LA Chamber Orchestra World Premieres Work by Sarah Gibson

Guest conductor Peter Oundjian conducts Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) in a blockbuster program featuring a world premiere by LACO's 2018-19 Sound Investment composer Sarah Gibson; Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 performed by pianist Jonathan Biss; Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No. 5; and Seeger’s Andante for Strings, on Saturday, January 26, 8 pm, at Glendale’s Alex Theatre, and Sunday, January 27, 2019, 7 pm, at Royce Hall. Oundjian, the “consistently illuminating” (Gramophone) former music director of both the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Royal National Orchestra in Scotland, made his LACO debut in 2015 and most recently appeared with the Orchestra in fall 2017. Biss, who “will surely take his place among the greats” (BBC Music Magazine), is widely regarded for his artistry and deeply felt interpretations, winning international recognition for his orchestral, recital, and chamber music performances as well as for his award-winning recordings. He last appeared with LACO in 2015.

LACO commissioned Gibson – “a serious talent to watch” (Atlanta Journal Constitution) and faculty member at USC Thornton School of Music – as part of the Orchestra’s singular Sound Investment commissioning program that engages LACO audiences in developing new works. Sound Investment donors have the rare opportunity to create a legacy in music and observe first-hand the development of a new work from the composer’s earliest ideas to the finished composition. Participants invest $300 or more for a membership, which includes intimate salons throughout the season featuring in-depth discussions with the composer about the creative process and previews of the final work.

Ruth Crawford Seeger is one of the most important and forward-looking composers from her generation. As one of the first prominent female composers, she broke down barriers as she pushed relentlessly forward. She studied at the American Conservatory in Chicago during the early 1920s and developed a modernist style that was influenced by the music of Scriabin. She then moved to New York in 1929 to study music with Charles Seeger, who had a reputation for teaching mavericks. Crawford was a maverick herself, being the first woman to win a Guggenheim Fellowship. After her fellowship years in Europe she returned to the U.S. and to Seeger, whom she would marry in 1931. Seeger composed Andante for Strings in the early 1930s, and in the late 1930s became an American folk music specialist like her stepson Pete, making the Seeger name the most widely known in folk music.

Concert Preludes, pre-concert talks held one hour before curtain and free for ticket holders, provide insights into the program's music and artists. After each performance, the audience is invited to a free post-concert party celebrating the Sound Investment composers of today and tomorrow. The party takes place in the Forecourt at the Alex Theatre and in the West Lobby at Royce Hall.

Tickets for concerts at Alex Theatre and Royce Hall start at $28 and may be purchased online at laco.org or by calling LACO at 213 622 7001 x1. Discounted tickets are also available by phone for seniors 65 years of age and older and groups of 12 or more. Students with valid student ID may purchase discounted tickets ($8), based on availability.