The Los Angeles Master Chorale will pull out all the stops for its 50th anniversary season the last weekend of January, featuring two performances of Bach's B Minor Mass as well as a gala celebration, "Golden on Grand," which celebrates the chorale's remarkable legacy over the past five decades.
Music director Grant Gershon will lead the chorale and an orchestra in Bach's B Minor Mass at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Saturday, January 25 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, January 26 at 7 p.m.
Ticket information is available at www.lamc.org.
The anniversary celebration will shift into different gear at the "Golden on Grand" black-tie gala on January 25 at 6 p.m. Cultural, political and business luminaries, including benefactor BNY Mellon, as well as long-time friends of the organization will come together for an evening of music and dining at the Eva and Marc Stern Grand Hall of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion--the chorale's original home from 1964 to 2003.
The B Minor Mass is considered one of the greatest works in the choral repertoire. The chorale has performed the masterpiece ten times in five decades, including, most notably, at its inaugural concert led by founding music director Roger Wagner at the Chandler Pavilion in 1965.
Says Gershon of the musical homage, "This is where it all started for the Los Angeles Master Chorale. To be able to conduct Bach's masterpiece with the chorale almost 49 years to the day after Roger Wagner did at the choir's inaugural concert is simply amazing. It is an honor to be a part of this incredible legacy."
The chorale is the resident chorale at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, having performed in more than 300 concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. To date, the chorale has commissioned 39 and premiered 88 new works, of which 57 were, themselves, world premieres.
President and CEO Terry Knowles said, "Given the choir's tremendous reach and broad artistic impact, it is only fitting that we celebrate in grand style this ground-breaking musical organization and all those who have contributed to its growth and success."
