ANAHEIM, Calif. — When Betty Who steps onto the stage at The Ford on Saturday, Aug. 30, she’ll be standing before one of the world’s most acclaimed orchestras in one of Los Angeles’ most well-known venues.

For the Australian-born pop singer-songwriter, who trained as a classical cellist before finding her voice in glittering synth-pop anthems, the collaboration with the LA Philharmonic feels like a career milestone that ties her past to her present.

“Something I was not aware of is that The Ford only has one LA Phil program every summer,” Who said over the phone. “So when they told me that that one performance of the year would be LA Phil performing with me, I was like, that’s a crazy fact. It definitely ups the ante a little bit. The Ford is such a beautiful theater, and to perform there with one of the best orchestras on the planet, it kind of blows my mind.”

Who grew up immersed in orchestras, attending a performing arts high school where she studied cello. She went on to Berklee College of Music in Boston before shifting into pop, chasing the immediacy and universal connection of three-minute songs. But as she prepares to reimagine her catalog with sweeping arrangements and a full orchestra behind her, she feels the collision of her two greatest loves.

“I was an orchestra kid growing up,” she said. “My greatest love is pop music and the way we connect through it. But this feels like the perfect combination of all my greatest loves coming together in this moment, singing songs I’ve written, that come from my heart, with new arrangements and an orchestra playing them.”

Earlier this year, Who had her first taste of orchestral performance in Miami with the Nu Deco Ensemble. The experience left her wanting more. “That gave me the bug, hearing my songs in a new way,” she said. Her agents soon began working to secure a collaboration with the LA Phil, which eventually manifested for this rare, one-night-only program.

For Who, it’s not just a professional triumph but also a deeply personal “once in a lifetime” performance. “When I look back at my career, I’ll think about this night a lot,” she said. “I keep telling my family and friends, it’s not like you’re going to catch me in San Diego doing the same thing. This is the one true experience.”

The orchestral setting also allows Who to indulge her passion for the sounds of yore and live instrumentation. “I’m kind of a vintage girl,” she admitted. “The second I hear a real string section, it takes my breath away. In my head, this is what it always would have been. Now I finally get to hear it in the real world.”

Her classical training still informs the way she listens and creates. “That foundation in music theory taught me how to listen,” she said. “I can pick out instruments, visualize the band playing. It changes the way I experience music.” Though she shifted into pop, she has found herself circling back to orchestral music in adulthood.

“The nights I take myself to see the LA Phil are my favorite dates with myself,” she expressed with a laugh. “I dream of being a patron of an orchestra when I’m 85, keeping classical music alive.”

Off the stage, Who remains a proud advocate and member of the LGBTQ+ community. She recently wrapped her Out of the Darkness Tour, which included a standout appearance at World Pride in Washington, D.C. In a year of heightened tension toward the LGBTQ+ community, the singer said the tour underscored the power of joy.

“Given the state of the world right now, I could feel everybody struggling — especially queer people,” Who said. “But then you’d see those same people dancing and singing, making friends, experiencing joy. That’s the thing that makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing with my life.”

World Pride in D.C. carried extra weight for her, given her long relationship with the city. “D.C. has always been one of my biggest markets — it’s where I was playing shows even back when I was a student at Berklee,” she said. “To be there in 2025, when queer people are more in danger than ever, celebrating community and taking care of each other, that was a highlight of the year.”

Who has also grown more intentional about her role as an artist and advocate. “When I started out, I didn’t even realize I was creating community,” she said. “Now I understand the responsibility and the pride that comes with that. When oppression and fear exist, joy can be a radical act. Singing and dancing together — that’s the best part of human existence.”

After the Ford performance, Who will step into another new chapter: her Broadway-inspired debut at Carnegie Hall. She is set to play Robert Martin in a one-night-only benefit concert of The Drowsy Chaperone in October. The role, traditionally written for men, excites her for its potential to shift gender narratives. “I’ve been saying I want to play roles typically written for men,” she said. “It’s about representation, people need to see it. This is a chance to celebrate people living outside the binary and change the way stories are told.”

Who says her sense of self no longer hinges on accolades or career milestones. “I used to hang my self-worth on my work, and it was never enough,” she said. “Now it’s my husband, my family, my friends who bring me joy. Work is just the cherry on top.”

Still, the magnitude of performing with the LA Philharmonic at The Ford is not lost on her. “Every musician dreams of standing in front of an orchestra,” she said. “To do it in my city, with this orchestra, with songs I’ve written — that’s something I’ll carry with me forever.”

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