LACO is delighted to celebrate Paul Broucek for his significant contributions to the music industry,” says LACO Executive Director Ben Cadwallader. “His vast body of work includes producing soundtracks for some of the most iconic films of our generation, from The Dark Knight and Joker to Barbie and the Lord of the Rings epics. Paul’s connection to LACO, which was founded in 1968 as an artistic outlet for the film and television recording industry’s most gifted musicians, runs deep as well. Many of LACO’s past and current artists having been featured on countless recording projects under his creative direction. Additionally, Paul has long championed a myriad of composers both rising and established, among them several whose orchestral music LACO has presented in concert, including James Newton Howard and Jeff Beal.”

“I am thrilled to be receiving the Hollywood Ally Award from the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra,” says Broucek. “I have been fortunate to have a lifetime in music, both professionally and personally, and to collaborate with amazing musicians, composers, songwriters and music execs. I never want to quit my day job!”

Broucek has lived an extraordinary, renaissance life at the intersection of music and film. President of Music at Warner Bros. Pictures since 2009, he also runs the studio’s in-house record label, Water Tower Records. Previously, Broucek was president of music at New Line Cinema. In addition to the films noted above, he has overseen the creative and logistical musical projects on everything from Beetlejuice, The Color Purple, Wonka, Elvis, King Richard, Judas & the Black Messiah, Wonder Woman, and Tenet, to Godzilla, The Hobbit, The Great Gatsby, Gravity, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, and more. 

LACO Board Chair Anne-Marie Spataru states, “LACO is also pleased to honor Pat and Sandy Gage for their steadfast support and dedication to the orchestra. Over the decades, Pat and Sandy, among other significant endeavors, chaired five highly successful LACO galas from 2014-2018, helping to raise vital support for the orchestra. Sandy also served on LACO’s Board of Directors from 2004-2009 and is a distinguished member of the LACO Emeriti Board. Enthusiastic music lovers, they are beloved members of the LACO family who have made a tremendous impact on everyone involved in the organization through their generosity and engagement.”

The Gages remark, “We are delighted to be honorees for the LACO 2025 Gala Celebration. We have received tremendous gratification from our work with LACO over the years. The intimacy that is achieved with a smaller orchestra like LACO is nothing short of magical. The musicians truly connect with the audience on a human-to-human level as well as through their beautiful music. Their welcoming smiles and happy spirits are contagious. It is the secret sauce that keeps us coming back. When LACO advertises that its music is ‘Up Close and Personal,’ they definitely live up to that motto.”

In addition to their support of LACO, the Gages find time to support other charitable causes. For many years, they were involved with “Stop Cancer." Sandy also served as Jewish Federation (JF) campaign chair, and chairman of the JF legal division. Pat actively volunteers and serves on the board of Beit T’Shuva, a residential treatment center for those struggling with addiction. 

Event Highlights
Gala highlights include a concert with LACO artists led by Music Director Jaime Martín featuring the world premiere of Jeff Beal’s End of Empire and Haydn’s “Farewell Symphony.” The evening’s concert is underwritten by Annica and James Newton Howard and Ann Moore.

A three-course celebration dinner follows the concert with guests enjoying an amuse-bouche "quartet," a surf-and-turf entree "duet," and a dessert "trio." A selection of Acre and Lumen wines are sponsored by the Henry Family.

Serving as Honorary Chairs are music talent agents Michael Gorfaine and Sam Schwartz, who were honored by LACO in 2024.

Shaheen and Anil Nanji, who were also honored by LACO in 2024 for their philanthropic work, are the Gala Event Chairs. The Gala Committee Chairs are Anne Grausam and Molly Kirk. Gala Committee members include Clare Baren, Anna Butturini, Peggy Falcon, Adrienne Forst, Diane Henderson, Barbara Herman, Jim Mulally, Dan Ohgi, Amy Rabwin, and Mist Thorkelsdottir.

LACO recognizes the generous support of the Colburn Foundation. The Orchestra also receives public funding via grants from the National Endowment for the Arts; State of California; California Arts Council; the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; and City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. LACO gratefully acknowledges Hogan Lovells US LLP for their generous pro bono support. Steinway is the official piano of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.  

TICKETS
Tickets (beginning at $1,250/person) and tribute ads in the evening's program book may be purchased online at laco.org/gala or by calling (213) 622-7001, ext. 214. The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049.

ABOUT HONOREE PAUL BROUCEK
Paul Broucek has lived an extraordinary, renaissance life at the intersection of music and film. As President of Music at Warner Bros. Pictures since 2009, he has overseen the creative and logistical musical projects on everything from The Dark Knight Rises to Argo to Barbie—working with some of the most significant composers, songwriters, and producers of the past few decades. He also oversees the studio’s in-house soundtrack label, Water Tower Music.

Previously, Broucek was president of music at New Line Cinema, where he managed projects including the Lord of the Rings films, working closely with artists such as Howard Shore and Annie Lennox. He has been active in music supervision since the late 1980s—his credits include the classic Baywatch—and as a recording engineer, he has worked with Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Buffett, the Eagles, and many other legends of popular music.

Born and raised in Chicago, Broucek earned his degree from Columbia College Chicago and studied at Columbia Center for New Music under mentor jazz composer William Russo; in 2018, he received an honorary Ph.D. from Columbia. His fascination with recording and tape operation led him to San Francisco, where his first job was assisting the famed sound editor Walter Murch on Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. Broucek learned a valuable lesson from Murch which is: “all sound is tonal, and all sound is music.”  

ABOUT HONOREES PAT AND SANDY GAGE

Pat and Sandy Gage, both California natives, have been involved with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for more than two decades, long enough to consider themselves part of the LACO family. Once Sandy introduced Pat to LACO, it quickly became their orchestra of choice. Pat and Sandy successfully chaired five LACO Galas (2014-2018), and Sandy served on LACO’s Board of Directors from 2004 to 2009. Today, Sandy is a distinguished member of the LACO Emeriti Board. The couple, whose relationship has been enriched with a mutual love for travel, hiking, music, theater, and community service, also find time to support other charitable causes. For many years they were highly involved with “Stop Cancer." Sandy served as Jewish Federation (JF) campaign chair, and chairman of the JF legal division.  Pat actively volunteers and serves on the board of Beit T’Shuva, a residential treatment center for those struggling with addiction. As a couple, they live by the creed that "Charity Never Fails.” 

Pat was born in Buena Park, California and raised her family in Canyon Lake, where she was a successful realtor. She always loved theater and, in 1992, that passion drove her to create the Canyon Lake Community Theater, which today continues to thrive. While in Canyon Lake, Pat also hosted a local TV talk show. In 1995, she was selected as Canyon Lake Woman of the Year. After marrying Sandy, Pat went back to college and earned a master’s degree in Theater Arts. This led to her teaching acting classes and directing plays at Santa Monica College for 11 years. Pat appreciates the opportunities that community college offers, and because of that belief, she served on the Santa Monica College Foundation Board.

Sandy is a lifelong Angeleno. At age 16, he enrolled in UCLA, where he subsequently he earned bachelor’s and law degrees. He began his legal career as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Los Angeles and was soon elevated to the civil division, where he defended the City against personal injury and property damage cases. It was there that Sandy found his niche and became a legal trailblazer, initiating and founding the concept of suing insurance companies for punitive damages for Bad Faith litigation. He was co-author of the Lexis-Nexis legal book, “Insurance Bad Faith Litigation,” the first such publication of its kind. Sandy is a former President of the Consumer Attorneys of California and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, which named him Trial Lawyer of the Year in 1974. In 1979, he was elected president of the California Trial Lawyers Association.

ABOUT LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra ranks among the world’s top musical ensembles. Beloved by audiences and praised by critics, the Orchestra is a preeminent interpreter of historical masterworks and, with eight ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming, a champion of contemporary composers. Headquartered in the heart of the country's cultural capital, LACO has been proclaimed “America’s finest chamber orchestra” (Public Radio International), “LA’s most unintimidating chamber music experience” (Los Angeles magazine), “resplendent” (Los Angeles Times), and “one of the world's great chamber orchestras" (KUSC Classical FM). Performing throughout greater Los Angeles, the Orchestra has made 32 recordings, including, most recently, a 2019 BIS Records release of works for violin and chamber orchestra that features Concertmaster Margaret Batjer and the world premiere recording of Pierre Jalbert’s Violin Concerto (a LACO co-commission). LACO has toured Europe, South America and Japan, and performed across North America. www.laco.org.