By Ted AYALA The Pasadena Symphony Orchestra begins its 2011-12 season in splendid fashion this Saturday. Ending with Tchaikovsky’s ever popular Fifth Symphony, the program will begin with two musical works representing opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean: the Saibei Dance by Chinese-Canadian composer An-lun Huang, and the late Violin Concerto of Erich Wolfgang Korngold. […]
By Ted AYALA Opening a recital with Beethoven’s penultimate essay in piano sonata form – the 31st in A-flat – can either be a sign of brash, self confidence or very poor judgment. Beethoven’s late works, seemingly at a remove from earthly concerns and inhabiting a visionary, spectral world, demands not a mere virtuoso, but […]
By Ted AYALA “What he did,” said Edward Lafian, treasurer of the Armenian-American Chamber of Commerce, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, “was bring hope to the Armenian community.” He was referring to the late Larry Zarian, former mayor of Glendale and the first Armenian-American mayor in its history. Zarian succumbed last week […]
By Ted AYALA Following a stunning season debut last month, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), under the ever genial baton of its music director Jeffrey Kahane, returned to the Alex Theatre on Saturday for a program that sat side-by-side two sprawling explorative musical works: one a psychological journey, the other an exploration of the […]
By Ted AYALA Glendale City Council on Tuesday approved a measure that may provide a modest boost for the city’s unemployed. During the meeting, the city council approved the appropriation of $350,000 from California’s Employment Development Department (EDD). The grant funds would be used by the city to provide training for those mired in long-term […]
By Ted AYALA Those who can’t help but juggle their phones and MP3 players while driving may want to start curbing their bad behavior. Glendale City Council approved the acquisition of a $200,000 grant that would go into curbing distracted driving. The grant, which is provided by the state’s traffic safety program, will pump $200,000 […]
By Ted AYALA Not even high humidity and temperatures inching their way towards triple digits could keep the throngs of people from across the region from visiting the Montrose Oktoberfest on Saturday. Locals and visitors alike crowded Honolulu Avenue and its side streets in search of food, fun, and, of course, beer. “Everywhere else, summer […]
By Ted AYALA The wallets of local residents, already hurting from the persistent economic recession, may be feeling an extra sting in the near future. With shrinking revenues – and shrinking options to make up for the shortfall – Council and GWP discussed a proposed rate hike for GWP customers on Tuesday. The rate hike, […]
By Ted AYALA From far and wide, they came to the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration – some 800 people altogether. From the South Bay, Palmdale, East Los Angeles, and everywhere in between. Crowds gathered in stormy debate over the proposed plans to redistrict Los Angeles County. Supervisors Gloria Molina and Mark Ridley-Thomas propose […]
By Ted AYALA Amid the continuing aftershocks that were felt through the weekend in some parts of the northern Greater Los Angeles area, the United States Geological Survey upgraded last week’s Newhall earthquake to a 4.3. The earthquake’s origin was near the one for the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, which was registered as a 6.6 on […]