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About the Los Angeles Master Chorale
2007|08 Season

(long version)

The Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Master Chorale is described by the Los Angeles Times as “the most exciting chorus in the country.” The 2007|08 season, its 44th, marks its fifth as the resident chorus of the landmark Walt Disney Concert Hall. Recognized as one of the city’s cultural treasures and one of the world’s premier choruses, the Chorale, a founding resident company of the Music Center, has played a leading role in the ongoing resurgence of interest in choral music. The New York Times calls the choir “inspired” and The New York Observer declares it “a superb vocal ensemble.” It has been cited as a national leader for its innovative and dynamic programming and its commitment to commissioning new works.

Under the inspired leadership and unique artistic sensibilities of Music Director Grant Gershon, who was appointed to the post in July 2001, the choir has expanded its audienced base considerably and continues to earn superlative accolades. The Los Angeles Times describes the Chorale’s performances under his baton as “masterly,” “ethereal” and “alluring.” Billboard says the Chorale’s “singing and direction are first-rate,” while Gramophone calls the chorus “sonically exhilarating.”

Gershon succeeded Music Director Emeritus Paul Salamunovich, who guided the Master Chorale from 1991 through the 2000|01 season and was named Music Director Emeritus in June 2001. Prior to Salamunovich’s appointment, Scottish conductor John Currie led the Chorale from 1985 to 1990, and, before that, the late Roger Wagner, the Chorale’s founder, headed the choir for two decades, from 1964 to 1984.

The Chorale’s 2007|08 season includes 13 programs and special events at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Works by living composers comprise more than half of the programming of its subscription series and two groundbreaking multi-year projects, straddling repertoire both new and old, continue for the second year. “LA is the World,” a commissioning initiative and three-way collaboration, unites master musician immigrants, composers and the Chorale to reflect LA’s cultural melting pot. The second commission, to be premiered in May 2008, involves composer David O and Mexican folk harp master musician Sergio “Checo” Alonso. “Homage to Haydn,” showcases all six of Haydn’s famous final Masses over three seasons, culminating in 2009, the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death. Slated this season are Haydn’s Mass In Time of War and Maria Theresa Mass.

Other highlights include the world premiere of noted Dutch composer Louis Andriessen’s The City of Dis, and Concert Suite from The Grapes of Wrath, the acclaimed opera by Ricky Ian Gordon. An a cappella program showcases works by some of LA’s leading composers, and Musica Angelica joins the Chorale for the first-ever performance of Bach’s incomperable B Minor Mass in Disney Hall. On the lighter side, Gershon conducts two performances of the Chorale’s wildly popular Messiah Sing-Along in December.

Extending its reach to young people in the community, the Los Angeles Master Chorale also offers a number of quality education programs. In April 2008, Gershon conducts the 19th Annual Los Angeles Master Chorale High School Choir Festival, one of the largest high school choir festivals in the nation, at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

“Voices Within,” another of the Chorale’s highly successful outreach programs, is an in-depth, eight-week, in-school residency program for fifth graders that helps children who have little or no musical background to “find their voices.” With the assistance of a teaching artist, lyricist, and composer who work with students in the classroom, children write original songs.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale, described as “a major cultural asset to Los Angeles” by the Los Angeles Times, was founded in 1964. One of the Music Center’s two original resident performing arts companies, it gave its first performance at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in January 1965, where it subsequently performed for 38 seasons until moving to the landmark Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003. It is the first organization in the nation to offer a complete season of great choral masterworks, and, over the years, has hosted such distinguished guest conductors as Robert Shaw, Helmuth Rilling, Margaret Hillis Robert Page and Richard Westenberg.

In addition to presenting its own concert series at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Chorale performs regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic both at the Music Center and at the Hollywood Bowl with such stellar conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Zubin Mehta, Andre Previn, Pierre Boulez, Michael Tilson-Thomas and Roger Norrington, among many others. It is also featured on several recordings with the orchestra.

The Chorale has recorded three CDs under Gershon’s baton, including the internationally acclaimed You Are (Variations) by Steve Reich, released in September 2005 on Nonesuch Records, and an RCM recording featuring Esa-Pekka Salonen’s first choral work, Two Songs to Poems of Ann Jäderlund, and Philip Glass’ Itaipu. The third recording conducted by Gershon, featuring Steve Reich’s Daniel Variations, written in memory of murdered Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, is slated to be released by Nonesuch Records in spring 2008. Previously, the Chorale released three CDs under the baton of Music Director Emeritus Paul Salamunovich, including the Grammy-nominated Lauridsen-Lux Aeterna, Christmas, and a recording of Dominic Argento’s Te Deum and Maurice Duruflé’s Messe “Cum Jubilo.” In addition, the LA Master Chorale is featured under Salamunovich’s leadership on the soundtracks of numerous major motion pictures, including, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Sum of All Fears, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Waterworld. Gershon conducted the Chorale on the soundtrack of Lady In The Water, released in 2006.

Since moving to Disney Hall, the Chorale has enjoyed a substantial increase in audience size, as well as a growing base of individual and institutional donors. Its 2007|08 operating budget is $4.3 million. The Chorale’s endowment is currently valued at $3.8 million.

(short version)

Giving a voice to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Master Chorale is described by the Los Angeles Times as “the most exciting chorus in the country.” Led by Music Director Grant Gershon, who also serves as associate conductor/chorus master of the LA Opera, the Chorale is currently celebrating its 44th season as a resident company of the Music Center of Los Angeles Count and its fifth as the resident chorus at Disney Hall. In addition to presenting its own concert series each year, the Chorale performs regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at both Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl and has also appeared at the Ojai Festival and the Great Performers series at Lincoln Center as well as at leading venues throughout the Southland. The Chorale, which was founded in 1964, was the first organization in the nation to offer a complete season of great choral masterworks. Also noted for presenting numerous world, U.S. and West Coast premieres, the chorus was awarded the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming. The LA Master Chorale has recorded three CDs under Gershon’s baton, including Daniel Variations by Steve Reich, which will be released in spring 2008 on Nonesuch Records, the acclaimed You Are (Variations) by Steve Reich, released in September 2005 on Nonesuch Records, and an RCM recording featuring Esa-Pekka Salonen’s first choral work, Two Songs to Poems of Ann Jäderlund, and Philip Glass’ Itaipu. It previously released three CDs under Music Director Emeritus Paul Salamunovich on RCM, including the Grammy-nominated Lauridsen-Lux Aeterna. The Chorale is also featured on the soundtracks of such major motion pictures as Lady in the Water, License to Wed, and Waterworld.

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07/30/07