Philharmonic Principal Concertmaster Martin Chalifour is Soloist

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 8 PM; SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2:30 PM;

AND WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 8 PM

Led by one of Britain's foremost conductors, Sir Andrew Davis, the Los Angeles Philharmonic performs three evenings of Romantic favorites on Saturday, February 15 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, February 16 at 2:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, February 19 at 8 p.m. The program includes Strauss' Don Juan and Beethoven's Allegro in C major for violin and orchestra and Symphony No. 2, as well as Dvorák's Romance for violin and orchestra. The soloist for these evenings is the orchestra's own principal concertmaster, Martin Chalifour. As part of its final farewell to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Los Angeles Philharmonic continues to feature orchestra members as concert soloists - many for the first time.

Upbeat Live, a free pre-concert event with KUSC's Alan Chapman, takes place in the Pavilion's Grand Hall one hour before each of these performances.

Strauss's tone poem, written in 1888, opens the program. Don Juan announced Richard Strauss as a major player in the world of European classical music. It was his first masterpiece and the first to showcase his individual voice as the composer who would sum up a century of European Romantic music. Another Romantic gem, Dvorák's haunting, emotive Romance for violin and orchestra, was composed between 1873 and 1877. Finally, Beethoven's rarely-performed Allegro in C major for violin and orchestra, WoO 5 - an early attempt at a violin concerto that provides fascinating insight into the composer's development - and his Symphony No. 2 round out the programs.

SIR ANDREW DAVIS, is continually in demand as a guest artist with leading European, North American, and Far Eastern orchestras. After many seasons of being a regular visitor to the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Davis became their music director in 1988, a post he relinquished in 2000, at which point he became music director and principal conductor of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In addition to being guest conductor for high-profile opera companies, Davis is an avid orchestral conductor around the world . His first appearance with the BBC Symphony Orchestra was in 1970. Appointed their chief conductor in 1989, he played a key role in creating innovative programming, giving the orchestra its reputation as one of the world's most versatile ensembles. In August 1997, Davis conducted their Salzburg Festival debut, and he also led their 1998 North American tour. Davis received a Royal Philharmonic Society/Charles Heidsieck Music Award in 1991 for leading the BBC Symphony Orchestra through an outstanding Diamond Jubilee season.

MARTIN CHALIFOUR began his tenure as principal concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the 1995-96 season. His previous positions have included acting concertmaster and associate concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra from 1990 to 1996, and associate concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from 1984 to 1990. Chalifour appears frequently as soloist and in recital and has toured with chamber ensembles throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. He has been a concerto soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and National Orchestra of Taiwan, among others. Each season since 1996, Chalifour has appeared as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and at the Hollywood Bowl.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 8 PM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2:30 PM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 8 PM

ANDREW DAVIS, conductor

MARTIN CHALIFOUR, violin

STRAUSS: Don Juan

BEETHOVEN: Allegro in C major for violin and orchestra

DVORÁK: Romance for violin and orchestra

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 2

Upbeat Live, a free pre-concert event with KUSC's Alan Chapman, takes place in the Pavilion's Grand Hall one hour before each of these performances.

Tickets ($14 - $82) are on sale now at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons-May, Tower Records, Ritmo Latino, and selected Wherehouse locations), and by credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. Tickets are also available online at www.laphil.com. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available two hours prior to the performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion box office. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for special discounts. For further information, please call 323.850.2000.

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