LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: RUO, BATES, NOONE, MENDELSSOHN

LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Ludovic Morlot, CONDUCTOR
Wu Man, PIPA
Benjamin Smolen, FLUTE

HUANG RUO: Folksongs for Orchestra
MASON BATES: Pipa Concerto WORLD PREMIERE
EÍMEAR NOONE: Flute Concerto WORLD PREMIERE
F. MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, “Scottish,” Op. 56

French conductor Ludovic Morlot leads an evening of music that spans continents, cultures, and personal histories. The program opens with Huang Ruo’s Folksongs for Orchestra, refracting the melodic richness of Chinese folk tradition into kaleidoscopic orchestral color. It continues with the world premiere of Mason Bates' Pipa Concerto, a daring collision of ancient Chinese lute and modern orchestra, performed by virtuoso Wu Man. The second half features the world premiere of Eímear Noone’s autobiographical Flute Concerto, performed by LACO Principal Flute Benjamin Smolen, which traces her path as a composer forging a career in the male-dominated world of film music. The evening concludes with Mendelssohn’s beloved “Scottish” Symphony, a love letter to a landscape and memory.

An unforgettable afternoon that proves music has always been one of our most powerful bridges between worlds, histories, and the life of the imagination.