The newly formed Los Angeles Philharmonic, circa 1919.(Los Angeles Philharmonic) Nearly a century ago, founder W.A. Clark Jr. (standing with the first iteration of his orchestra above, center left) announced that the Los Angeles Philharmonic “shall grow to be the best in the United States.” The L.A. Philharmonic’s trajectory is far from straight and simple, but each step played a part in where the orchestra stands today. Scroll through our multimedia timeline to read about financial struggles and sudden resignations, as well as trailblazing collaborations, and find video and audio from key performances.