The Colburn School is thrilled to welcome renowned artists from the worlds of classical music and dance who give insight into their creative processes with public master classes, guest-conduct the Colburn Orchestra, perform with Conservatory of Music students in our Colburn Chamber Players concerts, and perform for the LA community in our concert halls.
This season, our guest artists include Canadian Brass, Paul Lewis, Jeremy Denk, Leonela Alejandro, and more!
In his sixth decade on the podium, Nicholas McGegan — long hailed as “one of the finest baroque conductors of his generation” (The Independent) and “an expert in 18th-century style” (The New Yorker) — is recognized for his probing and revelatory explorations of music of all periods. He will conduct The Colburn Orchestra’s season opening performance of masterworks from Bach, Haydn, and Mozart.
Quintessential Classical: Bach, Haydn, and Mozart Masterworks
Considered by Martha Argerich an “extraordinary musician” and by the international critics a “phenomenon” and “a master of contrasts,” Steinway Artist Alexandre Dossin keeps an active performing, recording, and teaching career. He will perform heartfelt interpretations of selections from the critically acclaimed albums of George Walker.
Piano Legends: Alexandre Dossin plays the Music of George Walker
Music Director of LA Opera, conductor James Conlon is one of the most esteemed and influential conductors of our time—a rare figure whose work has defined and enriched the classical music traditions of the U.S. and Europe for over 50 years. He will lead the Music Restored Ensemble in a program which is a love letter to Bohemian melodies by Dvořák, Martinů, and Vítězslava Kaprálová.
Art of Song Festival: Master Class with Frederica von Stade and James Conlon
Art of Song Festival: Artist Discussion and Concert
Recovered Voices: Exploring Czech Masterworks
Susan Graham – hailed as “an artist to treasure” by the New York Times – rose to the highest echelon of international performers within just a few years of her professional debut, mastering an astonishing range of repertoire and genres along the way. Her operatic roles span four centuries, from Monteverdi’s Poppea to Sister Helen Prejean in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, which was written especially for her. A familiar face at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, she also maintains a strong international presence at such key venues as Paris’s Théâtre du Châtelet, Santa Fe Opera and the Hollywood Bowl. She won a Grammy Award for her collection of Ives songs, and has also been recognized throughout her career as one of the foremost exponents of French vocal music. Although a native of Texas, she was awarded the French government’s prestigious “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur,” both for her popularity as a performer in France and in honor of her commitment to French music. She will take part in master classes, discussions, and a performance as part of the Art of Song Festival.
Art of Song Festival: Master Class with Susan Graham and Kevin Murphy
Pianist Kevin Murphy serves on the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Prior to returning to his alma mater, he was director of music administration at New York City Opera and served as the director of musical studies at the Paris Opera. In 1992 he was the first pianist to participate in the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. He has played continuo harpsichord with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in several productions as well as traveled with the company on tour in Japan. In addition to his on- and off-stage partnership with his wife, soprano Heidi Grant Murphy, he has collaborated in concert and recital with many of today’s leading artists. He will take part in master classes, discussions, and a performance as part of the Art of Song Festival.
Described by the New York Times as “one of America’s finest artists and singers,” Frederica von Stade continues to be extolled as one of the music world’s most beloved figures. Known to family, friends, and fans by her nickname “Flicka,” the mezzo-soprano has enriched the world of classical music for four and a half decades.
Though she retired from full-time performances in 2010, she continues to make special appearances in concert and opera. She will take part in master classes, discussions, and a performance as part of the Art of Song Festival.
Puerto Rican guitarist Leonela Alejandro is winner of the 2024 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition. Delight in her endearingly powerful and energetic stage presence as she performs solo guitar works featuring Brazilian beats, laidback jazz club vibes, and everything in between.
Passport to Sound: Guitarist Leonela Alejandro Live
Pianist Marc-André Hamelin, a “performer of near-superhuman technical prowess” (The New York Times), is known worldwide for his unrivaled blend of consummate musicianship. He continues to amass praise for his brilliant technique in the great works of the repertoire, and for his intrepid exploration of the rarities of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. He regularly performs around the globe with the leading orchestras and conductors of our time, and gives recitals at major concert venues and festivals worldwide. He will lead an in-depth master class with Colburn students as part of the LACO Master Class Series, offering a rare glimpse into the artistic, creative, and learning processes.
LACO Master Class Series: Marc-André Hamelin, Piano
Known for his charisma and expressive interpretations, Mexican conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto has established himself not just as a major figure in the orchestra world but also as an influential cultural leader, educator, and a champion of new music. He will conduct the Colburn Orchestra in a performance of Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso, Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, and Schoenberg’s Pelleas und Melisande.
Passion and Poetry: An Afternoon of Musical Storytelling
Sara Mearns, principal dancer at New York City Ballet (NYCB), “has a power and command that few share” (The New York Times). She will join Janie Taylor, Artistic Director of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute to dance and discuss Sonata for Saras, a piece they created together from different cities and premiered on the LA Dance Project digital platform.
See the Music, Hear the Dance
German conductor Kevin John Edusei is sought-after the world over. He is praised repeatedly for the drama and tension in his music-making and the sense of architecture, warmth and insight that he brings to his performances. He will conduct the Colburn Orchestra at The Wallis in a lavish program featuring Bloch’s intense a poignant Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque , and Smetana’s rousing love letter to his Czech homeland, Má vlast.
Cultural Landscapes: Smetana’s Má vlast
This holiday season, the Canadian Brass will be decking the halls in DTLA. A beloved tradition for 50 years and counting, the Grammy-winning ensemble’s joyful holiday program is a must-see for music lovers of all ages.
Canadian Brass Holiday Extravaganza
Richard Goode has been hailed for music-making of tremendous emotional power, depth and expressiveness, and has been acknowledged worldwide as one of today’s leading interpreters of Classical and Romantic music. In regular performances with the major orchestras, recitals in the world’s music capitals, masterclasses in person or online, and through his extensive and acclaimed Nonesuch recordings, he has won a large and devoted following.
He will lead an in-depth master class with Colburn students as part of the LACO Master Class Series, offering a rare glimpse into the artistic, creative, and learning processes.
LACO Master Class Series: Richard Goode, Piano
Blake Pouliot, soloist and chamber musician, Colburn alumnus, and winner of the Grand Prize at the 2016 Orchestre Symphonique, is beloved for his “immaculate, at once refined and impassioned” playing (ArtsATL). He will join Colburn faculty and students to perform Franck and Debussy with the Colburn Chamber Players.
From Fugue to Fantasia: Debussy, Mozart, and More, with Blake Pouliot, Violin
With his extraordinary pianistic talents, Fazıl Say has been touching audiences and critics alike for more than twenty-five years, in a way that has become rare in the increasingly materialistic and elaborately organised classical music world. Concerts with this artist are something different. They are more direct, more open, more exciting; in short, they go straight to the heart.
LACO Master Class Series: Fazıl Say, Piano
Pianist Paul Lewis is internationally regarded as one of the leading musicians of his generation. Praised for his “impeccable technique and subtle artistry” (Boston Classical Review), he has a reputation as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the central European classical repertoire. He will perform an intimate concert featuring works from Mozart, Debussy, and Poulenc.
Piano Poetry: Paul Lewis plays Mozart, Debussy, and Poulenc
Gary Hoffman made his debut at the Wigmore Hall in London at the age of fifteen, quickly followed by New York. At the age of twenty-two, he became the youngest faculty appointee in the history of the Indiana University School of Music. After winning the Premier Grand Prix of the Rostropovich International Competition in Paris in 1986, he embarked on an international career, appearing with the world’s most noted orchestras, in major recital and chamber music series and at prestigious festivals.
He will lead two master classes and perform with young artists from the Colburn Conservatory of Music and Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel.
Master Class: Gary Hoffman, Chamber Music
Master Class: Gary Hoffman, Cello
Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel Featuring Gary Hoffman, Cello
Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic, self-conducted chamber orchestra and the flagship performing ensemble of the Sphinx Organization, the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to transforming the arts. Comprising 18 of the nation’s most accomplished professional string players, Sphinx Virtuosi is redefining classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming, and cultural leadership.
They will join acclaimed violinist Randall Goosby for a program exploring peace, remembering conflicts of the past, and recognizing the resilience of the human spirit.
Sphinx Virtuosi: Visions of Peace
American violinist Randall Goosby is acclaimed for the sensitivity and intensity of his musicianship alongside his determination to make music more inclusive and accessible, as well as bringing the music of under-represented composers to light.
He will join Sphinx Virtuosi for a program exploring peace, remembering conflicts of the past, and recognizing the resilience of the human spirit.
Master Class: Randall Goosby, Violin
Anne Akiko Meyers, GRAMMY® Award winner, is one of the world’s most esteemed and celebrated violinists. Renowned as a muse and champion of today’s leading composers, she has commissioned, premiered, and recorded a significant body of contemporary violin repertoire. Since her teens, Anne has performed around the world as a soloist with leading orchestras, in recital and recorded more than 40 releases, which have become staples of classical music radio and streaming platforms.
She will lead an in-depth master class with Colburn students as part of the LACO Master Class Series, offering a rare glimpse into the artistic, creative, and learning processes.
LACO Master Class Series: Anne Akiko Meyers, Violin
Jeremy Denk is one of America’s foremost pianists. Winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and the Avery Fisher Prize, Denk was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He returns frequently to Carnegie Hall and in recent seasons has appeared with the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra, as well as on tour with Academy St. Martin in the Fields, and at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms.
He will join us for a solo appearance that combines performance and discussion followed by a chamber concert with faculty and students as part of the Colburn Chamber Players series.
The Final Sonata: Jeremy Denk on Beethoven
Quintet Conversations: From Mozart to Modern, with Jeremy Denk, Piano
Hailed by Alex Ross in The New Yorker for his “flawless technique and keen musicality,” cellist Coleman Itzkoff enjoys a diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. A passionate proponent of new music and interdisciplinary collaboration, Coleman Itzkoff has premiered over 100 contemporary works in the last five years, working closely with some of the great composers of today.
LACO Master Class Series: Coleman Itzkoff, Cello