L.A. Chamber: New Work, New People

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra begins its 20th season in September with new personnel--both artistic and administrative--new music, and increased financial support from new and continuing sources.

“A lot of different things are coming together for us,” executive director Deborah Rutter says. “It’s exciting, because all of these things are happening at the same time.”

The season begins Sept. 16, at the Wiltern Theatre, with a program that starts with the premiere of Stephen Hartke’s “Pacific Rim.” Hartke, who has recently been named the orchestra’s first composer-in-residence, will give advice on programming, participate in pre-concert lectures and speak to other organizations on behalf of the ensemble.

Hartke’s piece was commissioned through a National Endowment for the Arts consortium project, in which the orchestra joins two other organizations in sponsoring three pieces, all of which will be played by all three members of the consortium. The orchestra is involved in three such projects, meaning that it will have nine new works to present over the next three seasons.

In addition to Hartke, the other composers involved are Michael Gandolfi (whose “Point of Departure” will be heard in its West Coast premiere March 3 at the Wiltern), Jacob Druckman (who is writing a violin concerto for LACO artistic director Iona Brown), Joan Tower, Marc Neikrug, Fred Lerdahl, Mel Powell, David del Tredici and Leon Kirchner.

The Sept. 16 concert opens the Friday Masterpiece series at the Wiltern Theatre, which in addition to the March 3 concert includes programs Nov. 4, Jan. 20 and April 28. The other Friday series is the Baroque and Beyond II series at the Japan America Theatre Nov. 18, Jan. 13, Feb. 3, April 1 (a Saturday) and May 5. The series at Ambassador Auditorium have been announced previously.

After an unsettled season of personnel turmoil, in which two longtime key members of the orchestra were released--producing a pending $1 million lawsuit--LACO has moved to stabilize those positions. Kathleen Lenski--a member of the orchestra in its first season, under Neville Marriner--and Ralph Morrison, a LACO veteran, have been named co-concertmasters.

“They share the position equally,” Rutter says. Both will play behind Iona Brown when she is here and will split the first-chair duties for the six programs Brown will not direct.

Roland Kato, another LACO stalwart, becomes principal viola. Two new section violists and a new second horn player complete the performing personnel changes.

On the management front, Welz Kauffman is the new orchestra manager, coming to the ensemble from positions with the J. Paul Getty Trust and the L.A. Philharmonic. Susan Stamberger, who was development director for KUSC for 12 years, is now serving LACO in a similar capacity.

Major financial support for the season comes from the Nakamichi Foundation (underwriting the series at Japan America Theatre), the Parsons Foundation (underwriting the Anniversary series at Ambassador), the W. M. Keck Foundation (supporting the Coffee Concerts for students and seniors at the Wiltern), the Irvine Foundation (which has offered a $125,000 2-to-1 matching grant), and Arco (which has produced an anniversary poster for the orchestra and underwritten the organization’s revived newsletter).

AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS: In Washington, President and Mrs. Reagan presented the National Medal of Arts to choreographer Jerome Robbins, 69, pianist Rudolf Serkin, 85, and composer and critic Virgil Thomson, 91, among 12 artists. . . . In Los Angeles, Repertory Dance Theatre will hold the first William Couser Black Choreography Awards at Barnsdall Park on Sept. 20-24. . . . American pianist David Korevaar won the $10,000 second prize--no first prize was awarded--in the International William Kapell Piano Competition at the University of Maryland.

A BIG STEP: Eight local choreographers have combined in “LifeLeap,” a unified dance concert Sept. 9 at Wilshire Ebell Theatre, benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles. Producer Jane Cassell and choreographers Laurence Blake, Marguerite Pomerhn-Derricks, Sarah Elgart, Billy Goodson, Jacqui and Bill Landrum, Loretta Livingston and Vincent Paterson will create pieces about a central character’s experience with AIDS.

CONVENTIONAL LOWS: The International Society of Bassists holds its annual convention at UCLA this year, today through Saturday. The agenda includes public jazz and classical performances (see listings).