Interchanging Idioms

Long-Time Arts Administrator Previously Served as Executive Director of San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum and Education Director of Pasadena Kidspace Children’s Museum Roy Mueller, a highly regarded non-profit arts administrator with deep roots in Southern California, has been appointed Executive Director of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) following a nationwide search, it was announced by LACC Board Chair Joanne Crawford-Dunér. Mueller, who is also an accomplished musician, previously served as Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum, where he led the museum through a successful four-year $5.2 million capital campaign to design and build a new facility. Prior to that he was Education Director of Pasadena Kidspace Children’s Museum, where he developed innovative art and science education programs for a diverse community audience. “I am pleased to welcome Roy to the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus,” says Crawford-Dunér. “His exceptional non-profit arts le...

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's 2012-13 season launches with a dynamic program of works both familiar and new when Music Director Jeffrey Kahane conducts and performs as soloist. It features two highly anticipated West Coast premieres, including LACO Composer-in-Residence and Pulitzer Prize-finalist Andrew Norman’s The Great Swiftness, commissioned and premiered by the Grand Rapids Symphony in 2010. Inspired by the city’s signature Alexander Calder sculpture, La Grande Vitesse, the piece prompted the Grand Rapids Press to describe it as “sliding down the giant sculpture's graceful arms.” The other West Coast premiere, True South by James Matheson – recipient of the prestigious $200,000 Charles Ives Living Award and heralded by The New Yorker as “an early thirty-something American composer who is ignoring style labels and writing synthetic, satisfying music that avoids the glib theatricality of postmodernism” – was commissioned and premiered in 2010 by the New York Philharmo...

Renowned Chorus Seeks Talented Boys and Girls Ages 8 to 12 Who Love to Sing Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), one of the nation’s leading children’s choirs, is holding auditions for boys and girls ages eight (by September 1, 2012) to twelve on May 31 and June 1, 2 and 4, 2012, in Pasadena. Previous singing experience is not necessary, but audition appointments are required. LACC’s program focuses on training children who may not necessarily have had previous singing experience, but who are dedicated to achieving excellence in vocal technique, choral singing and classical music. Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to match pitch, follow instructions, and thrive in a structured, but supportive learning environment. Children audition in groups of five to ensure their comfort, and no preparation is necessary. Under the artistic direction of Anne Tomlinson, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, currently in its 26th season, provides a comprehensive music education and pe...

LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS’ SPRING CONCERT FEATURES CHORAL WORKS SPANNING 14 CENTURIES Program Includes Earliest Known Example of Polyphony Dating from 1260 to World Premiere by Nicholas Nicassio Saturday, May 12, 2012, 4 PM Sunday, May 13, 7 PM at Pasadena Presbyterian Church The Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) illuminates the transcendent spirit of humanity with a dynamic program spanning 14 centuries of musical expression at its 26th Annual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 12, 4 PM, and Sunday, May 13, 7 PM, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Singing about joy, love, laughter and hope in six languages, the choristers offer a mix of classical, folk and contemporary works. Among numerous highlights are Sumer is icumen in, a medieval song dating from 1260 believed to be the oldest existing example of polyphony, and the world premiere by LACC’s Young Men’s Ensemble of Los Angeles-based composer Nicholas Nicassio’s Sleep Now, O Sleep Now based on text by James Joyce. Ot...

April 29th at 4 p.m. at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater, Los Angeles "The range of colors and voices that Sō Percussion coaxes from its menagerie is astonishing and enticing." - New York Times Don't miss the upcoming Los Angeles appearance of the Idyllwild Arts Academy Orchestra , with special guests Guitar/Songwriting Legend Richard Thompson and the inimitable Sō Percussion. The program also features the World Premiere of a new commissioned work from Chen Yi and Peter Askim. In a program that celebrates the premiere compositional and performance talent of today, The Idyllwild Arts Academy Orchestra joins an impressive lineup of the most prevalent contemporary musicians for a must-see spring concert. As part of the IAAO annual New Music Concerts, the event is set for April 28th and 29th and boasts renowned talent and highly-anticipated music premieres for audience members. Pulling an eclectic showcasing of original work from some of the most acclaimed contemporary mus...

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s Orchestral Series concludes with particular poignancy when Music Director Jeffrey Kahane conducts a program featuring highly acclaimed composer/vocalist/pianist/guitarist Gabriel Kahane, his talented son, described as a “peerless musical polymath, invested equally in the worlds of concert, theater and popular music,” on Saturday, April 21, 8 pm, at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, and Sunday, April 22, 2012, 7 pm, at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The concert, which marks their first Southern California father-son mainstage performance, spotlights the younger Kahane on piano, guitar and vocals with Jeffrey Kahane conducting the West Coast premiere of Gabriel’s Crane Palimpsest, a LACO co-commission with American Composers Orchestra, which premiered it at Carnegie Hall last month. The title, Crane Palimpsest, refers to a parchment that has been reused, or an object with multiple layers that lies beneath the surface. The work is set to Hart Crane’s Modernist poem To B...

The Los Angeles Master Chorale presents the Walt Disney Concert Hall debut of Bach’s oratorio St. John Passion – one of the greatest masterworks of all time – in two back-to-back historically informed performances with Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, performing on period instruments, on Palm Sunday weekend, Saturday, March 31, 8 pm, and Sunday, April 1, 2012, 7 pm. These concerts complete the Chorale’s multi-season trilogy of historically informed performances with the nation’s foremost Baroque ensemble of Bach’s three major choral works, which also includes the B Minor Mass, presented by the chorus in March 2008, and St. Matthew Passion, performed by the Chorale in March 2010. More vivid, dramatically intense and unbridled than its later counterparts, St. John Passion is scored for an intimate ensemble of soloists, four-part choir and instrumentalists ranging from lute and viola da gamba to oboe, strings and basso continuo. A core of 40 singers from the Chorale comprise the choi...

When Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello came together to sing Puccini’s ill-fated lovers in Cincinnati Opera’s La bohème , it was a match made in opera heaven. The Enquirer called Pérez’s Mimì “radiant” and Costello’s Rodolfo “wonderfully sung,” and praised the “warmth of tone and effortless high notes” of their duet; likewise, Music in Cincinnati reported: “The two singers made an attractive and emotionally appealing couple, with fresh young voices that soared. … The chemistry between Costello and Pérez was potent.” Now – in the first of three collaborations together this spring – the lyric soprano and tenor dubbed “America’s fastest-rising husband-and-wife opera stars” ( Associated Press ) reprise the same roles at Los Angeles Opera, where they headline the company’s signature production of Puccini’s masterpiece. Marking Costello’s house debut, the revival opens for six performances on May 12. “I feel very comfortable with Ailyn on stage and that allows me to be more intimate in l...

The Los Angeles Master Chorale presents the Walt Disney Concert Hall debut of Bach’s oratorio St. John Passion – one of the greatest masterworks of all time – in two back-to-back historically informed performances with Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, performing on period instruments, on Palm Sunday weekend, Saturday, March 31, 8 pm, and Sunday, April 1, 2012, 7 pm. These concerts complete the Chorale’s multi-season trilogy of historically informed performances with the nation’s foremost Baroque ensemble of Bach’s three major choral works, which also includes the B Minor Mass, presented by the chorus in March 2008, and St. Matthew Passion, performed by the Chorale in March 2010. More vivid, dramatically intense and unbridled than its later counterparts, St. John Passion is scored for an intimate ensemble of soloists, four-part choir and instrumentalists ranging from lute and viola da gamba to oboe, strings and basso continuo. A core of 40 singers from the Chorale comprise the choi...

Patrick Summers continues his stellar first season at the helm of the Houston Grand Opera this spring, leading performances of Verdi’s Don Carlos (April 13-28) and Donizetti’s Mary Stuart (April 21-May 4). Summers – named HGO’s Artistic and Music Director in May 2011, following a 13-year period as Music Director – began his Houston season with rave reviews for his work on Verdi’s La traviata , promising further excitement in store when Don Carlos opens in April. The Houston Chronicle wrote: "Beyond the orchestra's polished playing and full, lush sound, the strength of Summers' conducting is its understanding of Verdi's dramatic purpose in every measure." Last fall, the conductor continued his long association with San Francisco Opera as principal guest conductor, leading the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’ Heart of a Soldier and, soon after, the company premiere of Handel’s Xerxes . He returns to the West Coast this spring, making his Los Angeles Op...

Ms. Weilerstein to perform Barber’s Cello Concerto with the New York Philharmonic & David Zinman in New York City & New Jersey March 8, 9, 10 &13 Ms. Weilerstein to perform Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations & Respighi’s Adagio con Variazioni with the Los Angeles Philharmonic & Neeme Järvi, and in recital as part of the inaugural Piatigorsky International Cello Festival March 18 Performance schedule also includes a recital with composer and pianist Lera Auerbach in San Francisco on March 14 Cellist Alisa Weilerstein will perform Samuel Barber’s challenging Cello Concerto in four concerts with the New York Philharmonic and conductor David Zinman in March, including three concerts at Avery Fisher Hall (March 8, 10 & 13) and one at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (March 9). Later in the month she will take part in the first Piatigorsky International Cello Festival performing Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations and Respighi’s Adagio con Variazioni with the Los A...

LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA’S BAROQUE CONVERSATIONS SERIES EXPLORES THE ART OF BAROQUE DANCE LACO Principal Keyboard Patricia Mabee Hosts the Program, Which Features John Schneiderman, Baroque Guitar; Baroque Dancers Linda Tomko and Jill Chardoff; Tereza Stanislav, Violin; Sarah Thornblade, Violin; Roland Kato, Viola; Victoria Miskolczy, Viola; Armen Ksajikian, Cello Thursday, February 16, 7 pm, at Zipper Concert Hall, Downtown Los Angeles Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) trips the light fantastic at the season’s second “Baroque Conversations” concert, which explores the art of Baroque dance, its links to the court of Louis XIV and its intriguing social and political implications, on Thursday, February 16, 7 pm, at Zipper Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. LACO Principal Keyboard Patricia Mabee, who celebrates 35 years with LACO this season, hosts the evening, featuring renowned baroque guitar John Schneiderman and Baroque dancers/historians Linda Tomko and Jill Char...

LA PHIL’S "SOUNDS ABOUT TOWN" SERIES PRESENTS JAMES CONLON CONDUCTING LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS AND AMERICAN YOUTH SYMPHONY IN WORLD PREMIERE BY ICELANDIC COMPOSER DANÍEL BJARNASON AS PART OF SHAKESPEARE-THEMED PROGRAM Sunday, March 4, 2012, 7:30 PM at Walt Disney Concert Hall Other Featured Works Include Willcocks’ The Glories of Shakespeare and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet The LA Phil’s prestigious Sounds About Town series continues with a Shakespeare-themed program featuring renowned conductor James Conlon conducting two of the country’s leading youth ensembles – the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) and the American Youth Symphony (AYS) – in the world premiere of The isle is full of noises… by Icelandic composer Daníel Bjarnason based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest and co-commissioned by LACC and AYS on Sunday, March 4, 2012, 7:30 pm, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The ensembles also perform Sir David Willcocks’ The Glories of Shakespeare, which draws on text...

Music Director Jeffrey Kahane serves as musical “tour guide” for Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's annual “Discover” concert on Saturday, February 25, 2012, 8 pm, at Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, which this season features a special one-night-only exploration of Bach’s Magnificat, a pinnacle of choral literature. Performing with the Orchestra are The University of Southern California Thornton Chamber Singers, the school’s premier choir, directed by Jo-Michael Scheibe, and five exceptional young soloists: Charlotte Dobbs, soprano, Zanaida Robles, soprano, Janelle DeStefano, mezzo soprano, Ben Bliss, tenor, and Daniel Armstrong, baritone. Providing the audience with a deeper understanding and appreciation of this seminal masterwork, Kahane begins the evening by illustrating the intricacies of Bach's first oratorio and how the composition illuminates the text, which is taken directly from the Gospel of Luke. After intermission, the Orchestra, soloists and chorus perform the f...

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) trips the light fantastic at the season’s second “Baroque Conversations” concert, which explores the art of Baroque dance, its links to the court of Louis XIV and its intriguing social and political implications, on Thursday, February 16, 7 pm, at Zipper Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. LACO Principal Keyboard Patricia Mabee, who celebrates 35 years with LACO this season, hosts the evening, featuring renowned baroque guitar John Schneiderman and Baroque dancers/historians Linda Tomko and Jill Chardoff. Also featured are LACO principals Tereza Stanislav, assistant concertmaster; Sarah Thornblade, associate principal violin II; Roland Kato, principal viola; Victoria Miskolczy, associate principal viola; and Armen Ksajikian, associate principal cello. In signature LACO style, the artists share their insights into the music and dances from the stage and invite questions from the audience about the program, which includes Vivaldi’s Trio Sonata ...

Los Angeles Master Chorale continues the season with Bruckner’s full-scale choral masterpiece Mass in E minor on Sunday, February 12, 2012, 7 pm, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The concert marks the first time any of Bruckner’s major choral works have been performed in Disney Hall. To complement the expressive and poignant masterwork, Music Director Grant Gershon also conducts Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, a contrasting but equally compelling piece filled with both ritual and fireworks, and Brucker’s motet Os Justi. Bruckner, born to Austrian peasants and a musical protégé from an early age, completed the Mass in E minor for eight-part chorus and wind orchestra in 1866. It is a work that illustrates more than any of his others the composer’s unique style – a mix of romantic fully Brucknerian harmony with blending and contrasting vocal and instrumental textures, and the restrained and austere power of Renaissance polyphony. “It is one of my favorite Bruckner pieces and is such a...

Performance Marks Conductor Jacomo Bairos' LACO Debut as well as PROJECT Trio’s Debut as LACO Family Concerts Artists-in-Residence Sunday, February 26, 2012 , at Alex Theatre 1 PM – “Instrument Petting Zoo” 2 PM – Performance It will be anything but music as usual when the electrifying Brooklyn-based ensemble PROJECT Trio joins the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) and guest conductor Jacomo Bairos for the first of LACO's 2012 Family Concerts series on Sunday, February 26, 2012, 2 pm, at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. PROJECT Trio, with its wildly eclectic mix of jazz, hip-hop and rock sounds and appearances on Nickelodeon and MTV, performs a high-octane twist on Copland's Appalachian Spring and other original works in its debut as LACO's Family Concerts artists-in-residence for the next three seasons. Bairos, who enjoys an international career as a conductor and educator, makes his LACO debut with this performance. Youngster at LACO's "Instrument ...

by Ebner Sobalvarro Performance dates: January 20, 21, 22, 2012 The second weekend of the Mahler Project brought two of the more anticipated symphonies by the composer, including the Adagio of his uncompleted final symphony. Gustavo Dudamel and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 go way back, to the time when he was 16. It was the first big symphonic piece he ever conducted, and his connection to it has grown over time. He chose it in 2009 for the gala concert that inaugurated his first season as music director with the LA Philharmonic. He also toured the piece with them throughout the US in May of 2010. Mahler was in his late 20’s when he wrote it, yet it is an unusually mature work for a first symphony. Its theme is that of a romantic hero who must face the tribulations of a harsh world before emerging victorious. Dudamel made it crystal clear from the outset, like he did in ‘09: this is his Mahler 1. Whatever reputation he has built for himself as a lover of slow tempi would not be disp...

Sunday, February 12, 2012, 7 pm, at Walt Disney Concert Hall Music Director Grant Gershon Conducts Brucker’s Mass in E minor and Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms Los Angeles Master Chorale continues the season with Bruckner’s full-scale choral masterpiece Mass in E minor on Sunday, February 12, 2012, 7 pm, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The concert marks the first time any of Bruckner’s major choral works have been performed in Disney Hall. To complement the expressive and poignant masterwork, Music Director Grant Gershon also conducts Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms , a contrasting but equally compelling piece filled with both ritual and fireworks, and Brucker’s motet Os Justi. Bruckner, born to Austrian peasants and a musical protégé from an early age, completed the Mass in E minor for eight-part chorus and wind orchestra in 1866. It is a work that illustrates more than any of his others the composer’s unique style – a mix of romantic fully Brucknerian harmony with blending and c...

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s (LACO) enlightening five-concert “Baroque Conversations” series showcasing exceptional Baroque music launches its sixth year with a program of Bach and Biber on Thursday, January 26, 7 pm, at Zipper Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Special guest Elissa Johnston, soprano, joins LACO Principal Oboe Allan Vogel, who leads the program in celebration of his 40th anniversary with LACO, Concertmaster Margaret Batjer, Principal Cello Andrew Shulman, Principal Flute David Shostac, Flute and Soprano Janice Tipton and Principal Keyboard Patricia Mabee. The concert opens with Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber’s Courente from Mystery Sonata No. 12, “The Ascension,” and also features pieces by Bach, ranging from Toccata in D minor, BWV 913, and Trio Sonata in G major, BWV 1038, to such arias as “ Schafe können sicher weiden ” (“Sheep may safely graze”) from Cantata No. 208 and “ Bist du bei mir ” (“If you are with me”), BWV 508, a work lost in the Second World War an...