Four Harpsichords Showcased in LA Chamber Orchestra's Performances of Vivaldi & Bach, 12/11 & 13

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) highlights the beauty and majesty of the harpsichord with an unusual program featuring four harpsichords and chamber orchestra in the first of its Baroque Conversations series on Thursday, December 11, 2014, 7 pm, at Zipper Hall in downtown Los Angeles, which repeats on Saturday, December 13, 2014, 7:30 pm, when the Orchestra makes its debut at the Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge. Led by Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, the performance honors LACO artistic founder/former cellist James Arkatov and also celebrates the connection between Vivaldi and Bach, who transcribed many of Vivaldi's works during his career. The repertoire includes the original version of Vivaldi's Concerto in B minor for Four Violins, Op. 3, No. 10, from "L'Estro Armonico," and Bach's transcription of the piece, the unprecedented and rarely performed Concerto in A minor for Four Harpsichords, BWV 1065. Kahane also conducts Albinoni's Oboe Concerto in D minor, Op. 9, No. 2, and Corelli's Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8, "Christmas Concerto" in keeping with the season. Kahane, a noted keyboardist who is featured on harpsichord, leads a Baroque-size orchestra comprised of LACO musicians and eight featured soloists, including LACO concertmaster Margaret Batjer; LACO principals Josefina Vergara, Sarah Thornblade, violins, Allan Vogel, oboe, and Patricia Mabee, harpsichord; LACO violinist Jacqueline Brand; and special guests Ian Pritchard and Gilbert Martinez, harpsichords. This marks the first collaboration between LACO and the Valley Performing Arts Center.

LACO's highly regarded five-concert "Baroque Conversations" series, now in its ninth year, explores the genesis of orchestral repertoire from early Baroque schools through the pre-classical period. In signature LACO style, each concert host shares insights into the music and invites questions from the audience, providing an in-depth look at the music being presented as well as an opportunity to get to know LACO artists on a more personal level. For the December 11 performance at Zipper Hall, a complimentary wine reception for all ticket holders begins at 6 pm.

Subscriptions to all five "Baroque Conversations" concerts ($250) are available by calling LACO at 213 622 7001. Tickets for individual concerts (beginning at $56) are available online at laco.org, by calling LACO at 213 622 7001, or at the venue box office on the night of the concert, if tickets remain. Discounted tickets are also available by phone for 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.

Equally at home at the keyboard or on the podium, JEFFREY KAHANE has established an international reputation as a truly versatile artist, recognized around the world for his mastery of diverse repertoire ranging from Bach, Mozart and Beethoven to Gershwin, Golijov and John Adams. Now in his 18th season as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, he previously served as music director of the Colorado and Santa Rosa symphonies. He has garnered tremendous critical acclaim for his innovative programming and commitment to education and community involvement and received multiple ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming for his work in both Los Angeles and Denver.

MARGARET BATJER, concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orches¬tra since 1998, made her first solo appearance at age 15 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She has since soloed with leading orchestras from around the world including the Philadelphia, St. Louis and Dallas symphonies; the Prague, Halle and Berlin sympho¬ny orchestras; and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. An esteemed chamber musician, she appears regularly at the Marlboro Music Festival, as well as many other festivals in the US and Europe. Batjer has recorded extensively for Philips, EMI, Deutsche Grammophon and BMG. In 2008, Batjer developed LACO's Westside Connections chamber music series. She serves on the faculty of the USC Thorn¬ton School of Music and the Colburn Music Academy.

JACQUELINE BRAND, violin, is a recipient of the Young Musicians Founda¬tion Award and has been honored at prestigious competitions such as the Midland-Odessa and Ima Hogg national competitions. As a member of the Arpa Trio, she received first place in the Cole¬man Chamber Ensemble Competition. Since joining LACO in 1985, Brand has appeared as a frequent soloist with the Orchestra. She has also made solo appearances with the San Francisco, Houston, Chicago and Redlands symphonies, among others, and in concerts with Helmuth Rilling in Germany. She has participated in numerous festivals, including the Mainly Mozart, Ojai, Oregon Bach, Mozart in Monterey, Banff, Shawnigan and Flagstaff festivals.

PATRICIA MABEE, harpsichord, has been principal keyboard with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra since 1976, and has appeared in more than 20 works from the concerto repertoire under the batons of Sir Neville Marriner, Christopher Hogwood, Helmuth Rilling, Nicholas McGegan and Iona Brown. Mabee performs with the Bach's Circle, which focuses on the music of JS Bach, his sons and contemporaries. She is the music director of Ritornello, a period instrument ensemble that presents educational programs for schools, museums and community groups. She has also been featured on piano for world premieres by John Adams, Bruce Broughton, Donald Crockett and Libby Larsen.

GILBERT MARTINEZ, harpsichord, is the artistic director of MusicSources, a Bay Area-arts institution cultivating interest in early music. He has curated its important collection of early keyboard instruments and expand¬ed its concert series to feature international performers, scholars, teachers and students. He conducted a successful production of Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea for Berkeley/West Edge Opera, and returns in 2015 to lead The Return of Ulysses. His recent solo performances have featured the complete harpsichord works of Jean-Philippe Rameau. Martinez has been a featured soloist for European Early Music Day, The Copenhagen Renaissance Music Festival, Midsommerbarok Festival and Tidlig Musik i Danmark.

IAN PRITCHARD, harpsichord, has performed with the Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Orquesta Nacionales de España, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Florilegium, Monica Huggett, Ra-chel Podger and Peter Holtslag, among others, and has appeared frequently on BBC Radio 3 and BBC 2's Vivaldi Unmasked. Pritchard won First Prize in the prestigious 2001 Broadwood Harpsichord Competition and was awarded a US Fulbright Scholarship to Italy to research early Italian keyboards. He is pursuing his PhD in Historical Musicol¬ogy at USC and is currently on faculty at Mount Saint Mary's and the Colburn School. Pritchard is a founding member of the new early mu¬sic group Tesserae and is also involved with Les Surprises Baroques.

SARAH THORNBLADE, violin, joined LACO in 1999 and is now the Orchestra's associate principal second violin. She is a member of the Eclipse Quartet, an ensemble dedicated to playing 20th-century and con-temporary music, a recent recipient of an Aaron Copland Fund recording grant. A former member of the Denali and Arianna string quartets, Thornblade has performed with Camerata Pacifica, Jaca¬randa Music and the Auros Group for New Music (Boston), and at major festivals around the world. She has collaborated with artists such as Gilbert Kalish, Jeffrey Kahane, Andres Cardenes, Randall Hodgkinson and Warren Jones. She is on the faculty of Pomona College and an active recording musician.

JOSEFINA VERGARA, violin, joined LACO in 1999 as principal second violin. She has been a prizewinner at the Pasadena Showcase House Instru¬mental Competition, the Osaka International, Fischoff National and Coleman chamber music competitions. Vergara has appeared as soloist with LACO, the Peninsula Symphony and the Indiana Cham¬ber Orchestra. She has toured Europe and Asia as the violinist of the Uri Caine Ensemble and has performed in summer music festi¬vals including Mainly Mozart and Tanglewood, the Music Academy Summer Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival. She is active in many film, TV and recording projects.

ALLAN VOGEL, oboe, joined LACO in 1972 and became principal oboe in 1974. Vogel has performed as guest principal oboe with the Bos¬ton Symphony Orchestra, appeared with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Berlin and Los Angeles philharmonics. He has been featured at the Marlboro, Santa Fe, Aspen and Mostly Mozart festivals, among others, and performed at the White House during the last state dinner of the Clinton presidency. Vogel is on the faculty of the California Institute of the Arts, the University of Southern California and the Colburn School Conservatory of Music.

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 46-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; 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, an annual Silent Film screening 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.

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