LA Chamber Orchestra Presents West Coast Premiere of 'Roll Over Beethoven' by John Adams

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra presents the West Coast premiere of John Adams' two-piano tour de force Roll Over Beethoven for its Westside Connections series on Thursday, May 4, 2017, 7:30 pm, at Santa Monica’s Moss Theater. The program features Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, as beloved for his insightful introductions and versatility as for his artistry as a pianist and conductor, doing double-duty as piano soloist and commentator for the Beethoven-themed program. Also showcased is Beethoven’s Piano Trio in B-flat major, “Archduke,” composed in 1811, which takes fragments of two late Beethoven piano works and processes them in his own transformative musical language that pays homage to the electric vitality of Beethoven’s musical forms. Joining Kahane are LACO Concertmaster Margaret Batjer, who curates Westside Connections; special guest Joanne Pearce Martin, piano; and LACO Principal Cello Andrew Shulman. NPR’s Renée Montagne interviews the special guests and moderates a short Q&A at the conclusion of each program. The 2017 Westside Connections series, Music: The Mirror of Time, features explorations of musical masterworks that emerged from times of triumph and tragedy in England, Russia and Germany.

Each year, LACO's trademark three-part Westside Connections, now in its ninth season, steps outside the proverbial "music "box" to illustrate the myriad ways music is woven into society and our lives with fascinating intellectual discourse, superb artistry and audience Q&As. In previous seasons, Westside Connections has explored connections between music and such disparate topics as architecture, the culinary arts, poetry, the mind, stories and the influences of Los Angeles on creativity.

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 the baton of acclaimed conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, hailed by critics as “visionary” and a conductor with “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. Steinway is the official piano of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Tickets (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. Student rush tickets ($12), based on availability, may be purchased at the box office one hour before the concert. Also available for college students is the $30 “Campus to Concert Hall All Access Pass” – good for LACO’s three Westside Connections concerts at the Moss Theater, eight Orchestral Series concerts at either the Alex Theatre or UCLA’s Royce Hall and five Baroque Conversations concerts at downtown’s Zipper Hall. The Moss Theater at New Roads School is located at 3131 Olympic Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA, 90404.