Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Presents Whimsical Winds May 1, 2011

LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA PRESENTS
WHIMSICAL WINDS

FAMILY CONCERT EXPLORES WIDE RANGE OF WIND INSTRUMENT SOUNDS

PRE-CONCERT PROGRAM 1-2 PM:
Hands-on activities Include LACO’s Instrument Petting Zoo,
a unique paint-blowing art project with Kidspace Children’s Museum,
and discovering the relationship between sound and air
through activities with the California Science Center

Sunday, May 1, 2011 (Alex Theatre, Glendale)

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra concludes its 2011 Family Concerts series with Whimsical Winds, an afternoon exploring wind instruments on Sunday, May 1 at 2 PM at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. This concert introduces children to the sounds in the wind instrument family used by composers from Beethoven to PDQ Bach. From 1 to 2 PM, preceding the performance, young concert-goers are invited to participate in fun-filled activities related to the repertoire. www.laco.org or by phone 213 622 7001 x 215.

Kidspace Children’s Museum invites guests to use their own windpipes to blow paint across a canvas in a unique art project. Guests can also join the California Science Center and discover the relationship between sound and air through activities with pan flutes, straws and more. As always, children are invited to pluck, bow and blow on real instruments in LACO’s Instrument Petting Zoo.

Hosted by KUSC radio host and producer Alan Chapman, Whimsical Winds is the final concert in the family-oriented series and spotlights LACO’s wind musicians performing music by Beethoven, Anthony Plog, Poulenc and PDQ Bach. The Beethoven Sextet in E-flat features Joshua Ranz and Chris Stoutenborough on clarinet, Damian Montano and Rebecca Rivera on bassoon, and Kristy McArthur Morrell and Jenny Kim on horn.

Plog employs five different wind instruments—flute (David Shostac), oboe (Allan Vogel), clarinet (Joshua Ranz), bassoon (Damian Montano) and horn (Kristy McArthur Morrell)—to take the audience on a sonic safari in his Animal Ditties VI, a playful tribute to the animal kingdom. The Poulenc Sonata for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone showcases the talents of Kristy McArthur Morrell, David Washburn and William Booth, respectively. The final work on the program is Octoot, a humorous take on classical music by Peter Schickele, the musical educator, composer and satirist who has written several works under the PDQ Bach pseudonym. Octoot illustrates the orchestral color that is possible using two flutes (David Shostac and Susan Greenberg), two oboes (Allan Vogel and Kimaree Gilad), two clarinets (Joshua Ranz and Chris Stoutenborough) and two bassoons (Damian Montano and Rebecca Rivera).

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s Family Concerts series is an entertaining, interactive experience for children and parents alike. Recommended for children 5 years and older, programs and pre-concert activities are designed to engage young listeners as they learn more about music and related subjects via hands-on activities. Tickets ($10 or $16) may be purchased by phone at 213 622 7001 x 215 or online at laco.org. Groups of 12 or more receive a 15% discount off single ticket prices.

This concert is funded in part by a grant from the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts. Guggenheim Partners is an official sponsor of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. LACO also thanks Metzler Violins and the students of Central Los Angeles High School # 9: School for Visual and Performing Arts for help with the Instrument Petting Zoo, and Cass Kroener for providing sign language interpretation.

Alan Chapman, in addition to his weekday morning program, is also the host and producer of two weekend programs on KUSC 91.5 FM: Modern Times and Thornton Center Stage. He is currently a member of the music theory faculty of the Colburn Conservatory. Well known as a pre-concert lecturer, Chapman has been a regular speaker on the LA Philharmonic’s “Upbeat Live” series since its inception in 1984. He also works closely with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Opera and Pacific Symphony. Chapman is active as a composer/lyricist, whose songs have been performed and recorded by many artists around the world. His children’s opera Les Moose: The Operatic Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle was commissioned by LA Opera. He frequently appears in cabaret evenings with his wife, singer Karen Benjamin.

Official Website: http://www.laco.org