Celebrating the world’s musical prodigies

THE weeklong International Laureates Festival -- founded by Eduard and Laura Schmieder in 1997 to promote gifted musicians ages 19 to 32 from around the world -- will celebrate its 10th anniversary season beginning today with a gala at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

The high point of the week will be a concert Thursday at Walt Disney Concert Hall featuring Eduard Schmieder conducting the I Palpiti Orchestra, with soloists from Japan and Russia, in a program comprising Enesco, Mendelssohn, Golijov and Piazzolla. Tickets are $20 to $90.

Those curious about the organization who find themselves short of cash, however, might consider one of its three free chamber music programs: at 6 p.m. today (all Brahms, including the Piano Quintet in F minor) and next Sunday (Mozart and Enesco) at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and 1 p.m. Monday (Vasks and Enesco) at Korn Hall, UCLA.

More information about the festival and its other offerings is at www.youngartists.org.

-- Chris Pasles