Jacaranda, the classical music series known for rarely heard and modern music, celebrates two anniversaries with a concert on Saturday at 8 p.m. Scott Dunn, associate conductor of L.A. Phil’s Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, will be conducting a piece for “Jacaranda” at Santa Monica’s First Presbyterian Church. Dunn – who just conducted at Carnegie Hall Monday night – will be leading the west coast premiere of “Risonanza,” a piece by Sofia Gubaidulina. At 80, Gubaidulina is Russia’s foremost living female composer.
“She’s a very important female Russian composer whose work is not heard much, especially in Los Angeles,” Dunn stated. “This is a rare opportunity to hear a rarely heard piece.”
To complement this music, Jacaranda will screen Paul Festa’s acclaimed 2006 documentary, “Apparition of the Eternal Church” at Vidiots, 302 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405, on April 15 at 4 p.m. The film, described by the New Yorker as “mesmerizing” and “remarkable,” attempts to answer the question: what does Messiaen’s passionately Christian music (a 1932 organ piece) sound like to mostly non-Christians, ranging from Juilliard professors to Broadway stars and drag queens. The Chicago Sun Times likened the film to experiencing Messiaen on acid.
Also performing at the event are: organist and Jacaranda Music Director Mark Alan Hilt on the landmark Messiaen organ works for 20th anniversary of the French composer’s death; Hilt joins a 13-member ensemble under Scott Dunn for Gubaidulina’s 2001 “Risonanza;” and, cello virtuoso Timothy Loo performs work by oldest living French master Henri Dutilleux.
The April 21 concert will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica, 1220 2nd St., Santa Monica, CA 90401. Tickets are available at www.jacarandamusic.org, or by calling 1-800-595-4TIX. Purchased online, tickets are $35 general and $15 for students, or at the door the evening of the concert $40 general/$20 for students. For the Vidiots film screening, a $10 donation at the door is suggested. Seating is limited. Please reserve by email: info@jacarandamusic.org.
“Jacaranda,” with a motto of “music at the edge,” is a series of intimate concert adventures that combines the rarely heard with the new in thematic contexts to awaken a sense of discovery and connection. Founded in 2003 by arts impresario Patrick Scott and conductor/organist Mark Alan Hilt, Jacaranda produces a series of concerts (11 this season) in Santa Monica that feature current and rising stars in the world of classical music performance. Jacaranda will celebrate its tenth anniversary with the 2013-2014 season.
