Camerata Pacifica to Showcase Artists On Chamber Works For Clarinet, Cello, and Piano

Three eclectic and deeply inspired works are featured on Camerata Pacifica's November program beginning with Paul Dean's clever Suite for Clarinet and Cello. The Australian composer says he wrote the work in 2019 for his “two favorite instruments” and that “the first movement is a tribute to one of my heroes... Sergei Prokofiev,” the second movement a “humble tribute to Gustav Holst,” and the final movement a fun and humorous tribute to “the world of Vaudeville.”

The program continues with Ginastera's fiery Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 49, a grand and virtuosic work rooted in Argentine folk music that he composed in 1979 for his gifted young cellist wife Aurora Natola. It concludes with Brahms' touching Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114, written in 1891, shortly after he announced his retirement at the height of his powers. It was the musical prowess of one of the great clarinetists of his time that inspired the piece and his brief return to composing.

Three virtuosic artists appear on the program: Camerata Pacifica's Principal Clarinet Jose Franch-Ballester, a captivating performer of “poetic eloquence” (The New York Sun); Principal Cello Ani Aznavoorian, whose “scorchingly committed performances…wring every last drop of emotion out of the music” (The Strad); and award-winning Principal Piano Irina Zahharenkova.

Photo Credit: Tim Norris
 

Camerata Pacifica presents the program in four Southern California locations: Tuesday, November 7, 7.30 pm, at The Huntington's Rothenberg Hall in San Marino; Thursday, November 9, 8 pm, at Zipper Hall in Downtown Los Angeles; Friday, November 10, 7.30 pm, in Hahn Hall at Santa Barbara's Music Academy; and Sunday, November 12, 2023, 3 pm, at Thousand Oaks' Janet and Ray Scherr Forum.

For tickets ($75 at The Huntington, Hahn Hall and Zipper Hall; $80 at Janet and Ray Scherr Forum) and information, visit the link below.

Camerata Pacifica, considered one of the nation's leading chamber ensembles, has been hailed as “innovative and intrepid” (The Daily Telegraph), “visceral and powerful” (The Economist). Its considerable commissioning portfolio includes more than 20 works by such established and rising composers as John Harbison, Jake Heggie, Huang Ruo, Lera Auerbach, Bright Sheng, Ian Wilson, David Bruce, Libby Larsen, and John Luther Adams. Two new commissions for the ensemble are currently in process from Clarice Assad and Niloufar Nourbakhsh. The chamber collective has also been lauded for its warm and engaging rapport with audiences, bringing context and immediacy to the music it performs. Based in Santa Barbara, California, the ensemble enjoys a busy performance schedule throughout Southern California and beyond. Camerata Pacifica's flagship annual series showcases its exceptional musicians as well as a range of distinguished guest artists. Each program is structured as a week-long residency with the ensemble performing in four Southern California locales: The Huntington's Rothenberg Hall in San Marino; Colburn School's Zipper Hall in downtown Los Angeles; Janet and Ray Scherr Forum in Thousand Oaks; and Santa Barbara's Music Academy, Hahn Hall. The chamber ensemble has previously toured to Hong Kong and appeared at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, and major concert halls in London, Dublin and Belfast. Camerata Pacifica was founded by Artistic Director Adrian Spence, an acclaimed “high-flying flautist” (The Irish Times) applauded for his “unstoppable energy, his organizational genius, his taste in music and musicians” (Noozhawk). A native of Northern Ireland, Spence's keen artistic sensibilities are evident in every aspect of Camerata Pacifica, from the ensemble's stellar roster of international chamber artists and thoughtfully curated musical offerings to its authentic connection with audiences. He also sets the tone for the deep comradery among the collective's musicians, which is evident both on and off stage.

In addition to its busy performance schedule, Camerata Pacifica is committed to serving the community. In 2021, Camerata Pacifica, in collaboration with UCLA Health, developed The Nightingale Channel, a landmark resource for hospitals providing programming drawn from the ensemble's extensive video library of its performances delivered via iPads to patient bedsides and care teams. Based on the well-documented positive effects of music in healing, The Nightingale Channel has been adopted by UCLA Health, UC Davis Health, Keck Medicine at USC, Loma Linda University Medical Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, and Augusta University Health, and is being introduced to other hospitals across the country. 

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