The final program on LACO’s popular Chamber Series curated by concertmaster and director of chamber music Margaret Batjer features lauded contributions to chamber music by women composers on Saturday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, and Sunday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m. at The Huntington’s Rothenberg Hall in San Marino.
Among the highlights, LACO pays tribute to Sarah Gibson – an accomplished composer championed by the orchestra who passed away from cancer in July 2024 at the age of 38 – with a performance of Gibson’s “I Do Not Want Horses Or Diamonds.” LACO commissioned the work in celebration of the 200^th birthday of Clara Schumann.

Gibson said of her work, “The title comes from a letter Clara Schumann wrote to Robert Schumann early on in their courtship. In this letter, Clara was remarking that all she wanted was a simple and happy life with Robert, not one in which she needed to be spoiled or surrounded by expensive things – much to her father’s dismay. To evoke that desired simplicity, I used a single chord progression from Clara Schumann’s ‘Romance No. 1 for violin and piano’ as the sole harmony and focal point of my piece.”

LACO artists also perform several Romantic-era treasures, including Clara Schumann’s timeless and heartfelt “Three Romances, Op. 94;” Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel’s rhapsodic “String Quartet in E-flat major;” and Louise Farrenc’s masterful but once forgotten “Nonet, Op. 38” imbued with sonorous textures and intricate orchestrations.

In addition, the program features “Down,” a trio for flute, viola and harp by Los Angeles native Nokuthula Ngwenyama, whose music is celebrated for its rich timbres and emotional depth.

LACO’s Chamber Series showcases orchestra members and special guests on repertoire from the 12th century and early baroque through the 20th century.

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills.

The Huntington’s Rothenberg Hall is located at 1151 Oxford Road in San Marino. For tickets ($47-$84) and information, visit www.laco.org or call (213) 221-3920.