Peter Oundjian to Guest Conduct LA Chamber Orchestra, 12/12-13

Peter Oundjian, music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Scotland's Royal National Orchestra, and celebrated violinist Stefan Jackiw make their debuts with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) for two performances on Saturday, December 12, 8 pm, at the Alex Theatre, Glendale, and Sunday, December 13, 2015, 7 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall. Oundjian, described as "consistently illuminating" (Gramophone), conducts Bartók's brilliant Divertimento, Sz 113; Beethoven's sunny Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60; and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. The latter work, among the most beloved violin concertos ever written, features Jackiw, also making his Los Angeles debut, who has been hailed for "talent that's off the scale" (Washington Post) and as a "legend in the making" (Chicago Tribune).

Oundjian is noted for his probing musicality, collaborative spirit and engaging personality. He has conducted on the world's leading stages, from Berlin, Amsterdam and Tel Aviv, to New York, Chicago and Sydney. Among numerous engagements, he has appeared at the London Proms, Prague Spring Festival, Edinburgh Festival and The Philadelphia Orchestra's Mozart Festival, where he was artistic director from 2003 to 2005. Oundjian was principal guest conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 2010 and played a major role at the Caramoor International Music Festival in New York between 1997 and 2007.

Jackiw's 2011 solo performance of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra at Australia's Sydney Opera House was seen live on YouTube by more than 30 million people worldwide. He has appeared as soloist with the Boston and Chicago symphony orchestras, Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, San Francisco Symphony and the New York Philharmonic, among others, and in 2002, he was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant.

Concert Preludes, pre-concert talks held one hour before curtain and free for ticket holders, provide insights into the program's music and artists. Following the performance, ticket holders are invited to mingle with LACO musicians in the lobby at an after-party, which includes complimentary drinks and appetizers.

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 2015-16 season, 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 19th season as LACO's music director.

Steinway is the official piano of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Tickets, starting at $27, 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 Bach's Cantata "Sleepers Awake" and three Westside Connections concerts.

Violinist STEFAN JACKIW has appeared as soloist with the Boston and Chicago symphony orchestras, San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras and the New York Philharmonic, among others. He has collaborated with such renowned conductors as Marin Alsop, Sir Andrew Davis, Giancarlo Guerrero, Hannu Lintu, Ludovic Morlot, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Mikhail Pletnev, Arild Remmereit, Gerard Schwarz and Yuri Temirkanov. His solo performance of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra at Australia's Sydney Opera House was seen live on YouTube by more than 30 million people worldwide. He has performed in numerous leading festivals and concert series, including the Celebrity Series of Boston, New York's Mostly Mozart Festival, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Washington Performing Arts Society and the Louvre Recital Series in Paris.

Toronto-born conductor PETER OUNDJIAN, has been an instrumental figure in the rebirth of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) since his appointment as music director in 2004. In addition to conducting the Orchestra in dynamic performances that have achieved outstanding artistic acclaim, he has been greatly involved in a variety of new initiatives, which have strength¬ened the ensemble's presence in the community and attracted a young and diverse audience. During his tenure, Oundjian has released eight recordings on the Orchestra's self-produced record label TSO Live and signed a multi-disc recording contract with Chandos Records. He recently led the TSO on a tour of Europe, which included a sold-out perfor¬mance at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw and the first performance of a North American orchestra at Reykjavik's Harpa Hall. Oundjian has appeared at the London Proms, Prague Spring Festival, Edinburgh Festival and The Philadelphia Orchestra's Mozart Festival, where he was artistic director from 2003 to 2005. He was appointed music director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 2012. From 2006 to 2010, he was principal guest conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and between 1997 and 2007, played a major role at the Caramoor International Music Festival in New York. Since 1981, he has served as a visiting professor at the Yale School of Music where he was awarded the University's Sanford Medal in 2013. In 2009, Oundjian received an honorary doctorate from the San Francisco Conservatory.

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 nearly 50-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 and USC's Bovard Auditorium; 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; LACO @ the Movies, featuring the Orchestra performing the score live; 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.