Three Camerata Pacifica Principals Perform Chamber Works By Ginastera, Paul Dean And Brahms, November 7-12

An eclectic program of three equally compelling works will be brought to life by three virtuosic chamber artists on Camerata Pacifica's November program presented in four locations across Southern California, on Tuesday, November 7, 7:30 p.m., at The Huntington's Rothenberg Hall in San Marino; Thursday, November 9, 8 p.m., at Zipper Hall in Downtown Los Angeles; Friday, November 10, 7:30 p.m., Hahn Hall at Santa Barbara's Music Academy; and Sunday, November 12, 2023, 3 p.m., at Janet and Ray Scherr Forum in Thousand Oaks.

 

The program includes Ginastera's fiery Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 49, a work rooted in Argentine folk music composed for his gifted cellist wife. It features Camerata Pacifica's 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. Principal Clarinet Jose Franch-Ballester, a captivating performer of “poetic eloquence” (The New York Sun), is spotlighted in Brahms' touching Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114, composed in 1891 and inspired by the musical prowess of one of the great clarinetists of the time.

 

Additionally, Franch-Ballester and Aznavoorian perform Paul Dean's clever Suite for Clarinet and Cello, which the Australian composer says he wrote in 2019 for his “two favorite instruments.” He also notes 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 is part of the state-wide California Festival: A Celebration of New Music, a two-week event November 3-19, 2023, showcasing the most compelling and forward-looking voices from around the world in performances of new works written within the past five years. The initiative is a collaboration among more than 50 music institutions from across California with outreach support from the Association of California Symphony Orchestras (ACSO).   

 

Executive Director Adrian Spence describes the allure of the varied programs presented by Camerata Pacifica, the popular international chamber music collective hailed for its exceptional artistry. “Camerata Pacifica's virtuosic artists consistently deliver – with style and elan – stellar performances that are as exciting to watch as they are to hear. Audiences are captivated by the ephemeral quality of our live performances, something that can't be captured in a recording. And because we program such wide-ranging repertoire, both familiar and not, there's a buzz at our concerts as audiences anticipate the musical journey that's about to unfold. They don't quite know what to expect, but they'll be enthralled.”

 

Camerata Pacifica's next program, January 14-19, 2024, rings in the New Year with masterworks both time-honored and contemporary by Brahms, Mendelssohn, Vinko Globokar, and Christos Hatzis.

 

For Camerata Pacifica tickets ($75 at The Huntington, Hahn Hall and Zipper Hall; $80 at Janet and Ray Scherr Forum) and information for please visit www.cameratapacifica.org.

 

 

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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