LA Chamber Orchestra to Present Two Premieres, Violinist Daniel Hope & Vocalist Storm Large

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, led by Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, presents the US premiere of Kurt Weill's Song-Suite for Violin and Orchestra, arranged by Paul Bateman, and the West Coast Premiere of Bruce Adolphe's Violin Concerto "I Will Not Remain Silent," which is dedicated to Rabbi Joachim Prinz and his friendship with DR. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Saturday, January 21, 8 pm, at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, and Sunday, January 22, 2017, 7 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall.

Both works feature guest soloist Daniel Hope, "among the best (violinists) in the world" (The Observer, London), who is also known for his humanitarian efforts espousing tolerance. Additionally, Kahane conducts Weill's compelling satirical sung ballet THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, originally composed in 1933 with text by Bertolt Brecht, featuring virtuosic chanteuse Storm Large (Pink Martini) and New York's all-male vocal group Hudson Shad.

German-born Weill, one of the most versatile and influential theater composers of the twentieth century, fled Nazi Germany for Paris in 1933 and came to the US in 1935. The Seven Deadly Sins, a searing critique of capitalism conceived in 1933, was his final collaboration with Brecht and capped his European career. His Song-Suite for Violin and Orchestra was arranged by Paul Bateman specifically for Hope.

This program is part of LACO's LIFT EVERY VOICE, a three-week, city-wide series of free and ticketed concerts, conversations and community engagement celebrating the unique ability of music and the arts to address challenging social and moral issues, from January 14 to 29, 2017, at venues across the Southland. LIFT EVERY VOICE, conceived and curated by Kahane to explore themes of tolerance, compassion, cooperation and creativity along with the power of music to encourage understanding and promote peace, was inspired by the lives of human and civil rights champions Rabbi Joachim Prinz, composer Kurt Weill and Martin Luther King, Jr. The series is a signature part of Kahane's 20th and final LACO season, which features programming that reflects his far-reaching impact, broad musical sensibilities, distinctive philosophical interests and tremendous artistic passion. Other highlights of LIFT EVERY VOICE include the first Los Angeles performance since the 1950s of Weill's profound anti-apartheid musical Lost in the Stars, directed by Anne Bogart; a joint performance with the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA); and symposiums, a chamber music program and film screenings.

Prinz, who bridged the Holocaust and the civil rights movement and was one of King's strongest allies, died in 1988, more than a quarter of a century before Adolphe composed his Violin Concerto "I Will Not Remain Silent" honoring him. Prinz's son Jonathan says the piece reflects his father and his beliefs. "It's described as the violin standing in for him and the orchestra standing for the people around him," he explains. "He was a strong voice for many causes but always cognizant of the people he worked with or represented." The work made its debut in 2015 by IRIS Orchestra.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), proclaimed "America's finest chamber orchestra" by Public Radio International, 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 with "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.

Tickets, starting at $29, are on sale now and may be purchased online at laco.org or by calling LACO at 213 622 7001 x 1. 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 eight of LACO's Orchestral concerts, five Baroque Conversations and three Westside Connections series concerts.

Daniel Hope has toured the world as a virtuoso soloist for 25 years and is celebrated for his musical versatility. Winner of the 2015 European Cultural Prize for Music, whose previous recipients include Daniel Barenboim, Plácido Domingo and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Hope appears as soloist with the world's major orchestras and conductors, also directing many ensembles from the violin. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2007, he is Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, succeeding Sir Roger Norrington. Hope has also commissioned over 30 works from such composers as Alfred Schnittke, Toru Takemitsu, Harrison Birtwistle, Sofia Gubaidulina, György Kurtág, Peter Maxwell Davies, Krzysztof Penderecki and Mark-Anthony Turnage. He has penned four bestselling books published in Germany; contributes regularly to the Wall Street Journal and has written scripts for collaborative performances with the actors Klaus Maria Brandauer and Mia Farrow.

Musician/actor/playwright/author Storm Large shot to national prominence in 2006 as a finalist on the CBS show Rock Star: Supernova. From there she went on to tour the world, singing in 17 different languages with the joyful pop orchestra Pink Martini. This led her to the stage of Carnegie Hall to sing Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins with the Detroit Symphony, which launched her a new star in classical music world after The New York Times decreed her performance "sensational." Large has also been featured in the one-woman show, Crazy Enough, which broke box office records. Her memoir of the same title was named Oprah's Book of the Week in 2012. In 2014, she released Le Bonheur, a collection of tortured and titillating love songs. She starred at the Mark Taper Forum with Katey Sagal and Michael McKean in Jerry Zak's production of Harps and Angels, a musical featuring the work of Randy Newman.

Hudson Shad has racked up more performances as "The Family" in The Seven Deadly Sins than any other group in history. They have performed the piece in more than 50 locations worldwide from Arezzo to Zagreb, numbering well over 100 performances. They have twice recorded the work, once with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic and once with Marianne Faithfull, Dennis Russell Davies and the RSO-Wien. In 2008, Hudson Shad participated in the Carnegie Hall premiere of the work with Ute Lemper and the Toronto Symphony. Since its debut in 1992, the vocal group has performed more than 500 concerts in major venues across Europe, Asia, and the U.S.

PROGRAM:

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra - "Storm Large Sings 7 Deadly Sins"

Jeffrey Kahane, conductor
Daniel Hope, violin
Storm Large, vocalist
Hudson Shad, vocal quartet
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

WEILL (arr. Paul Bateman) Song-Suite for Violin and Orchestra (US premiere)
Bruce Adolphe Violin Concerto "I Will Not Remain Silent" (West Coast premiere)
WEILL/BRECHT The Seven Deadly Sins

CONCERT PRELUDES:
7 pm (Alex Theatre)
6 pm (Royce Hall)
One hour before curtain, pre-concert talks provide insights into the music and artists. Free for ticket holders.

FREE AFTER PARTY FOR TICKET HOLDERS:
Join LACO after the concert for a party featuring wine, hors d'oeuvres and a chance to meet and mingle with musicians and fellow patrons. Free to all ticketholders.