NY Philharmonic Assistant Conductor Joshua Weilerstein Leads LA Chamber Orchestra in West Coast Premiere

Two profoundly gifted 27-year-old classical music artists make their highly anticipated Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra debuts when New York Philharmonic Assistant Conductor Joshua Weilerstein, “one of the most promising podium presences of his generation” (Los Angeles Times), conducts Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 featuring International Tchaikovsky Competition winner Narek Hakhnazaryan, a “phenomenal cellist (who) produces a powerful and colorful sound… and flashes virtuoso tricks with insolent ease” (The Washington Post), on Saturday, April 18, 2015, 8 pm, at Glendale’s Alex Theatre, and Sunday, April 19, 2015, 7 pm, at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Weilerstein, who won the prestigious 2009 Malko Competition for Young Conductors in Copenhagen, Denmark, at age 21, also conducts Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter,” and the West Coast premiere of imagined landscapes: six Lovecraftian elsewheres, inspired by the horror fiction of H. P. Lovecraft, by composer Joseph Hallman, named one of the top composers under 40 by National Public Radio.

Concert Preludes, pre-concert talks providing insights into the program’s music and artists held one hour before curtain and free for ticket holders, feature Weilerstein and Hakhnazaryan in conversation with LACO director of artistic administration Daren Fuster.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is considered one of the world’s premier chamber orchestras as well as a pacesetter in presenting wide-ranging repertoire and adventurous commissions. Its 2014-15 season, the Orchestra’s 46th, features a compelling mix of beloved masterpieces and genre-defying premieres from firmly established as well as notable up-and-coming composers programmed by Jeffrey Kahane, one of the world’s foremost conductors and pianists, who marks his 18th season as LACO’s music director.

Tickets, starting at $26, are on sale now and may be purchased online at laco.org or by calling LACO at 213 622 7001. 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 ($12), based on availability, at the box office the day of the concert.