Cellist Alisa Weilerstein Joins LA Chamber Orchestra, 5/18 & 19

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's 44th season concludes with a flourish as Alisa Weilerstein, lauded by The New York Times as a "brilliant young American cellist," performs Shostakovich's thrilling Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 107, originally composed for legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, on Saturday, May 18, 2013, 8 pm, at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, and Sunday, May 19, 2013, 7 pm, at Royce Hall, UCLA. Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, who conducts the program and has long been committed to championing artists early in their careers, also presents the US premiere of up-and-coming French composer Hugo Gonzalez-Pioli's The Love of Zero, an intriguing bassoon concerto, featuring LACO Principal Bassoon Kenneth Munday and played with Robert Florey's avant-garde 1927 short silent film of the same title. Gonzalez-Pioli, whose work adds a touch of Hollywood to the program, is a 2012 graduate of USC's prestigious Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program.

Weilerstein, who has attracted attention worldwide for playing that combines a natural virtuosic command and technical precision with impassioned musicianship, was named a MacArthur "Genius" Grant recipient in 2011. The Los Angeles Times praised her "rich lyrical tone," and the Washington Post applauded a previous performance of the Shostakovich concerto as "magisterial."

Concert Preludes, pre-concert talks held one hour before curtain and free for ticket holders, provide insights into the music and artists. Composer Hugo Gonzalez-Pioli joins Jeffrey Kahane to discuss The Love of Zero.

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 2012-13 season, the Orchestra's 44th, features a compelling mix of beloved masterpieces and genre-defying premieres from firmly established and notable up-and-coming composers programmed by Jeffrey Kahane, one of the world's foremost conductors and pianists, who marks his 16th season as LACO's music director.

Tickets ($25 - $110) are on sale now and may be purchased 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 seniors 65 years of age and older and groups of 12 or more. College students may purchase student rush tickets ($10), 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. The 2012-13 season marks Kahane's 16th season as the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's music director. 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. In addition to his projects with LACO, he has recently appeared at the Aspen, Mostly Mozart, Blossom, Music@Menlo and Oregon Bach festivals; performed concertos with the Toronto and Houston symphonies; guest conducted the San Francisco, National and Indianapolis symphonies; and play/conducted programs in Europe with the Camerata Salzburg and Hamburg Symphony.

American cellist Alisa Weilerstein has attracted attention worldwide for playing that combines a natural virtuosic command and technical precision with impassioned musicianship. In September 2011, she was named a MacArthur "Genius" Grant recipient. In 2010, she became an exclusive recording artist for Decca Classics. Weilerstein's 2011-12 season included return engagements with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics, as well as an appointment as the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra's artist-in-residence. She performs regularly as a chamber musician at festivals around the world, including Spoleto USA, in addition to her appearances as a soloist and recitalist. Weilerstein has received Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal prize and the Leonard Bernstein Award and was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2000. She graduated from the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music and from Columbia University, where she studied Russian History.

Appointed to the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in 1976, KENNETH MUNDAY serves as principal bassoon and has toured with the Orchestra throughout the world. He has collaborated as a soloist with all five LACO music directors and gave the world premiere of John Steinmetz's Bassoon Concerto. Munday has worked as principal bassoon for numerous composers, including Danny Elfman, John Williams, and Hans Zimmer, appearing on hundreds of film scores. Munday recorded Richard Strauss's Duet Concertino with David Shifrin (Nonesuch Records), received international recogni¬tion for his performance of Luciano Berio's Sequenza XII (Naxos) and was principal bassoon on the Grammy-winning recording of Penderecki's Credo with the Oregon Bach Festival con¬ducted by Helmuth Rilling. He founded the Strawberry Creek Music Festival and has participated in the Marlboro Music and Mostly Mozart festivals. A graduate of the California Institute of the Arts, he has served on the faculties of California State University Northridge and Fullerton, San Diego State University, UCLA and the University of Redlands.

LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (LACO), proclaimed "America's finest chamber orchestra" by Public Radio International, has established itself among the world's top musical ensembles. Since 1997, LACO has performed under acclaimed conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, hailed by critics as "visionary" and "a conductor of uncommon intellect, insight and musical integrity." Under Kahane's leadership, the Orchestra maintains its status as a preeminent interpreter of historical masterworks and a champion of contemporary composers. During its 44-year history, the Orchestra has made 31 recordings, toured Europe, South America and Japan, performed across North America and garnered seven ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming. LACO presents its Orchestral Series at both the Alex Theatre and Royce Hall, Baroque Conversations at Zipper Hall, Westside Connections chamber music series at The Broad Stage, and an annual Discover concert at Ambassador Auditorium. LACO also presents a Concert Gala, an annual Silent Film screening and several fundraising salons each year. Additionally, LACO's 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.

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