los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with one the world's most acclaimed .onductors, esa-pekka salonen he is also the conductor laureate of the los angeles philharmonic. an ongoing part of the 10th anniversary celebration of disney hall. are glad you have joined us. a conversation with esa-pekka salonen, coming up right now. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: conductor and composer esa-pekka salonen was the artistic leader of the l.a. philharmonic before turning over his duties. he has now returned to the l.a. field for a series of concerts, including the premier of frank zappa's 200 motels. yes, you heard that right. plus his own violin concerto. let's take a look at esa-pekka salonen as they play his violin concerto. ♪ tavis: you really consider yourself a composer more than a conductor, yes? it started out like that. conducting is something that happens. fluke. i wasns by studying composition, and we had a group of composers back in the 1970s, and the real conductors, we felt that we had to have one conductor in the group to do all that, so i was kind of voted to be that one. i realized it was actu

los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with one the world's most acclaimed .onductors, esa-pekka salonen he is also the conductor laureate of the los angeles philharmonic. an ongoing part of the 10th anniversary celebration of disney hall. are glad you have joined us. a conversation with esa-pekka salonen, coming up right now. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: conductor and composer esa-pekka salonen was the artistic leader of the l.a. philharmonic before turning over his duties. he has now returned to the l.a. field for a series of concerts, including the premier of frank zappa's 200 motels. yes, you heard that right. plus his own violin concerto. let's take a look at esa-pekka salonen as they play his violin concerto. ♪ tavis: you really consider yourself a composer more than a conductor, yes? it started out like that. conducting is something that happens. fluke. i wasns by studying composition, and we had a group of composers back in the 1970s, and the real conductors, we felt that we had to have one conductor in the group to do all that, so i was kind of voted to be that one. i realized it was actu

los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with one the world's most acclaimed .onductors, esa-pekka salonen he is also the conductor laureate of the los angeles philharmonicongoing part of the 10th anniversary celebration of disney hall. are glad you have joined us. a conversation with esa-pekka salonen, coming up right now. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: conductor and composer esa-pekka salonen was the artistic leader of the l.a. philharmonic before turning over his duties. he has now returned to the l.a. field for a series of concerts, including the premier of frank zappa's 200 motels. yes, you heard that right. plus his own violin concerto. let's take a look at esa-pekka salonen as they play his violin concerto. ♪ tavis: you really consider yourself a composer more than a conductor, yes? it started out like that. conducting is something that happens. fluke. i wasns by studying composition, and we had a group of composers back in the 1970s, and the real conductors, we felt that we had to have one conductor in the group to do all that, so i was kind of voted to be that one. i realized it was actually