December 20, 2010
Honorary Artistic Board Includes Music World Luminaries

La Jolla, Calif. (December 20, 2010) — The La Jolla Symphony " Chorus (LJS"C) announces the formation of its first Honorary Artistic Board. The distinguished panel of musicians and composers are a who’s who in contemporary music and include Academy-award nominated composer Philip Glass and Pulitzer-prize winning composers David Lang and Bernard Rands. All have links to the LJS&C through works the ensemble has performed (and sometimes premiered) and support its mission of programming diverse, often adventurous, music in addition to the standard classical repertoire.

“Our intent was to assemble a group of high-profile artists with whom we can form a link via like-minded musical ideals,” says LJS&C Music Director and Conductor Steven Schick. “We look forward to collaborative opportunities and thoughtful exchange with our honorary board members.”

Rounding out the new board are 2010 Nemmers award-winning composer John Luther Adams, whose works The Light that Fills the World and Dark Waves (West Coast Premiere) were both performed in Schick’s inaugural season as music director, Chinese pipa virtuoso Wu Man, and contemporary flutist and founding director of International Contemporary Ensemble Claire Chase.

“The La Jolla Symphony and Chorus provides an invaluable, diverse musical and cultural experience for our community,” says Wu Man, who first performed with the ensemble in February of 2010 and currently resides in Carlsbad.

Says Lang, “I believe very strongly in the mission of the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, that music is the message around which a community comes together. And it certainly doesn’t hurt the message when it is made in partnership with Steve Schick, one of the great musicians of our time.”

Following are brief biographies:

John Luther Adams is the recipient of the 2010 Nemmers Prize in Music Composition. The biennial award honors classical music composers of outstanding achievement who have had a significant impact on the field of composition. A NEA and Rockefeller Foundation grantee, Mr. Adams has been called “one of the most original thinkers of the new century” by The New Yorker.

Flutist Claire Chase has been praised for her “extravagant technique, broad stylistic range and penetrating musicality” by the New York Times. She is active as a soloist, chamber musician, curator, and arts entrepreneur as founding director of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). Ms. Chase has given the world premieres of more than 100 new works for flute, and she has been featured on critically acclaimed releases from the Naxos, Tzadik and Bridge labels.

Philip Glass is considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. Through his operas, symphonies, compositions for his own ensemble, and Oscar-nominated movie scores, he has had an extraordinary and unprecedented impact upon the musical and intellectual life of our times. His wide-ranging collaborations with artists include Twyla Tharp to Allen Ginsberg, Woody Allen to David Bowie.

David Lang is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer who embodies the restless spirit of invention. Deeply versed in the classical tradition he is also committed to music that resists categorization, constantly creating new forms. In the words of The New Yorker: “Lang, once a post-minimalist enfant terrible, has solidified his standing as an American master."

Wu man is an internationally renowned pipa (Chinese lute) virtuoso, cited by the Los Angeles Times as “the artist most responsible for bringing the pipa to the Western World.” Born in Hangzhou, China, Ms. Wu performs regularly with Yo-Yo Ma as part of his Silk Road Project. Her touring has taken her to the major music halls of the world including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Bernard Rands is established as a major figure in contemporary music through his more than 100 published works and many recordings. His work Canti del Sole, premièred by Paul Sperry, Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic, won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize in Music. His large orchestral suites Le Tambourin won the 1986 Kennedy Center Friedheim Award. His work, Canti d’Amor, recorded by Chanticleer, won a Grammy Award in 2000.

The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, San Diego’s oldest and largest community orchestra and chorus, is a non-profit musical performing group dedicated to inspiring San Diego with the joy of music. Its 110-person orchestra and 130-person chorus perform groundbreaking orchestral and choral music along with traditional favorites from the classical repertoire. During the 55th season, maestro Steven Schick shares the podium with Choral Director David Chase.