SUNDAY, MARCH 13 AT 7:30 PM
at WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association hosts the USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra as part of its Sounds About Town series at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Sunday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. The program features critically acclaimed conductor Yehuda Gilad leading the orchestra in works by Rodrigo (Concierto de Aranjuez with guitarist Pepe Romero) and Beethoven (Symphony No. 2). The program opens with Fleet, by Erica Muhl, which is conducted by the composer.

The Sounds About Town series marks the Association's continuing commitment to provide opportunities for the area's premier youth ensembles to perform in Walt Disney Concert Hall.

This concert features the world premiere of Fleet by Erica Muhl. In 1993, Dr. Muhl, Professor of Composition at the Thornton School, was the recipient of the prestigious Whitaker Commissioning Prize in conjunction with the Women's Philharmonic in San Francisco.

The second son of "The Royal Family of the Guitar," PEPE ROMERO has been performing since he was seven years old. He has had works composed especially for him by many distinguished composers such as Joaquin Rodrigo, Federico Moreno Torroba, Rev. Francisco de Madina, Lorenzo Palomo and his father Celedonio. He has performed in front of presidents and royalty. As a soloist, Romero has appeared in the United States with the Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, Pittsburgh, Boston, San Francisco and Dallas Symphony Orchestras as well as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras, the Boston Pops Orchestra and the London Symphony.

Established in 1988, the USC THORNTON CHAMBER ORCHESTRA dedicates its six-concert season to works from the eighteenth and twentieth centuries that were written for a smaller, more intimate ensemble. This versatile group is involved in the performance of works for chorus and orchestra presented with the Thornton choral groups, readings with graduate conducting students and new compositions. Over its brief history, the Thornton Chamber Orchestra, under the leadership of music director, Yehuda Gilad, has earned a wide reputation for the quality of its concerts and the uniqueness of its programs.

ERICA MUHL is Professor of Composition at the Thornton School. Dr. Muhl has served as composer-in-residence with the Minnesota Opera and has been assistant conductor with the Seattle Opera Association and Los Angeles Opera. She has received grants and awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Endowment for the Arts, Opera America, Italy's Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Meet the Composer Foundation, Rotary International Foundation and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). Her works have been performed and broadcast by such noted organizations as Italy's Orchestra della Radio-Televisione Italiana Symphony, Colonial Symphony, Arditti Quartet, Cuarteto de la Ciudad de Mexico, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, National Public Radio, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Mexico's Canal 22.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

Walt Disney Concert Hall

111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2005 at 7:30 PM

USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra

Yehuda Gilad, conductor

Erica Muhl, conductor

Pepe Romero, guitar

MUHL Fleet

RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2

Tickets ($15 - $36) are on sale now at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, online at LAPhil.com, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For all information, please call 323.850.2000.

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