The New Los Angeles Vandoren Studio: What You Need to Know

In January of 2016, Vandoren introduced a newly designed Musician’s Advisory Studio in Los Angeles. After such success with the studio in New York City, Vandoren is happy to offer the same product resources and expertise to those on the West Coast. Centrally located in Los Angeles, it’s the perfect spot to hang out and try products for those residing in the LA area or anyone stopping through on tour. There’s no one better to tell you about the new studio space than Sylvain Carton; the LA Studio Manager and Vandoren Product Specialist.

VandorenUSA: What has the response been like after the opening of the Los Angeles Studio?

Sylvain Carton: Great! Everyone seems to really like the space and the location seems to be as ideal as you can get in LA. We’re even close to the subway! I’ve also received a few calls from local players who were very excited to finally have a place to try out all of our products.

Who has stopped by so far?

SC: Sean Krissman (Houston Grand Opera Orchestra), Andrew Lowy (LA Phil), Kim Richmond, Jeff Driskill, Don Markese, and Tony White (LA area artists) are some of the first folks that have been through the studio to hang, try out gear and pick up Vandoren accessories.

What can woodwind players expect from the new studio in LA?

SC: Woodwind players can expect to find everything Vandoren makes, practice rooms to tryout gear, guidance from a product specialist, good vibes, espresso (or tea), a place to come take a break between sessions, and most importantly, the perfect setup!

Is the studio exclusive just to Vandoren Artists?

SC: The studio is definitely a home for Vandoren Artists but it is also open to all players, educators, and students who are interested in trying out Vandoren products.

Should visitors make appointments? What is available to them at the studio?

SC: Visitors should call ahead to make an appointment. They’ll have a practice room to try out any gear they would like and can get assistance choosing the right setup with a Vandoren product specialist.

Being a part of Los Angeles music scene yourself, what can you say about the surrounding woodwind community?

SC: The LA woodwind community is one of the most diverse and talented ones I’ve seen. There are fantastic readers, doublers who play extremely well on all of the woodwinds, amazing improvisers, inspiring educators, great writers writing for their own projects or various film/tv engagements, and people who manage to do it all. As in most towns, most players know each other, or at least of each other, but because of the wide variety of musical opportunities LA has to offer, each year there are a lot of really talented new folks coming onto the scene.

What are your expectations for the studio?

SC: I hope that the studio becomes a regular hang for musicians around LA!

What’s the coffee situation at the studio?

SC: We do have an in-house Nespresso machine and if that doesn’t get you going, there is a good cup of coffee at the restaurant directly across the street!

You can contact Sylvain Carton at scarton@vandorenusa.com or 323-219-8599 to make an appointment.

The Los Angeles Vandoren Studio is located at 1301 N. Catalina Ave., Suite 1, Los Angeles, CA 90027