Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

".America's Finest Chamber Orchestra. And if that sounds like some local chamber of commerce boosterism, I assure you it isn't. The only Southern California cultural institutions for which I have that kind of blind, uncritical affection are the Dodgers and Disneyland." -Jim Svejda



The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1968 as an artistic outlet for the film and record studios’ most gifted musicians. The Orchestra’s artistic founder, cellist James Arkatov, envisioned an ensemble that would allow these conservatory-trained players to balance studio work and teaching with pure artistic collaboration at the highest level. With the financial backing of philanthropist Richard Colburn and managerial expertise from attorney Joseph Troy, who also became the Orchestra’s first president, LACO presented its first performances in the fall of 1969.



Since then, the 40-member Orchestra has earned a reputation as one of the foremost ensembles of its kind in the world and has been hailed as “America’s finest chamber orchestra” by respected music critic Jim Svejda of KUSC. Renowned pianist and conductor Jeffrey Kahane has led the group since 1997 and has continued the standard of excellence set by the Orchestra’s first four music directors, Sir Neville Marriner, Gerard Schwarz, Iona Brown and Christof Perick.



Praised by the Los Angeles Times as “…a shining feature in L.A.’s cultural landscape…,” the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is lauded for its virtuosic music making, dynamic programming and signature personal style. The Orchestra performs repertoire ranging from Baroque masterpieces to newly commissioned works and is recognized for championing young artists on the brink of major careers, as well as working with some of today’s leading artists.



The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra maintains its local presence with an annual home season of 14 Orchestral Series concerts at two historic theaters, the Alex Theatre in Glendale and UCLA’s Royce Hall; its acclaimed Baroque Conversations series at Zipper Concert Hall; a series of three Family Concerts at the Alex Theatre; and Westside Connections, a series of three chamber music concerts, at The Broad Stage of the Santa Monica Performing Arts Center.



The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra was also honored with The Recording Academy� President’s Merit Award at the Grammy Salute to Classical Music� in 2009 for its continued support and dedication to young musicians and families in the Los Angeles area, and a strong commitment to making classical music accessible to everyone. LACO’s Meet the Music program reaches thousands of elementary school students most of whom have never experienced a classical concert before.