Camerata Pacifica To Premiere Lera Auerbach's '24 Preludes For Viola & Piano'

Camerata Pacifica's April program features the world premiere of Lera Auerbach's 24 Preludes for Viola & Piano, which will be performed by Camerata Pacifica's Principal Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill, with the composer as pianist.

The second part of Camerata Pacifica's April program features Schubert's B-Flat Major Piano Trio, N*E*R*D 898, with the ensemble's principal artists: Paul Huang, the Bob Christensen Chair in Violin; Ani Aznavoorian, principal cello; and Warren Jones, the Robert & Mercedes Eichholz Chair in Piano.

Auerbach's 24 Preludes for Viola & Piano was commissioned for Camerata Pacifica by 12 parties, each commissioning a prelude in a major key and its relative minor partner. The commissioners are: Hyon Chough; Christina Chung & May Kim; May Chung; Sookee Chung; Diane Henderson; Chae Young Ma; Karin Nelson, Maren Henle & Rick Hibbs; Sook Hee Lee & Seong Ae Kim; Arnold & Gretl Mulder; David Robertson & Nancy Alex; Stuart & Judith Spence; Marion Stewart.

This is the second Auerbach commission for Camerata Pacifica. In 2014, the ensemble premiered Dreammusik for cello and ensemble (9 players) with Ani Aznavoorian as soloist. In 2003, The Hamburg Ballet premiered Auerbach's 24 Preludes for Violin and Piano and 24 Preludes for Violincello and Piano, choreographed by John Neumeier and performed by Camerata Pacifica's Principal Cellist, Ani Aznavoorian and the composer.

Auerbach is a poet, composer, concert pianist and visual artist who has published more than 100 works for opera, ballet, orchestral and chamber music, and performs as concert pianist throughout the world. Auerbach's work is championed by leading artists, conductors, stage directors and choreographers, with recent works staged by the San Francisco Ballet, Stanislavsky Theater, Hamburg Opera, Theatre an der Wein, National Ballet of China, Finnish National Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Netherlands Dance Theater, Semperoper and Staatskapelle Dresden, and New York's Lincoln Center. Auerbach is currently working on several commissions, including Symphony No. 4 "Arctica," Commissioned by National Geographic Society, The National Symphony Orchestra/Kennedy Center and orchestras from all the member countries of the Arctic Council, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Denmark, and Norway; and Ars Goetia "In umbra lucis" for SATB Choir and String Quartet (2019), commissioned by RIAS Chamber Choir in Berlin, Germany.

Performances take place Wednesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at The Huntington Library in San Marino; Thursday, April 19 at 8:00 p.m. at Colburn School's Zipper Hall in Los Angeles; Friday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Hahn Hall in Santa Barbara; and Sunday April 22 at 3:00 p.m. at the Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Pavilion at the Museum of Ventura County in Ventura.

Subscriptions ($125 - $403) and single tickets ($50 - $56) can be ordered online at http://cameratapacifica.org/season-tickets/order-tickets or by calling 805-884-8410.

Founded in 1990, Camerata Pacifica is dedicated to engaging audiences intellectually and emotionally by presenting the finest performances of familiar and lesser-known masterworks in venues that emphasize intimacy and a personal connection with the music and musicians. For more information, call 805-884-8410 or visit www.cameratapacifica.org.

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