LA Opera's Britten 100/LA Events for February and March Include BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND LITERATURE and More

The centenary of British composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) has been 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.

Britten's centenary year has come to an end, but Britten 100/LA events will continue into 2014, culminating in LA Opera's February and March performances of Billy Budd.

FEBRUARY EVENTS LISTING

February 6, 7:00pm; February 13, 7:00pm
UCLA presents two lectures by James Conlon: Peter Grimes andGloriana (Feb. 6); The Turn of the Screw and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Feb. 13). These lectures are open to the public and free of charge.

Venue: UCLA Royce Hall, Room 314 (Humanities Conference Room), 340 Royce Drive, Los Angeles, 90095.
Information: www.complit.ucla.edu

February 7, 2:00pm and 7:30pm
James Conlon conducts The Little Sweep (Op. 45, 1949) at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. The production is directed by Stephanie Vlahos, featuring musicians from the LACHSA Symphony Orchestra and singers from the LACHSA Full Circle Opera Project. (The matinee is for students and is not open to the general public.)

Venue: Caroline's LOFT at LACHSA, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, 90032
Information: Tickets are $25 ($20 for students) and will be available at www.LACHSA.net

February 20
Benjamin Britten and Literature: A Conference at UCLA (Day 1)
This conference is open to the public and free of charge.
1:00pm-"The Turn of the Screw, or: the Gothic Melodrama of Modernism" (Christopher Chowrimootoo, Notre Dame University)

2:00pm-"Britten without James" (Arman Schwartz, University of Birmingham)

3:00pm-" Songs and Space in Billy Budd" (Ryan Minor, SUNY Stonybrook)

5:00pm-Keynote Address: "Owen Wingrave and Death in Venice"(James Conlon)

Venue: Charles E. Young Research Library, Room 11360 (conference room), UCLA, Los Angeles, 90095.
Information: www.complit.ucla.edu

February 21
Benjamin Britten and Literature: A Conference at UCLA (Day 2)
The conference is open to the public and free of charge.
1:00pm-"Britten and the Public Role of Expressive Ambiguity" (Jonathan Neufeld, The College of Charleston)

2:00pm-"Britten's Anthologies: English Poetry and the Song Cycles" (Heather Wiebe, King's College London)

3:30pm-"Repeating, Remembering, Passacaglia: 'Weak' Britten" (Seth Brodsky, University of Chicago)

4:30pm-"Britten's Middle Ways: Aesthetics of Belief in 'The Holy Sonnets of John Donne'" (Mitchell Morris, UCLA)

Venue: Popper Auditorium, Schoenberg Music Building, UCLA, Los Angeles, 90095.
Information: www.complit.ucla.edu

February 21, 7:30pm
American Cinematheque presents a screening of the 1962 film Billy Budd directed by Peter Ustinov and starring Terence Stamp. The presentation will begin with a discussion of Britten's legacy by James Conlon and actor Michael York.

Venue: Aero Theatre (1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, 90403)
Information: www.AmericanCinemathequeCalendar.com

February 22 through March 16
Billy Budd (Op. 50, 1951)
Presented by LA Opera, conducted by James Conlon and featuring baritone Liam Bonner (Billy Budd), tenor Richard Croft (Captain Vere), bass-baritone Greer Grimsley (Claggart).

Venue: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, 90012
Information: www.LAOpera.org or 213.972.8001

February 25, 7:00pm
The Lambda Literary Book Club highlights a different LGBT book each month. February's discussion, led by Tony Valenzuela, Executive Director of the Lambda Literary Foundation, will explore Herman Melville's novella Billy Budd. This event is free and open to the public. Validated parking is provided.

Venue: West Hollywood Library Community Room, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, 90069
Information: www.LambdaLiterary.org or 310.652.5340

MARCH 2014 EVENTS
March 6 through 14
Camerata Pacifica presents several concerts throughout Southern California featuring Temporal Variations (1936) performed by Nicholas Daniel (oboe) and Adam Neiman (piano), along with works by Adès, Brahms and Auerbach.

Dates/Venues:
March 6 (8pm) in Downtown Los Angeles: Zipper Concert Hall, Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, 90012

March 7 (1pm and 7:30pm) in Santa Barbara: Hahn Hall, Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara, 93108

March 12 (3pm) in Ventura: Temple Beth Torah, 7620 Foothill Road, Ventura, 93004

March 14 (8pm) in Pasadena: Gold Room, Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 East Green Street, Pasadena, 91101
Information: 805.884.8410 or www.CamerataPacifica.org

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