Led by conductor Andreas Delfs in his Philharmonic debut, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and soprano Andrea Rost perform a "More than Mozart" program to commence the two-week Mozart Festival. The program includes Mozart's Symphony No. 35, K. 385, "Haffner;" several concert arias; and Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550. Also featured is the world premiere of 31-year-old American composer Theodore Shapiro's Chambers for Small Orchestra. Concerts take place on Thursday and Saturday, April 11 and 13 at 8 PM, and Sunday, April 14 at 2:30 PM. Upbeat Live pre-concert events take place one hour prior to each concert in the Grand Hall and are free to all ticket holders. The Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra's Music Director, Lucinda Carver, will lead the Upbeat Live events.

In Mozart's youth, he and his family socialized with Salzburg's mayor, Sigmund Haffner. In the summer of 1782, Haffner's son was officially elevated to the ranks of nobility and Wolfgang's father wrote the young composer in Vienna, asking him to write a symphony for the celebration. Mozart complied, and in July and August of 1782, he wrote Symphony No. 35, K.385 ("Haffner"). Seven months later, he premiered the piece for a Viennese audience on March 23, 1783. The premiere was a great success; now, more than 200 years later the Los Angeles Philharmonic performs this renowned work to launch the Mozart festival.

In keeping with the theme of music written by young composers, Delfs leads the orchestra in the world premiere of 31-year-old American composer Theodore Shapiro's Chambers for Small Orchestra. Shapiro completed Chambers in 2002 for a dual-commission by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (where Delfs is music director) and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Shapiro began work on the piece in the summer of 2001 and planned to have the work mirror his life in two cities - he had moved to Los Angeles from New York for a year-long stint - so the first two movements reflect New York. According to the composer, the events of September 11 added an undeniable layer of meaning to the final movement. Although it wasn't written as a response to the attacks on America, it does represent a changed perspective - one he could not have imagined when he began writing Chambers.

Soprano Andrea Rost makes her subscription debut in several of Mozart's arias: Bella mia fiamma - Resta, oh cara, K. 528 and Nehmt meinen Dank, K. 383. Concluding the program is one of the composer's final and most widely recognized symphonies, Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550.

Born in Washington, D.C. in 1971, THEODORE SHAPIRO has distinguished himself as a composer of film scores and concert music - a rare straddling of genres among today's young composers. Shapiro's most recent concert music includes Avenues, a piano concerto written for Awadagin Pratt, which was premiered in November 1999 with the Seattle Symphony, conducted by Andreas Delfs. Avenues followed the composer's widely acclaimed chamber work, City of Windows, also performed by Pratt at the 1999 Next Generation Festival. Shapiro studied at Brown University and The Juilliard School. He has completed concert works for soprano Lauren Flanigan and the New York Youth Symphony, which commissioned a flute concerto after Shapiro won its composition competition.

A native of Hungary, soprano ANDREA ROST is recognized as one of the outstanding sopranos of her generation. She began her career studying at the conservatory of Budapest, and made her debut at the Hungarian State Opera as Juliette in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette. Throughout the early- to mid-nineties, Rost was a member of the Vienna State Opera and received high acclaim. Rost's captivating portrayals of many leading roles garnered attention from opera houses around the world, helping launch her career as an acclaimed soprano soloist.

Conductor ANDREAS DELFS is recognized as one of today's leading conductors in both Europe and North America. Born in Germany, he began studying piano and music theory at age five and was added to the roster of the Flensburg Stadttheater as conductor and composer at 17. At 20, he became the music director of the Hamburg University Orchestra - the youngest person ever to hold this post - and musical assistant at the Hamburg University Orchestra. In recent seasons, Delfs' appearances have included concerts with many American and European orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic and Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie. In October 2000, Delfs was appointed music director of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He has also held the music director post at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra since 1997. Delfs will hold both positions concurrently through the 2004-05 season.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

Thursday, April 11, 8 PM

Saturday, April 13, 8 PM

Sunday, April 14, 2:30 PM

MOZART FESTIVAL

DOROTHY CHANDLER PAVILION

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

ANDREAS DELFS, conductor

ANDREA ROST, soprano

Mozart: Symphony No. 35, K. 385 ("Haffner")

Shapiro: Chambers for Small Orchestra (World Premiere)

Mozart: Bella mia fiamma - Resta, oh cara, K. 528

Mozart: Nehmt meinen Dank, K. 383

Mozart: Symphony No. 40, K. 550

Upbeat Live pre-concert events take place one hour prior to each concert in the Grand Hall and are free to all ticket holders. The Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra's Music Director, Lucinda Carver, will lead the Upbeat Live events.

Single tickets ($12-$78) are available at the the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons-May, Tower Records, Ritmo Latino, Tu Música, and selected Wherehouse locations), and by credit card phone order at 213/365-3500. Tickets are also available on-line at laphil.com. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full time students may be available 2 hours prior to the performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion box office. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person. Groups of 10 or more may be eligible for special discounts. For further information, please call 323/850-2000.

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