LACO to Open 2014-15 Season with World Premiere, Beethoven and Saint-Saens, 9/20-21

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), led by Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, launches its 2014-15 season with the world premiere of a work for strings and percussion by young Australian-born composer Cameron Patrick, Beethoven's iconic Symphony No. 5, and Saint-Saëns' seldom-performed Piano Concerto No. 5, "Egyptian," on Saturday, September 20, 2014, 8 pm, at Glendale's Alex Theatre, and Sunday, September 21, 2014, 7 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall. Saint-Saëns' concerto features the LACO debut of Finnish pianist Juho Pohjonen, proclaimed an "exciting new talent" (The New York Times), who has been hailed for his "dazzling keyboard technique and broad and varied textural palette" (San Francisco Chronicle).

According to Patrick, his piece, Lines of the Southern Cross, explores the mystery, wonder, joy and, even pain that the Australian landscape holds. The work draws upon a musical tradition called the songline, an oral map that describes geographical features and also celebrates the inseparable connection between the continent's indigenous people and the land itself.

After graduating from the University of Queensland, Patrick played violin professionally in Brisbane before moving to the US to further his studies at USC and has since carved out a career in Los Angeles as a composer, violinist and violist. His classical works range from Impressions of Erin, a concert commission from the Camerata of St. John's Chamber Orchestra, to a solo viola work premiered in Los Angeles in 2008. His notable credits as a motion picture orchestrator and arranger include Super 8, Star Trek Into Darkness, Cars 2, Up and Hunchback Of Notre Dame.

Concert Preludes, pre-concert talks held one hour before curtain and free for ticket holders, provide insights into the program's music and artists. Music Director Jeffery Kahane discusses Lines of the Southern Cross with composer Cameron Patrick. After the performance, ticket holders are invited to celebrate the season's opening concert with musicians at an after-party in the lobby with complimentary appetizers and drinks.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is considered one of the world's premier chamber orchestras as well as a leader in presenting wide-ranging repertoire and adventurous commissions. Its 2014-15 season, the Orchestra's 46th, features a compelling mix of beloved masterpieces and genre-defying premieres from firmly established as well as notable up-and-coming composers programmed by Jeffrey Kahane, one of the world's foremost conductors and pianists, who marks his 18th season as LACO's music director.

Tickets, starting at $26, are on sale now and may be purchased online at laco.org, by calling LACO at 213 622 7001. Discounted tickets are also available by phone for seniors 65 years of age and older and 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. Also available for college students is the $30 "Campus to Concert Hall All Access Pass" - good for all seven of LACO's Orchestral series concerts, Discover Mozart's Requiem and three Westside Connections concerts.

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.

JUHO POHJONEN has attracted great attention as one of Finland's most intriguing and talented pianists. He has given recitals and performed with orchestras around the world and been widely praised for his broad range of repertoire, spanning Bach to Salonen. His interpretations are acclaimed for their intensity, thoughtfulness and fearless musical conviction. Pohjonen studied with Meri Louhos and Hui-Ying Liu at the Sibelius Academy, where he completed his Master's Degree in 2008. In 2009, he was selected by András Schiff as winner of the Klavier Festival Ruhr Scholarship. Pohjonen's debut recording, Plateaux, features a performance of Scandinavian composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's piano concerto Plateaux pour Piano et Orchestre with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the solo piano piece For Piano.

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.

PHOTO CREDIT: Marco Borggreve

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