LA Opera Kicks Off Benjamin Britten's 100th Birthday Celebration Tonight

Events coming up in the next few weeks for the LA Opera include special celebrations today, November 22, Britten's 100th birthday. Throughout 2013, the centenary of British composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) will be observed around the world by musicians and institutions of every kind. Music Director James Conlon, whose lifelong fascination with Britten is reflected in his personal three-year performance cycle of the composer's works in America and Europe, is the inspiration for LA Opera's Britten 100/LA: A Celebration, an extensive collaboration featuring performances, conferences and exhibitions presented by a host of organizations throughout the Southland. The next few weeks are particularly busy, as we approach the 100th anniversary of Britten's actual birth date on November 22.

Here is a listing of Britten 100/LA events taking place throughout Southern California through the end of November.

OCTOBER EVENTS LISTING
Oct. 19, 2:00pm; Oct. 23, 7:30pm; Oct. 26, 2:00pm
Albert Herring (Op. 39, 1947) presented by Repertory Opera Company, conducted by Brian Farrell and directed by LizBeth Lucca.

Venue: First Christian Church, 1751 N. Park Ave, Pomona CA 91768
Information: www.RepertoryOperaCompany.org or 909.230.4949

October 19, 8:00pm; October 20, 7:00pm
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra concert featuring Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge (Op. 10, 1937), as well as music by Haydn, Mozart and Adolphe, conducted by Jeffrey Kahane.

Two venues: October 19 at Ambassador Auditorium, 131 S. Saint John Ave., Pasadena CA 91123; October 20 at Royce Hall, UCLA Campus, 340 Royce Dr., Westwood CA 90095
Information: www.LACO.org or 213.622.7001 (ext. 215)

October 27, 6:00pm
University of La Verne presents an all-Britten concert featuring tenor Jonathan Mack, soprano Carol Stephenson and pianist Grace Zhao, including folksong arrangements, an excerpt from the War Requiem (Op. 66, 1962), Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac (Op. 51, 1952) and Canticle III: Still Falls the Rain (Op. 55, 1954). This concert is part of the Peace Out of War series presented by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Venue: Morgan Auditorium, University of La Verne, 1950 Third Street, La Verne CA 91750
Information: www.LaVerne.edu

NOVEMBER EVENTS LISTING
November 1, 8:00pm
Neeme Järvi conducts the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra in a performance that includes Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten by Arvo Pärt, as well as pieces by Dvorák and Tchaikovsky.

Venure: Valley Performing Arts Center, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge CA 91330
Information: www.ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.org or 818.677.3076

November 6, 12:10pm
Glendale Noon Concerts presents oboist Catherine Del Russo performing the Phantasy Quartet for Oboe and Strings (Op. 2, 1932), with Jacqueline Suzuki (violin), Victor de Almeida (viola) and Maksim Velichkin (cello). The program also includes Going Homefor oboe quartet by Martin Bresnick. This concert is free and open to the public.

Venue: First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 N. Louise Street, Glendale CA 91206
Information: GlendaleNoonConcerts.blogspot.com or 818.242.2113

November 9 at 8pm, November 10 at 2pm
Concert including The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Op. 34, 1945) by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Bramwell Tovey.

Venue: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012
Information: www.LAPhil.com or 323.850.2000

November 10, 4:30pm
Solemn Evensong including a performance of Rejoice in the Lamb(Op. 30, 1943) by the Choir of Saint James, conducted by James Buonemani. This performance is free and open to the public.

Venue: St. James' Church, 3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90010
Information: www.SaintJamesLA.org or 213.388.3417

November 10, 5:00pm
Poetry: The Pity of War, a reading of poetry that inspired Benjamin Britten, including works by Wilfred Owen, W.H. Auden, Dylan Thomas and W.B. Yeats, organized and hosted by Stephen Yenser.

Venue: Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90024
Information: hammer.ucla.edu or 310.443.7000

November 11, 7:30pm
Occidental College Music Department Faculty Artist Recital featuring Catherine Del Russo (oboe) in the Phantasy Quartet for Oboe and Strings (Op. 2, 1932). The program also includes Going Home for oboe quartet by Martin Bresnick, and other works. Free admission.

Venue: Bird Studio, Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles CA 90041
Information: www.oxy.edu/music or 323.259.2785

Nov. 14, 8:00pm; Nov. 15, 8:00pm; Nov. 16, 8:00pm
Pacific Symphony concerts featuring The Young Person's Guide to the Orchesta (Op. 34, 1945) conducted by Jean-Marie Zeitouni, along with works by Beethoven and Debussy.

Venue: Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa CA 92626
Information: www.PacificSymphony.org or 714.556.2787

November 17, 4:00pm
Concert by cellist Andrew Shulman and pianist Robert Thies, featuring Britten's Cello Sonata (Op. 65, 1961) as well as the premiere of a new work by Los Angeles composer Bruce Broughton, written to commemorate Britten's centenary.

Presented by the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library as part of the Restoration Concerts series.

Venue: South Pasadena Public Library 1115 El Centro Street, South Pasadena CA 91030
Information: www.FriendsofSoPasLibrary.org/concerts.htm or 626.799.6333

November 20, 12:10pm
Glendale Noon Concerts presents Jacqueline Suzuki (violin) and Susan Svrcek (piano) performing Reveille: A Concert Study for Violin and Piano (Op. posth.; 1937) as well as the Piano Quintet by Alfred Schnittke. This concert is free and open to the public.

Venue: First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 N. Louise Street, Glendale CA 91206
Information: GlendaleNoonConcerts.blogspot.com or 818.242.2113

November 22, 2:00pm
Britten Birthday Bash
James Conlon conducts Honor Choirs from the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District in a concert featuring FridayAfternoons (Op. 7, 1933-35) performed by the Elementary Honor Choir; choruses from A Ceremony of Carols (Op. 28, 1942) performed by the Middle School Honor Choir; and Simple Symphony (Op. 4, 1934) performed by the Santa Monica High School Chamber Orchestra. Emcee'd by Kimberlea Daggy. This concert is free and open to the public.

Venue: Jonathan Club, 850 Palisades Beach Road, Santa Monica CA 90403

November 22, 8:30pm
Cantata Misericordium (Op. 69, 1963), Rejoice in the Lamb (Op. 30, 1943) and Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (Op. 31, 1943)
Performed by the Choir of Saint James (James Buonemani, music director) and the UCLA Camarades String Ensemble (Neal Stulberg, music director), conducted by James Conlon. This event is free and open to the public.

Venue: St. James' Church, 3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010
Information: www.SaintJamesLA.org or 213.388.3417

November 22, 7:00pm and November 24, 5:00pm
Blessed Cecilia: A Benjamin Britten Centenary Celebration
Nova Vocal Ensemble celebrates Britten's 100th birthday and St Cecilia's Day with two choral works: Hymn to St. Cecilia (Op. 27, 1942; rev. 1966) and Hymn to the Virgin (1930; rev. 1934). Pieces by Verdi, Stravinsky, Maxwell Davies and Tavener will also be presented.

Venue: St Mark's Episcopal Church, 1020 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale CA 91202
Information: www.NovaVocalEnsemble.org

November 24, 8:00pm; November 25, 8:00pm
War Requiem (Op. 66, 1962)
Presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.
Conducted by James Conlon, featuring soprano Tamara Wilson, tenor Joseph Kaiser, baritone Phillip Addis, the Colburn Orchestra (Yehuda Gilad, music director), members of the USC Thornton Symphony, the USC Thornton Chamber Singers (Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe, conductor), the USC Thornton Concert Choir (Dr. Christian Grases, conductor), the Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir from CSU-Long Beach (Dr. Jonathan Talberg, director), the CSU-Fullerton University Singers (Dr. Robert Istad, conductor), the Chapman University Singers (Dr. Stephen Coker, director), the New Zealand Youth Choir (David Squire, music director), the Los Angeles Children's Chorus (Anne Tomlinson, artistic director).

November 24 venue/information: Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa CA 92626; www.SCFTA.org or 714.556.2787

November 25 venue/information: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 South Grand Ave., Los Angeles CA 90012; www.LAPhil.com or323.850.2000

For more information about Britten 100/LA, including a complete listing of events, please visit www.Britten100LA.org.

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Britten 100/LA is proud to be part of the global celebration Britten 100.

Generous support for Britten 100/LA provided by the Britten-Pears Foundation.