California Philharmonic

Ernest Hahn, better known as “Ernie,” has watched the California Philharmonic grow, just as a parent watches a child develop. He’s been a volunteer since the first Cal Phil Festival on the Green concert, and has received the Most Valuable Player Award from the Association of California Symphony Orchestras.

“I’m one of the oldest Cal Phil volunteers—in years of service, not age!” Hahn says with a laugh. “I had gone to The Arboretum with my children and thought it was such a beautiful place and to have music there would be great,” he says.

With his electrical engineering background, he was asked to pull cables for stage lighting at that first concert. “I was crawling under the stage with all those spiders. And then they said, ‘We need help on those towers with the speakers’ and that’s how I got my nickname, Monkey Man, for climbing on the towers.”

“I always like to help the community, to give something back,” he explains. “With Cal Phil, you come for the music and you stay for the people. It’s not only nice music, it’s very nice people.”

Office Volunteers

Cal Phil uses volunteers at our office in San Marino Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm. We are looking for adults with an excellent phone manner and good clerical skills. Tasks include but not limited to the following:

Collating and assembling mailings
Answering phones
Taking orders
Music library
Filing
Data entry

Cal Phil Festival on the Green Volunteer Opportunities

Cal Phil uses nearly 400 youth and adult volunteers during the Cal Phil Festival on the Green at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Volunteers must attend a mandatory orientation before volunteering for these concerts. Volunteers arrive at 4pm on the day of the concert in order to receive their job assignments. Please wear a white shirt with black pants or a skirt. Cal Phil Festival on the Green concerts are outdoors and occur rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Dinner will be provided, and volunteers are dismissed at approximately 11pm.

Volunteer positions for Cal Phil Festival on the Green include:

Usher
Ticket taker
Food service
50/50 raffle
Ticket sales/ will call
Backstage runner
Information booth
Stage Crew
Environtmental Team

Sunday Clean-up—get double hours for clean-up on Sunday morning!

For additional information on volunteering with the California Philharmonic, please call the Director of Volunteers at (626) 300-8200 or email volunteer@calphil.org.