La Jolla Symphony & Chorus spotlights contemporary composer Nina Shekhar and film vocalist Andrea Zomorodian

La Jolla Symphony & Chorus spotlights contemporary composer Nina Shekhar and film vocalist Andrea Zomorodian

La Jolla Symphony & Chorus has a reputation for programming concerts that venture into uncharted waters. Their next concert “Nexus” is no exception. 

On March 16 and March 17, “Nexus” will feature contemporary composer and multimedia artist Nina Shekhar alongside iconoclastic French composers Claude Debussy, Lili Boulanger, and Francis Poulenc. 

“I am thrilled to share a work by the brilliant composer Nina Shekhar, whose piece Lumina examines the spectrum of light, dark, and what comes in between,” said Sameer Patel, who is looking forward to his second program as the new Music Director and Orchestra Conductor of LJS&C. 

For many San Diego audience members, “Nexus” will be a rare chance to experience Shekhar’s work Lumina, which was written in 2020. This piece was partly inspired by Hindustani classical music, which often involves an improvisational element and requires deep listening from the performers. 

The ensemble will also welcome guest vocalist Andrea Zomorodian to perform Poulenc’s Gloria. This will mark Zomorodian’s first time performing with La Jolla Symphony & Chorus.

“We will feature three colorful works by French composers: Debussy's La Mer, his spectacular ode to the sea, Lili Boulanger's vibrant D'un matin de printemps, and Poulenc's uplifting Gloria, sung by the Chorus and soprano Andrea Zomorodian,” said Patel. 

Zomorodian will be visiting San Diego for the concert, though she is based in Los Angeles, where she often works as a studio vocalist for film and television. Her voice can be heard in a wide range of projects, such as The Simpsons, Frozen II, and The Gilded Age. 

"I really love performing music like Poulenc's Gloria with an orchestra because I get to sing these really sumptuous lines—it's gorgeous, expansive solo writing,” she said. “I can't wait to share that with the audience."

Tickets are available now and can be purchased by visiting www.ljsc.org, phoning the box office at 858-534-4637 or by writing to boxoffice@ljsc.org.

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About La Jolla Symphony & Chorus:

La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C), a UCSD affiliate, is a nonprofit comprised of 230 volunteer musicians from all walks of life, including doctors, lawyers, teachers, students, and professional musicians. LJS&C is helmed by executive director Stephanie Weaver Yankee and chorus director Arian Khaefi. The organization sponsors an annual Emerging Artists Competition, an annual commission of a new work, and provides music education to San Diego K-12 schools.