Kahane Will Conduct Six L.A. Chamber Programs

Music Director Jeffrey Kahane will conduct six of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s eight subscription programs in the 1998-99 season, beginning Sept. 26. The first performance will take place in Royce Hall at UCLA; thereafter, each program will be given in Royce Hall on a Friday night, followed on Saturday by a performance at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.

With soprano Maria Jette as soloist, Kahane leads the first program, Sept. 26, consisting of Mozart’s concert aria, “Ch’io mi scordi di te,” Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 (Kahane conducting from the piano), Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915” and Ginastera’s “Variaciones Concertantes.”

Guest conductor and violinist Dimitry Sitkovetsky leads the orchestra’s second program, “Devil’s Trill” by Tartini/Kreisler and Bach/Sitkovetsky’s “Goldberg” Variations, Oct. 16 and 17.

Kahane returns Nov. 13 and 14, again as conductor and pianist, in a program including Hindemith’s “Kammermusik” No. 1, Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro, Stravinsky’s Octet and “The Birds” by Respighi.

Helmuth Rilling is the guest conductor at the Dec. 4 and 5 pair, leading the orchestra and the USC Chamber Singers in Bach’s “Christmas” oratorio.

In 1999, Kahane begins the year conducting Samuel Barber’s “Capricorn” Concerto, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 (with soloist Ivan Moravec) and Richard Strauss’ Duet-Concertino, featuring clarinetist Gary Gray and bassoonist Kenneth Munday, Jan. 15 and 16.

Pianist Jon Kimura Parker is soloist in the Schumann Concerto, Feb. 12 and 13; the rest of the program lists Bartok’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, and Kodaly’s “Summer Evening.” On March 12 and 13, Kahane’s program includes Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola, Edgar Meyer’s Double Concerto for Cello, Doublebass and Orchestra and Haydn’s Symphony No. 99. Soloists include violist Roland Kato, cellist Carter Brey and bassist Meyer.

For the closing pair, April 9 and 10, 1999, bass Thomas Quasthoff makes his Los Angeles debut singing Bach’s Cantata No. 82, “Ich habe genug” and three arias by Mozart; the program and the season close with Schubert’s “Great” C-major Symphony, No. 9.

The Sept. 26 concert begins at 7 p.m.; all others begin at 8 p.m.

Information: (213) 622-7001, Ext. 215.