Violinist Karina Canellakis to Conduct and Perform with the LA Chamber Orchestra, 1/24-25

Karina Canellakis, hailed as a "masterful" violinist and recognized as one of America's most promising young conductors, makes her Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra debut showcasing her dual talents performing and leading Vivaldi's vivid Violin Concerto, "La tempesta di mare" ("Storm") and conducting Schubert's Symphony No. 5 on Saturday, January 24, 2015, 8 pm, at Glendale's Alex Theatre, and Sunday, January 25, 2015, 7 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall. She also conducts John Adams' early masterpiece Shaker Loops, and Finnish composer P?teris Vasks's powerfully meditative Lonely Angel, on which she also performs the violin solo.

Canellakis, recently appointed Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Symphony, is the winner of the 2013 Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship, founded by Marin Alsop, and served as a Conducting Fellow at the prestigious Tanglewood Music Center last summer. She made her Carnegie Hall conducting debut on the American Soundscapes series. Praised as a violinist for her "lustrous tone...power and expressiveness" (Philadelphia Inquirer), she appears as soloist with orchestras across the country and has played on a regular basis with both the Berlin Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony.

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 pacesetter 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 or 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.

Recently appointed assistant conductor of the Dallas Symphony, KARINA CANELLAKIS is rapidly gaining recognition as one of the most promising and exciting young American conductors. She made her Carnegie Hall conducting debut in Zankel Hall and frequently appears as guest conductor of New York's groundbreaking International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). In the 2014-15 season, she makes her debut with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Colorado and Toledo symphonies, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. She was invited to be a Conducting Fellow at the Boston Symphony's Tanglewood Music Center for summer 2014. Canellakis was a selected conductor in the Lucerne Festival Masterclass with Bernard Haitink, and conducted the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra in Japan, as well as the Tonhalle Orchestra in Switzerland as part of international masterclasses. She is the winner of the 2013 Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship, founded by Marin Alsop. She has also led performances with the Juilliard Orchestra at Lincoln Center. Canellakis holds a Bachelor's degree in violin from the Curtis Institute of Music and a Master's degree in orchestral conducting from The Juilliard School. Her prominent mentors are Alan Gilbert, Fabio Luisi and Sir Simon Rattle. As a violinist, Canellakis appears as soloist with orchestras across the United States. For several years she played on a regular basis with both the Berlin Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony. She has also been on several occasions guest concertmaster of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway. As a chamber musician, she spent many summers at the Marlboro Music Festival. She plays a 1782 Mantegazza violin, generously loaned to her by a private person. Canellakis was born and raised in New York City, where she currently resides.

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.

Pictured: Karina Canellakis. Photo by Masataka Suemitsu.