Robert D. Thomas/Class Act

OVERNIGHT REVIEW: L.A. Philharmonic at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News
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Los Angeles Philharmonic; Manuel López, conductor
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 • Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
Next concert: Sunday, Oct. 3 • Levitt Pavilion, MacArthur Park
http://www.laphil.com/tickets/performance-detail.cfm?id=4504
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One of the lesser-publicized aspects of Gustavo Dudamel’s tenure as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic has been the establishment of the Dudamel Fellowship Program for young conductors. Wednesday night, 26-year-old Manuel López, one of four young conductors in this year’s program, made an impressive debut leading the LAPO’s first free neighborhood concert of the season at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.

Like Dudamel, López is a product of Venezuela’s legendary “El Sistema” music system. He served as concertmaster for four years of the Youth Orchestra of Caracas under Dudamel’s baton and was concertmaster for the Simón Bolivár Youth Symphony Orchestra when it made tours of the U.S., Europe and South America under Dudamel’s leadership.

Although there were similarities in music making between Dudamel and his protégé, López staked out his own identity last night. Lopez, who seems taller than his compatriot, conducted the entire program memory. He exuded muscular athleticism and emphatic cues throughout the evening, which began with three short works that will be played during the Phil’s gala opening concert on Thursday at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

In fact, the entire program was a shakeout of sorts. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, which concluded the evening, will show up in the first January 2011 concerts and will also be played on the Phil’s European tour that month. Moreover, last night program — 80 minutes of music, played without an intermission — was approximately the length of Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-symphonie that will be played four consecutive nights beginning Oct. 14 at Disney Hall.

It was the Phil’s first time on stage in three weeks and some rust peeked through occasionally. Moreover, Lopez’s tight control over the proceedings meant that the first three pieces — Moncayo’s Huapango and Rossini’s overtures to La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie) and Semiramide — lacked that touch of impetuosity that make them sparkle just that little extra bit to be special.

López’s treated Beethoven’s seventh symphony as almost two different works. The first two movements were almost rigid in their classicism. The opening “Poco sostenuto; Vivace” began with a stately pace only to lose a fraction of the tension towards the end, while the “Allegretto” began urgently and held that pace more firmly.

Beginning with the “Presto” third movement, Lopez varied tempos throughout and the fourth movement really emphasized the “con brio” in the “Allegro con brio” title. It wasn’t as fast as Dudamel took the movement in his recording with the Simón Bolivár Youth Symphony Orchestra but it was close enough; when Dudamel dusts off the work in rehearsals after January 1, the fourth movement tempos won’t cause heart failure among the musicians.

Prior to coming to Los Angeles, López was a finalist in two major international conducting competitions. He is clearly a talent to keep track of, not only during this season but in years to come, as well. You can catch him again when he conducts an LAPO wind and brass ensemble in another free concert on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles’s Westlake area.
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(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.

(Revised-3) STORY AND LINKS: Met's "Rheingold" opens in New York

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Wagner’s Das Rheingold opened last night in New York City. It’s the first segment of a new Ring being designed and directed by Canadian director Robert Lepage. The second segment, Die Walkure, will play next spring and the final two portions, Siegfried and Götterdämerung, will be performed during the 2011-2012 season.

Anne Midgette, the Washington Post music critic wasn’t in attendance, but she has compiled a set of the first reviews HERE. Not surprisingly, the reviews are somewhat mixed, although everyone loved the conducting of Music Director James Levine and the playing of the Met Orchestra.

One review that Midgette missed (probably because it was posted later) was Martin Bernheimer in London’s Financial Times HERE. One of the most interesting statements of Martin’s review was that he puts a MUCH higher price tag on the entire Ring production than anyone else has used: $40 million (the usual number reported is $16 million).

Other reviews showing up later today were James C. Taylor in the Los Angeles Times HERE, James Jorden in the New York Post HERE and David Patrick Stearns in the Philadelphia Inquirer HERE.

A very late entrant comes courtesy of Justin Davidson on New York Magazine's Web site HERE.

One major technical glitch occurred opening night, which marred the climactic scene. All of the critics mentioned it but Daniel J. Wakin's story in the New York Times detailed it extensively HERE. Perhaps it was the ghost of LA Opera's Grendel.

You can see this new Das Rheingold telecast in high definition on Saturday, Oct. 9 in several theaters throughout Southern California. INFO
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(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.

LINKS: Plácido Domingo stepping down as Washington National Opera general director

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

Plácido Domingo, who earlier this month extended his contract as general director of Los Angeles Opera through the 2012-2013 season, announced today that he will leave a similar position with Washington (D.C.) National Opera at the end of this season. Anne Midgette has the story in the Washington Post HERE.

Other stories:
• Tim Smith in the Baltimore Sun HERE
• Daniel J. Wakin in the New York Times HERE
• David Ng and Mike Boehm in the Los Angeles Times HERE
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(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.

STORY AND LINKS: "Rusty Musicians" — a novel concept

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

Several months ago, Tim Smith, the excellent music critic of the Baltimore Sun and Anne Midgette, the equally fine music critic of the Washington Post, wrote about a fascinating new program being implemented by the Baltimore Symphony and its music director, Marin Alsop entitled “Rusty Musicians.” Essentially, it's a chance for amateur instrumentalists — either those currently performing or who once played an instrument seriously — to perform on stage with the BSO and Alsop.

The results are in; click HERE and HERE for Tim’s reports.

IMHO, every orchestra — up to and including the Los Angeles Philharmonic — should seriously consider these types of programs, for many of the reasons outlined by Tim in his articles. There are many ways to build audiences and this is one.
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(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.

(Revised-5) LINKS: "Il Postino" garners positive reviews

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

I wasn’t the only critic who loved Daniel Catán’s new opera, Il Postino, which opened last night for Los Angeles Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. (LINK) Laudatory critical reviews have been flowing in, including:
• Mark Swed in the Los Angeles Times HERE
• Joshua Kosman in the San Francisco Chronicle HERE
• Ronald Blum in the Associated Press HERE
• Anne Midgette in the Washington Post HERE
• David Maurer in Culture Spot LA HERE
• Rob Lowman in the Los Angeles Daily News HERE
• Richard Ginell in Variety HERE
• Alan Ulrich in London's Financial Times HERE
• Tim Mangan in Orange County Register HERE
• Donna Perlmutter in Huffington Post HERE

I also wasn’t the only critic who took notice of the sensual opening to the opera. Christopher Smith in the Los Angeles Times offers his take HERE.
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(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.

OVERNIGHT REVIEW: “Il Postino” — first class and then some

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News
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Los Angeles Opera: Il Postino (The Postman) by Daniel Catán
World premiere: Thursday, September 23, 2010 • Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Next performances: Sept. 29, Oct. 5 and Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 and Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. Preconcert lecture one hour before each performance.
Tickets: $20-$270.
Information: www.losangelesopera.com
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Los Angeles Opera’s history of commissioning new works has been spotty, at best; who can forget Nicholas and Alexandra or The Fly — perhaps a better question is, “who can (or wants to) remember them?” However, those memories were wiped away by the world premiere of Il Postino (The Postman), a stunning new opera by Daniel Catán, which opened last night at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. This was one of those all-too-rare nights when every individual element melded marvelously into a whole, a performance that reminded us that opera — at its best — can touch emotions and tell stories like no other medium.

Unlike the two aforementioned examples, for Il Postino the company’s entrusted the opening of its 25th anniversary season to an experienced opera composer. The 61-year-old Catán — who was born in Mexico City but now lives in South Pasadena and teaches at College of the Canyons — had written three operas before Il Postino, including Florencias en el Amazonas, which LAO mounted in 1997. Moreover, Catán had waited 15 years from the time he first encountered Il Postino before tackling it. Clearly it was time well spent.

He elected to write the opera in Spanish. As usual, LAO added English supertitles, which were occasionally a little too quick in appearing, thus causing laughter at the wrong points musically, but they also helped to keep the audience fully involved. However, while writing an opera in Spanish makes sense given Los Angeles’ growing Latino population, even those who don’t speak the language fluently were quite comfortable with what was taking place, more so, I suspect, than if the language had been Italian (which would have been sense because the story is set on a fictional island off of the Italian coast).

Adapting Il Postino into an opera wasn’t easy, by any means. Catán’s source material was Ardiente Pacienca (Burning Patience), a 1985 novella by Antonio Skármeta and the award-winning (and beloved by many) 1994 film, Il Postino, by Michael Radford. Catán was undaunted; not only did he compose the music, he also wrote the libretto, which included plenty of witty dialogue in the first two acts, followed by a heartbreaking conclusion that had many in the audience in tears, even if they knew what was coming. The loudest applause in the thunderous standing ovation that followed the performance was reserved for the composer — deservedly so.

Everyone in the production team stepped up to Catán’s high standard last night (which, by the way, was the 37th anniversary of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s death) . Director Ron Daniels and Riccardo Hernandez, who designed the scenery and atmospheric costumes, used two moveable walls, a platform that rolled back and forth, and furniture and other set pieces that supernumeraries moved on and off quickly but unobtrusively to keep about two dozen scenes flowing seamlessly (Catán’s Il Postino, which clocked in last night at a shade under three hours, joins the first two acts together and inserts a single intermission before the third act).

Phillip Bussmann’s projections illuminated the entire story effectively, being colorful, wistful or dramatic when called for. Among many highlights, he projected old black-and-white photos of scenes from Chilean political demonstrations to backstop the most gripping moments of the second and third acts. The lighting by Jennifer Tipton (who like Bussmann and Daniels was making her LAO debut) added immeasurably to the entire evening.

Music Director Grant Gershon seemed fully at ease with Catán’s rich, always interesting score and accompanied his singers sensitively. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion continues to be weak in projecting voices but balance concerns were minimal, for the most part. The LA Opera Orchestra was in fine form throughout the evening and some onstage instruments, including an accordion, added just the right “native” touches to the drama.

From top to bottom, the cast delivered performances that were sensitive, witty, dramatic and heartbreaking when called for. The acting carried the story from beginning — which commenced with Plácido Domingo as Neruda stripping his wife (Cristina Gallardo-Domâs) half-naked in a sensuous, yet tender declaration of their love — to the gripping end, when Charles Castronovo as Mario Ruppolo (The Postman of the title) joined Domingo for their climactic duet.

Domingo, four months shy of his 70th birthday, continues to be an amazing force onstage (and off, for that matter). Pablo Neruda is the 134th role that he has undertaken and it’s one of his most complete portrayals. He was more animated than I can remember in recent memory; to my mind, he embodied the character of Pablo Neruda (at least as it was portrayed in the movie) with uncanny accuracy. Moreover, Domingo continues to mix melodic pathos and steely power in just the right measures in a voice that remains a marvel of our era.

In some ways, Castronovo, who is half Domingo’s age and began his career 15 years ago as a member of the LAO chorus, had the more difficult assignment of the two. At the beginning of the opera, Mario is painfully shy, almost unable to talk in a complete sentence, but gradually grows to become fully expressive by the evening’s end. Catán used halting song-speech for Mario as the opera opened but by the third act, Castronovo was able to sound forth with radiant, full-throated power; his third-act aria, Why Should He Care About Me? was one of the evening’s many high points.

Amanda Squitieri looked and sounded alluring as Mario’s love interest, Beatrice Russo, while Nancy Fabiola Herrera was a witty Donna Rosa and Gallardo-Domâs played Neruda’s wife with just the right touch of worshipful concern. Other principal cast members were Vladimir Chernov as Giorgio, José Adán Pérez as Di Cosino and Gabriel Lautaro Osuna as Mario’s father.

If you don’t already have a ticket for one of the five remaining performances, grab one while they’re still available — this is a don’t-miss event. Next stop: Vienna, where Il Postino will make its European debut in December at the Theater an der Vien. The third commissioning company is Le Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, which gets its chance in June. From there, who knows? Il Postino has a real chance to enter the mainstream repertory for years to come.

(Photo caption) Plácido Domingo (L) as Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and Charles Castronovo as Mario Ruppolo (the postman) star in Los Angeles Opera's production of Daniel Catán's new opera, Il Postino. Photo from LA Opera.
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Hemidemisemiquavers:
• The evening began with the Star Spangled Banner. Ask not why.
• Parking entrances at the Music Center are limited because of construction. Allow extra time to get in if you’re parking or consider taking public transit. Presumably, the set piece for the post-event party will have been taken down, making movement around the outside of the Pavilion easier than it was last night.
• The three gigantic posters usually adorning the front of the Pavilion have disappeared, leaving empty white spaces in their place.
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(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.

STORY AND LINK: Christoph Eschenbach to begin tenure with National Symphony

Much of the classical music world is focusing on Riccardo Muti's beginning as music director of the Chicago Symphony this month. However, there's another debut about to take place: Christoph Eschenbach with Washington D.C.'s National Symphony. Anne Midgette, music critic of the Washington Post, has an interesting profile HERE — and a column on how the story came to be written HERE.

STORY AND LINK: Rachael Worby ends one tenure and begins another

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News
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Pasadena Pops Orchestra; Rachael Worby, conductor
“Hooray for Hollywood!”
Saturday, Sept. 25; 7:30 p.m. • The Lawn Adjacent to the Rose Bowl
Information: www.pasadenasymphony-pops.org
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When Rachael Worby planned Saturday night’s concert last year, she knew it would be the final concert of the Pasadena Pops’ 2010 summer season and the first at its new home, The Lawn Adjacent to the Rose Bowl. What she didn’t count on was the program being her final concert after an 11-year tenure as the orchestra’s music director. For many in the audience, it will be a time for celebration and wistful remembrance; for Worby, it’s a time to look forward.

“Working with the orchestra has been as joyous and rewarding an experience as I could have ever wished,” said Worby when she announced the decision. “I’m just ready to open the next chapter.” That chapter will be, in a sense, a continuation of her original goal with the Pops: to create exciting events — not just concerts — for audience of all ages.

Worby’s final Pops concert will be a celebration of motion picture music from composers such as Maurice Jarre, Jerry Goldsmith and Harold Arlen along with a concluding suite from the Star Wars movies with music by John Williams.

Vocalist Jodie Benson will perform sets of songs from Alan Menken scores (The Little Mermaid and Pocahontas) and Over the Rainbow, while Saxophonist Doug Masek will be the soloist in Escapades from one of Williams’ lesser-known scores: Catch Me If You Can. Ironically, one of the selections, The Way We Were, was arranged by Marvin Hamlisch, the man who will conduct three of next season’s Pops concerts.

However, time moves on and Worby is eagerly planning her new venture, which she calls “Saturday Morning Mash-ups.” The three programs, with two performances each, will take place at the Eli and Edyth Broad Stage, a new 499-seat theater on the campus of Santa Monica College that has drawn rave reviews.

Although at first glance, the programs — Saint-Saens’ The Carnival of the Animals (Jan. 8), Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf (Feb. 12) and Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Animals (March 12) — might appear to be aimed at children, nothing could be further from the truth, says Worby.

“Think of the Shrek movies and Despicable Me and the audiences they drew,” says Worby in her typical ebullient style. “Of course, kids loved them, but so did adults. That’s what I’m aiming for with ‘Mash-Ups.’ They’re definitely not for kids only; everyone will enjoy them.”

Worby is joining forces with the Angeli Ensemble, a group of 21 musicians recently formed by famed cellist Lynn Harrell and his wife, violinist Helen Nightengale. But that’s just the start. The programs will also include narration by hip-hop poets Stephen Connell and Sekou “The Misfit” Andrews,” a perfect example of the “Mash-Up” concept. Picture Worby as the sorcerer in the Disney Fantasia version of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, mixing various elements into an alchemic mixture without knowing exactly what was going to emerge, but having lots of fun in the process.

“When I programmed Billy Collins (who was U.S. poet laureate from 2001-2003) with the Pops a couple of season back,” recalls Worby, “some board members thought I was nuts. But a lot of people came (a) to see Billy Collins and (b) because the unique concept encouraged them to just come and have fun. That sort of excitement always been vital for me.

“Why do people love Gustavo Dudamel?” she asks. “There are lots of reasons, of course, but one the biggest is that he LOOKS like he’s having a great time, the musicians are having a great time, and the audience has a great time, too. That’s not the only reason for concerts, but it’s one that’s often overlooked by programmers and managements.” Not by Worby, obviously.

Information: www.thebroadstage.com
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(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.

STORY AND LINK: LA Opera announces new leadership responsibilities

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

Two days after Los Angeles Opera announced that Plácido Domingo had extended his contract as the company’s general director through the 2012-2013 season and a day before it opens its 25th anniversary season with the world premiere of Daniel Catán’s setting of Il Postino, LAO announced today that it had solidified its top management echelon, albeit without adding any new people.

Stephen Rountree, who has been LAO’s chief operating officer since 2008, will succeed Marc L. Stern as chief executive officer, and Christopher Koelsch has been named to the newly titled position of senior vice president and chief operating officer. The company's top executive staff also includes John P. Nuckols, vice president of advancement, who has been with LA Opera since 2002, and Faith Raiguel, who has been vice president and chief financial officer since 2008.

All of these changes, in a sense, result from the untimely death of Edgar Baitzel, who passed away from cancer in 2007 at the age of 51. Baitzel, who had come to LAO 2001 as director of operations, became artistic director in 2003 and chief operating officer in 2006. He was viewed as a critical component of the company’s growth and success, given that Domingo juggles running two operas companies (LAO and Washington National Opera) with a still-full singing and conducting career.

In the shakeout following Baitzel’s death and in an unusual move for an arts organization, Stern — who was chairman of the board — added the CEO title to his portfolio. “It has long been my contention that the position of CEO should not be held by a volunteer board member, although I was willing to take on that position during a time of great transition and enormous growth for the Company," said Stern in today’s release announcing the new executive team. "I truly believe, however, that LA Opera is best served by splitting the duties of the Chairman of the Board and the CEO, and that the CEO position should be held by a paid executive.” Stern will continue as board chairman.

When Rountree joined LA Opera in 2008, he retained his previous job as president and CEO of the Music Center (which he has held since 2002). He will continue to serve in both positions.

Koelsch joined LAO in 1997, which means that he has worked not only with Domingo but also with former LAO General Manager Peter Hemmings and with Baitzel. Koelsch was appointed vice president of artistic planning in 2007; in that position and working with Domingo and Music Director James Conlon, he has been responsible for all aspects of artistic planning, music administration, production and educational administration for the company. In his new post, he will oversee artistic planning, peoduction management, education, marketing and communications.

The complete release is on the company Web site’s “News and Press” section HERE.
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(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.

STORY AND LINKS: A VERY busy weekend

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

Once or twice a season comes a day or a weekend when it seems as if everyone is performing somewhere in Southern California. Usually one of those times shows up in October but this year it’s in September — this weekend, to be precise. The biggest problem will be that we cannot bifurcate or trifurcate. Fortunately, some of these events have multiple performances but, inevitably, choices will have to be made.

Chronologically:

• Thursday: Los Angeles Opera presents the world premiere Daniel Catán’s Il Postino
at 6 p.m. in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Much is riding on this premiere for LA Opera, which begins its 25th season. Plácido Domingo performs the role of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, the 134th role of his illustrious career. (LINK)
Info: www.losangelesopera.com

• Thursday-Saturday: Pacific Symphony’s opening concerts
at 8 p.m. in Segerstrom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa.
Carl St.Clair begins his 21st season as the orchestra’s music director with a program that features Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, with Jon Kimura Parker as soloist, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2. The Pacific Symphony is one of five orchestra performing the Brahms’ second, four of them with the span of five weeks at the beginning of the season.
Info: www.pacificsymphony.org

• Saturday: Pasadena Pops final concert Rachael Worby’s tenure
at 7:30 p.m. on The Lawn Adjacent to the Rose Bowl.
Worby bows out after a 10-year-run with a Hollywood-themed program.
Info: www.pasadenasymphony-pops.org

• Saturday: Charles Castronovo’s Italian Songbook
at 7:30 p.m. at The Colburn School’s Zipper Hall.
Castronovo, who is performing the title role in LA Opera’s Il Postino, offers a program that will benefit Opera Buffs (LINK).
Info: www.operabuffs.org

• Saturday: “Sing-A-Long Sound of Music”
at 6 p.m. in Hollywood Bowl.
This annual event features thousands of fans dressing up in costumes and joining in the songs of this legendary motion picture, which is shown on the Bowl’s big screen. The evening is a total trip if you’re a SOM fan.
Info: www.hollywoodbowl.com

• Saturday: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s opening concerts
at 8 p.m. in Glendale’s Alex Theater
Guest conductor Julian Kuerti opens LACO’s 42nd season, replacing LACO Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, who withdrew after coming down with mononucleosis (LINK). Kahane’s original program remains: Mendelssohn’s Overture, Scherzo & Nocturne from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, former LACO composer-in-residence Pierre Jalbert’s meditative Les Espaces Infinis (The Infinite Spaces) and Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 in G major. Violinist Leila Josefowicz will be the soloist in Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1.
Info: www.laco.org

•Saturday: The Colburn School Orchestra’s opening concert
at 8 p.m. in Ambassador Auditorium
Yehuda Gilad leads his young charges in a program that includes with yet another performance of Brahms’ Symphony No. 2.
Info: www.colburnschool.edu

• Sunday: Los Angeles Opera: The Marriage of Figaro
at 2 p.m. in Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
A revival of the LA Opera production of one of Mozart’s most popular and magical operas. Plácido Domingo conducts the first of five performances.
Information: www.losangelesopera.com

• Sunday: Rio Hondo Symphony’s opening concert
at 3 p.m. at Whittier High School
Kimo Furumoto begins his second season as music director with a program entitled “Oktoberfest” (despite the concert date). Jacquelynne Fontaine, 27-year-old soprano from L.A. and winner of the Young Artists Competition last February is the soloist. Fontaine was Miss California in 2007 and was in the top 10 in the “Miss America” pageant that year, in which she won the talent contest. Furumoto continues his Beethoven survey with the Symphony No. 2.
Information: www.riohondosymphony.org

• Sunday: Los Angeles Master Chorale’s opening concert
at 7 p.m. in Walt Disney Concert Hall
Music Director Grant Gershon celebrates his 10th anniversary leading a performance of Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil.
Info: www.lamc.org

• Sunday: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s opening concerts
at 7 p.m. in UCLA’s Royce Hall
See above (Saturday).

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(c) Copyright 2010, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.