LA Chamber Orchestra Premieres Aaron Jay Kernis Viola Concerto with Paul Neubauer This Weekend

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), an ardent champion of new music, presents the highly anticipated Los Angeles premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis' gripping and virtuosic Viola Concerto written for and featuring Paul Neubauer, considered one of the greatest violists of his generation, in two performances led by Music Director Jeffrey Kahane tonight, November 15, 2014, 8 pm, at Glendale's Alex Theatre, and Sunday, November 16, 2014, 7pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall.

Kernis' three-movement work, filled with "passages of intense lyricism (that) approach a kind of ecstasy" (Star Tribune), is a co-commission by LACO, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, which premiered it in April, the Chautauqua Symphony and the Idyllwild Arts Academy. Kahane, showcasing LACO's remarkable artistic versatility, also leads Beethoven's luminous Piano Concerto No. 3 from the piano and opens the program with Rameau's Overture to Zaïs and dances from Les Boréades and Dardanus.

Kernis, recognized for his "fearless originality" (The New York Times) and music that is "consistently exhilarating" (New York Observer), is one of the country's most celebrated composers. The recipient of the coveted 2002 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition and the 1998 Pulitzer Prize, he was also inducted into the Classical Music Hall of Fame and is member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, among other prestigious honors.

Neubauer, who was appointed Principal Viola of the New York Philharmonic at age 21 and has appeared as soloist with orchestras around the globe, is acclaimed for his "virtuosic performances" (Washington Post), and his "seamless control of the bow, his intonation, his rich and varied tonal palette (that) mark him as a member of the elite" (The New York Times).

Concert Preludes, pre-concert talks held one hour before curtain and free for ticket holders, provide insights into the program's music and artists.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is considered one of the world's premier chamber orchestras as well as a leader in presenting wide-ranging repertoire and adventurous commissions. Its 2014-15 season, the Orchestra's 46th, features a compelling mix of beloved masterpieces and genre-defying premieres from firmly established as well as notable up-and-coming composers programmed by Jeffrey Kahane, one of the world's foremost conductors and pianists, who marks his 18th season as LACO's music director.

Tickets, starting at $26, are on sale now and may be purchased online at laco.org, by calling LACO at 213 622 7001. Discounted tickets are also available by phone for seniors 65 years of age and older and groups of 12 or more. College students may purchase student rush tickets ($12), based on availability, at the box office the day of the concert. Also available for college students is the $30 "Campus to Concert Hall All Access Pass" - good for all seven of LACO's Orchestral series concerts, Discover Mozart's Requiem and three Westside Connections concerts.

Equally at home at the keyboard or on the podium, JEFFREY KAHANE has established an international reputation as a truly versatile artist, recognized around the world for his mastery of diverse repertoire ranging from Bach, Mozart and Beethoven to Gershwin, Golijov and John Adams. Now in his 18th season as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, he previously served as music director of the Colorado and Santa Rosa symphonies. He has garnered tremendous critical acclaim for his innovative programming and commitment to education and community involvement and received multiple ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming for his work in both Los Angeles and Denver.

Violist PAUL NEUBAUER's exceptional musicality and effortless playing distinguish him as one of his generation's quintessential artists. In 2014-15, he premieres the Viola Concerto that Aaron Jay Kernis wrote for him with four orchestras, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, followed by Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony and Idyllwild Arts Orchestra. He also appears in recital with pianist Anne-Marie McDermott and performs a wide ranging repertoire in a trio with McDermott and soprano Susanna Phillips. Dark Side, a film starring Edoardo Ballerini and Ali Ahn, features Neubauer performing salon music. Appointed principal viola of the New York Philharmonic at age 21, he has appeared as soloist with over 100 orchestras including the New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Helsinki philharmonics; National, St. Louis, Detroit, Dallas, San Francisco and Bournemouth symphonies; and the Santa Cecilia, Beethovenhalle and English Chamber orchestras. Neubauer has performed the world premieres of concertos by Tower, Penderecki, Picker, Jacob, Lazarof, Suter, Müller-Siemens, Ott and Friedman, as well as of the revised Bartók Viola Concerto. A two-time Grammy nominee, he has recorded works by Schumann with McDermott as well as numerous pieces composed for him: Joan Tower's Purple Rhapsody for viola and orchestra and Wild Purple for solo viola; Viola Rhapsody by Henri Lazarof; and Soul Garden for viola and chamber ensemble by Derek Bermel. He has collaborated with Andre Watts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; with Joshua Bell and Steven Isserlis at London's Wigmore and Queen Elizabeth hall's; and with Pinchas Zukerman, James Galway, Vladimir Spivakov and Alicia de Larrocha at the Mostly Mozart Festival. He has also appeared with the Emerson, Shanghai, Juilliard, Cleveland, Fine Arts, Orion, Borromeo, Miami and Brentano quartets. Neubauer is on the faculty of The Juilliard School and Mannes College and performs regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He is the artistic director of Chamber Music Extravaganza in Curaçao.

LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (LACO), proclaimed "America's finest chamber orchestra" by Public Radio International and "resplendent" by the Los Angeles Times, has established itself among the world's top musical ensembles. Since 1997, LACO has performed under the baton of acclaimed conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, hailed by critics as "visionary" and "a conductor of uncommon intellect, insight and musical integrity" with "undeniable charisma," "effortless musicality and extraordinary communicative gifts." Under Kahane's leadership, the Orchestra maintains its status as a preeminent interpreter of historical masterworks and a champion of contemporary composers. During its 46-year history, the Orchestra has made 31 recordings, toured Europe, South America and Japan, performed across North America and garnered eight ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming. Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, LACO presents its Orchestral Series on Saturdays at Glendale's Alex Theatre and on Sundays at UCLA's Royce Hall; Baroque Conversations at downtown Los Angeles' Zipper Concert Hall; Westside Connections chamber music series, designed to illustrate the relationship between music and other artistic disciplines, at the Moss Theater in Santa Monica; and an annual Discover concert, which features an in-depth examination that sheds new light on a single piece of music, at Pasadena's Ambassador Auditorium. LACO also presents a Concert Gala, an annual Silent Film screening and several fundraising salons each year. Additionally, LACO outreach programs, Meet the Music, Community Partners, Campus to Concert Hall and the LACO/USC Thornton Strings Mentorship Program, reach thousands of young people annually, nurturing future musicians and composers as well as inspiring a love of classical music.

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