Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Music Director Jaime Martín and Executive Director Ben Cadwallader today announced the Orchestra’s 2022-23 Season, an ambitious set of programs showcasing LACO’s virtuosity and versatility through new and iconic works.
The season launches on October 15, 2022, and concludes on May 21, 2023, with LACO presenting a total seven orchestral programs, six of which Martín will conduct—showcasing three LACO-commissioned world premieres by Sound Investment Composers Juan Pablo Contreras (Lucha Libre!), Shelley Washington (Both) and Marc Lowenstein—and such classical music touchstones as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, “Choral,” which LACO will perform with a chorus comprised of singers from a constellation of Southland choirs who will join together as one communal voice to sing the final movement’s uplifting anthem of hope and humanity, “Ode to Joy.”
The Orchestra embraces the familial as well with two programs featuring compelling child-parent links, including the LACO co-commissioned West Coast premiere of Gabriel Kahane’s Heirloom Piano Concerto, performed by his father, acclaimed pianist and LACO Conductor Laureate Jeffrey Kahane, and the LACO debut of sitarist Anoushka Shankar performing Concerto No. 3 for Sitar composed by her legendary father, Ravi Shankar, who helped bring the sitar into the mainstream through his work with such pop groups as The Beatles.
Distinguished guest artists returning to LACO are violinist Gil Shaham, applauded as an American master, performing Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A Minor, and British cello virtuoso Sheku Kanneh-Mason playing Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D Major. Making their LACO debuts are violist Masumi Per Rostad, praised for his “burnished sound” (The New York Times), featured on Jessie Montgomery’s LACO co-commissioned L.E.S. Characters Viola Concerto; and pianist and The Colburn School faculty member Hye-Jin Kim, “one of South Korea’s most thrilling young classical stars” (Florida Weekly), interpreting Gershwin’s original 1924 version of Rhapsody in Blue. Additional highlights include such classical cornerstones as Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major; Haydn’s Symphony No. 104 in D Major, “London”; Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 in D Major, “Reformation”; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major, “Pastoral”; and Bizet’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major.
“The diverse repertoire and extraordinary artistic collaborations we’re presenting during the 2022-23 season reflect LACO’s core values and my personal artistic belief that music can enrich, connect, and expand our community of music lovers in Los Angeles,” says Music Director Jaime Martín. “LACO also augments the classical canon with several world and West Coast premieres by some of today’s finest composers, including Juan Pablo Contreras, Shelley Washington and Marc Lowenstein, all commissioned through LACO’s Sound Investment program. Plus, we welcome to the stage LACO’s own Conductor Laureate Jeffrey Kahane and five other world-class guest artists whose music and humanity have touched audiences around the globe. The Orchestra’s own virtuosic artists will be spotlighted throughout the season as well.”
LACO Executive Director Ben Cadwallader states, “LACO continues is forward trajectory as one of the nation’s leading chamber orchestras with Jaime shaping its extraordinary sound through his exceptional artistic leadership and immense respect for LACO’s artists. The Orchestra is proud of its longstanding commitment to offering performances at convenient and iconic venues in both the east and west sides of Los Angeles.”
LACO will appear at UCLA’s Royce Hall and Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium. (LACO’s Chamber Music series and venues will be announced at a later time.) For additional information about Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s 2022-23 season or to order tickets, please visit www.laco.org or call 213 622 7001 x1.
Submitted by Libby Huebner
