LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES 2025/26 SEASON
LACO ESTABLISHES NEW HOME AT COLBURN SCHOOL’S ZIPPER HALL AS PART OF A PARTNERSHIP THAT WILL SEE LACO AT COLBURN SCHOOL’S TERRI AND JERRY KOHL HALL, SET TO OPEN IN FALL 2027
2025/26 Season Highlights
- Orchestral and chamber music concerts presented at Zipper Hall and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts; Baroque series presented at The Huntington’s Rothenberg Hall and The Wallis; CURRENT Series concerts presented at Cicada Restaurant and Lounge.
- Jamie Martín leads LACO-commissioned world premieres: a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels (part of the Joan and Jeff Beal Fund for Living Composers), a new work by 2025/26 Sound Investment Composer Juhi Bansal, and Christopher Cerrone’s Double Concerto for Violin and Cello
- LACO Creative Partner Lara Downes performs in two CURRENT Series programs with Countertenor John Holiday in a program of Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Arnold Schoenberg and selections from the Great American Songbook; and with a special guest to be announced in Jazz interpretations of Bach’s Sinfonia and Inventions
- West Coast Premieres of Composer-in-Residence Huang Ruo’s The Tipping Point and Eric Whitacre’s The Pacific Has No Memory
- Renowned guest artists including Nicolas Altstaedt, Isabelle Faust, Amanda Forsythe, Richard Goode, Pierre Hantaï, John Holiday, Marc-André Hamelin, Coleman Itzkoff, Anthony Marwood, Anne Akiko Meyers, and Fazil Say
- Orchestral series showcases timeless classics and bold contemporary voices, featuring works by Michael Abels, Juhi Bansal, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Christopher Cerrone, Louise Farrenc, Gabriel Fauré, Joseph Haydn, Huang Ruo, Felix Mendelssohn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sergie Prokofiev, Robert Schumann, Dmitri Shostakovich, Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky and Eric Whitacre
- The Baroque era comes to life in two programs featuring works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Heinrich Biber, George Friderich Handel, Jean Marie Leclair, Jean Philippe Rameau, Georg Telemann and Antonio Vivaldi
- Chamber Music programs curated by concertmaster and Director of Chamber Music Margaret Batjer showcase landmark works by Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and Schumann
- LACO’s multi-year exploration of Johannes Brahms and the Schumann’s continues
Subscription Renewals and New Subscriptions On Sale Now
(Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Los Angeles) – The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s Music Director Jamie Martín and Executive Director Ben Cadwallader announce the Orchestra’s 2025/26 season, bringing together renowned guest artists with LACO’s exceptional musicians for performances of unparalleled artistry, from revered masterpieces to today’s most visionary contemporary works.
The 2025/26 season also ushers in a new partnership between LACO and the Colburn School, building on their decades-long relationship and shared history. Colburn School’s Zipper Hall will become the new home for LACO’s Orchestral and Chamber programs—a collaboration that will extend to the Frank Gehry-designed Colburn Center when it opens in 2027, with LACO performing regularly at Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall.
“This partnership was inevitable – a natural evolution of a shared history and shared commitment to excellence, community and preserving the timeless tradition of classical music,” said Cadwallader. “Both Colburn and LACO have long been dedicated to fostering the future of music through education and performance. This is perhaps best embodied by LACO concertmaster Margaret Batjer, who is Director of Colburn School’s Music Academy. We are thrilled to perform in our new home at the exceptional Zipper Hall, and be a part of the thriving cultural corridor along Grand Avenue.”
“Nearly 30 years ago, Colburn School was one of the first arts institutions to stake its claim on Grand Avenue, helping to usher in the arts renaissance in downtown Los Angeles,” said Sel Kardan, Colburn School President and CEO. “Similarly, LACO has been a cornerstone of the city’s cultural landscape for over 50 years. Now, two legacy arts organizations are uniting at an exciting time of growth. We are thrilled to welcome LACO to Zipper Hall, and soon to the Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall, which will be an extraordinary concert hall. With their intimate size, both Zipper and Kohl Halls are the perfect venues to experience the caliber of LACO’s performances.”
Richard D. Colburn, a generous and visionary patron of the arts, was a major financier of both Colburn School and LACO. He was instrumental in bringing the Colburn School’s campus to fruition, transforming it from a small preparatory school at USC, founded in 1950, into the world-class institution it is today. Likewise, his philanthropy was essential to LACO’s success, supporting its growth since its founding in 1968 by cellist James Arkatov. As the Colburn Center’s expansion ushers in an exciting period of growth on Grand Avenue, it is fitting that Colburn and LACO’s paths converge once again. The two institutions already collaborate on joint programs, including masterclasses, mock auditions, and mentorship.
“There has never been a more important time for togetherness and music-making,” said Jaime Martín. “Our partnership with the Colburn School and the launch of our new season are rooted in connection—between our musicians, our audiences, our partners, and the greater community. Together, we will create inspiring performances while fostering the next generation of musicians, both in Zipper Hall and in the future Colburn Center, with its stunning new Kohl Hall as a cultural cornerstone. We welcome everyone to join us for an incredible season!”
The Colburn School broke ground on the transformational 100,000-square-foot campus expansion designed by Frank Gehry in April 2024, and since then workers have spent over 30,000 hours on the project, pouring over 10,000 cubic yards of concrete and installing over 3 million pounds of rebar. The new building will be located adjacent to Colburn’s Grand Avenue campus in Downtown Los Angeles, and will dramatically increase the school’s world-class training and performance facilities for music and dance. It will also provide much-needed performance space in a mid-sized hall for the region’s established and emerging performing arts organizations. When complete, the expansion will create the largest concentration of Gehry-designed buildings in the world.
The 1,000-seat concert hall named for Terri and Jerry Kohl features an in-the-round design to create intimacy between the performers and the audience. The hall includes an orchestra pit and a stage large enough to accommodate the grandest works, making it suitable for orchestra, opera, and dance. With this addition, Downtown LA will now have a mid-sized concert hall for the first time.
Colburn is in the midst of the Building Our Future fundraising campaign to realize the School’s vision for this magnificent new facility which will inspire and serve the region’s young performing artists and performing arts organizations and ensembles. Conceived as a major contribution to the cultural and civic life of Downtown LA, the Colburn Center will make the Colburn campus an even livelier hub of artistic activity and enable the School to expand its mission of presenting programs for the public, which include performance and educational collaborations with acclaimed local and touring artists and ensembles. The Colburn School is grateful for the early generosity of remarkable philanthropists from Los Angeles and around the world who have demonstrated their belief in this vision.
2025/26 SEASON AT A GLANCE
In a continuation of LACO’s multi-year exploration of Brahms and Schumann, LACO’s 2025/26 season kicks off at Zipper Hall on September 13 & 14, 2025 with Jamie Martín leading the orchestra and cellist Nicolas Altstaedt in his Los Angeles debut in Schumann’s Cello Concerto, alongside Haydn’s Symphony No. 83 , “Hen” and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Martín will also lead the orchestra in three LACO-commissioned world premieres: a new work by Michael Abels’ the first piece conceived through the Joan and Jeff Beal Fund for Living Composers; a new work by 2025/26 Sound Investment Composer Juhi Bansal—Sound Investment being LACO’s composing club where members can experience the journey of a composition start to finish; and Christopher Cerrone’s Double Concerto for Violin and Cello.
The orchestral series also features two Los Angeles premieres. The Tipping Point, a climate-crisis symphony by LACO Composer-in-Residence Huang Ruo, is inspired by the devastating wildfires that have swept through Hawaii and California in recent years and was co-commissioned by LACO. Eric Whitacre’s THE PACIFIC HAS NO MEMORY is a poignant reflection on the 2025 fires that ravaged the Los Angeles area. Both works offer a powerful, timely meditation on the impact of climate change through music.
LACO Creative Partner Lara Downes leads the 2025/26 CURRENT concerts, a series that explores the intersection of classical and contemporary music, with two jazz-centric programs. Countertenor John Holiday joins Downes for an evening of musical storytelling, featuring the melodies of the Great American Songbook alongside the works of Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Arnold Schoenberg—artists who pushed the boundaries of their genres. A special guest to be announced will also join Downes for Bach’s Sinfonias and Inventions, performed with a string trio.
Essential works by Brahms, Schumann, Mozart, and Beethoven comprise the Chamber series, with the first concert dedicated to Brahms’ String Sextets No. 1 and No. 2, and the second featuring Schumann’s Violin Sonata No. 1, along with Mozart’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, with pianist Richard Goode, renowned for his interpretations of the piano repertoire. The program concludes with Beethoven’s Septet in E-flat Major, one of his most famous chamber works.
The Baroque series opens with renowned French harpsichordist and conductor Pierre Hantaï leading C.P.E. Bach’s dramatic Symphony in B-Minor, J.S. Bach’s virtuosic Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, selections from Rameau’s enchanting operas and Leclair’s bristling Concerto in D major, bringing the sophistication and intellect of French Baroque vividly to life.
LACO’s 2025/26 season concludes with a program of Baroque brilliance led by concertmaster Margaret Batjer and the return of soprano Amanda Forsythe. Among the featured mix of sacred and dramatic works, Bach’s Wedding Cantata brings an air of celebration, while Vivaldi’s La Notte and Concerto Grosso in G Minor showcase his mastery of texture and contrast. Two of Handel’s opera arias, “Se Pietà de me non senti” and “Da Tempeste,” add drama and emotional depth, while Heinrich Biber’s unconventional Battalia brings a lively, war-inspired narrative to life, and Telemann’s Don Quixote offers a playful portrayal of the famous knight’s adventures.
Returning to LACO’s stages:
Marc-André Hamelin
John Holiday
Lara Downes
Richard Goode
Anne Akiko Meyers
Coleman Itzkoff
Amanda Forsythe
Artists making their LACO debuts:
Nicolas Altstaedt
Pierre Hantaï
Fazil Say
Dinis Souza
Isabelle Faust
Anthony Marwood
PROGRAM DETAILS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
September 13, 2025, at Zipper Hall
September 14, 2025, at The Wallis
ORCHESTRA 1: A MUSICAL GENESIS
Jaime Martín Music Director
Nicolas Alstaedt, Cello
HAYDN Symphony No. 83 in G minor, “La poule”
SCHUMANN Cello Concerto in D minor, Op. 129
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
October 4, 2025, at Cicada Restaurant and Lounge
CURRENT: REFLECTIONS IN SONG
John Holiday, Countertenor
Lara Downes, Piano and Mixed Ensemble
ELLINGTON Caravan
Selections from The American Songbook
COLTRANE Giant Steps
SCHOENBERG Transfigured Night
October 25, 2025 at Zipper Hall
October 26, 2025 at The Wallis
ORCHESTRA 2: ROMANTIC RESONANCE
Jaime Martín, Music Director
Marc André Hamelin, Piano
FARRENC Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 35
BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
November 22, 2025 at Zipper Hall
November 23, 2025 at The Wallis
CHAMBER: A BRAHMSIAN AFFAIR
BRAHMS String Sextet No. 2 in G Major
BRAHMS String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat Major
December 14, 2025 at Zipper Hall
December 16, 2025 at The Wallis
CHAMBER: HARMONIC CONVERSATIONS
Richard Goode, Piano
SCHUMANN Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, WoO 1
MOZART Quartet for Piano and String Trio in E-flat major, K. 478
BEETHOVEN Septet in E-flat major, Op. 20
January 17, 2026 at The Huntington
January 18, 2026 at The Wallis
BAROQUE: A GRAND BAROQUE SALON
Pierre Hantaï, Leader
Carl Philippe Emannuel BACH Symphony in B minor
Johann Sebastian BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050
Jean Marie LECLAIR Concerto in D major for Violin, Strings, and Basso Continuo, Op. 7, No. 2
Jean Philippe RAMEAU Selections from Operas
February 14, 2026 at Zipper Hall
February 15, 2026 at The Wallis
ORCHESTRA 3: PASSION AND MYSTERY
Jaime Martín, Music Director
Fazil Say, Piano
ABELS New work/World Premiere
FAURÉ Pelléas et Melisande, Op. 80
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
March 14, 2026 at Zipper Hall
March 15, 2026 venue to be announced
ORCHESTRA 4: TURNING POINTS
Dinis Souza, Guest Conductor
Isabelle Faust, Violin
RUO The Tipping Point *West coast premiere
SCHUMANN Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4 in A major, “Italian”
March 28, 2026, at Cicada Restaurant and Lounge
CURRENT: INVENTIONS REIMAGINED
Lara Downes, Piano with String Trio
Special guest to be announced
BACH Sinfonias and Inventions, BWV 772 – 801
April 11, 2026 at Zipper Hall
April 12, 2026 at The Wallis
ORCHESTRA 5: TEMPORAL ECHOES
Jaime Martín, Music Director
Anne Akiko Meyers, Violin
BANSAL Sound Investment Commission*World Premiere
WHITACRE The Pacific Has No Memory *West coast premiere
SHOSTAKOVICH Chamber Symphony for String in C minor, Op. 110a
PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Classical”, Op. 5
May 9, 2026
GALA program and venue to be announced
May 16, 2026 at Zipper Hall
May 17 17, 2026 at The Wallis
ORCHESTRA 6: RADIANCE AND REVERIE
Jaime Martín, Music Director
Anthony Marwood, Violin
Coleman Itzkoff, Cello
MOZART Symphony No. 35 in D Major, “Haffner” K. 385
CERRONE Double Concerto for Violin and Cello *World Premiere
TCHAIKOVSKY Orchestra Suite No. 4, Op. 61 “Mozartiana”
May 30, 2026 at The Huntington
May 31, 2026 at The Wallis
BAROQUE IN BLOOM
Margaret Batjer, Leader
Amanda Forsythe, Soprano
Johann Sebastian BACH Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten “Wedding Cantata,” BWV 202
VIVALDI “La Notte”
VIVALDI Concerto Grosso in G minor, RV 578, No. 2
HANDEL “Se Pietà di me non senti” from Israel in Egypt
HANDEL “Da tempeste” from Julius Ceasar
BIBER Battalia
TELEMANN Don Quixote
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Subscription renewals and new subscriptions are available now at laco.org or by phone at 213-221-3920.
VENUE ADDRESSES
The Huntington, Rothenberg Hall, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Colburn School’s Zipper Hall, 200 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (LACO) ranks among the world’s top musical ensembles. Beloved by audiences and praised by critics, the Orchestra is a preeminent interpreter of historical masterworks and, with eight ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming, a champion of contemporary composers. Headquartered in the heart of the country’s cultural capital, LACO has been proclaimed “America’s finest chamber orchestra” (Public Radio International), “LA’s most unintimidating chamber music experience” (Los Angeles magazine), “resplendent” (Los Angeles Times), and “one of the world’s great chamber orchestras”(KUSC Classical FM). Performing throughout greater Los Angeles, the Orchestra has made 32 recordings, including, most recently, a 2019 BIS Records release of works for violin and chamber orchestra that features Concertmaster Margaret Batjer and the world premiere recording of Pierre Jalbert’s Violin Concerto (a LACO co-commission). LACO has toured Europe, South America and Japan, and performed across North America. www.laco.org.
Music Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra since 2019, and Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2022, Spanish conductor JAIME MARTÍN has also held the positions of Chief Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland (2019-2024), Principal Guest Conductor of the Spanish National Orchestra (2022-2024) and Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Gävle Symphony Orchestra (2013-2022). Having spent many years as a highly regarded flautist, Martín turned to conducting full-time in 2013 and quickly became sought after at the highest level. Recent and future engagements include his debuts with the Budapest Festival Orchestra and return visits to the Royal Stockholm, Dresden and Netherlands Philharmonics, the Sydney, Barcelona, Dallas, Colorado, Antwerp, New Zealand, Frankfurt and Swedish Radio Symphonies, and his conducting debut at the BBC Proms with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, whose Principal Guest Conductor position he took on from the 24/25 season. Jaime Martín is the Artistic Advisor of the Santander Festival, a founding member of the Orquestra de Cadaqués, and Fellow of the Royal College of Music, London.
A performing arts institution located in the heart of Los Angeles, the COLBURN SCHOOL trains students from beginners to those about to embark on professional careers. The academic units of the School provide a complete spectrum of music and dance education united by a single philosophy: that all who desire to study music or dance should have access to top-level instruction.
- The diploma- and degree-granting Conservatory of Music is distinguished by a unique all-scholarship model, renowned faculty, and outstanding performance opportunities. It prepares the very highest level of collegiate musicians for professional careers.
- The Music Academy is a highly selective training program for gifted young pre-collegiate musicians, designed to prepare students for conservatory study and performing careers at the highest levels of achievement. This residential program balances performance, musical instruction, and academics.
- The Community School of Performing Arts welcomes students of all ages, from seven months old to adults. It offers over 120 classes each year in orchestral instruments, piano, guitar, voice, jazz, music theory, drama, and ensembles including orchestra, choir, and chamber music.
- The Trudl Zipper Dance Institute develops performers of all levels, from aspiring professionals in the Dance Academy to beginners starting in Youth Dance. Students of all levels receive training in ballet, tap, and modern genres as part of a comprehensive dance education.
- Created to serve all units of the School, the Center for Innovation and Community Impact empowers the musical and dance leaders of tomorrow by nurturing students’ passion and ability to serve their communities, preparing them for sustainable careers, and embracing the development of new ideas. The Center embodies Colburn’s commitment to developing young artists with the curiosity, skills, and commitment to make a difference in their field.
Each year, more than 2,000 students from around the world come to Colburn to benefit from the renowned faculty, exceptional facilities, and focus on excellence that unites the community.
In 2024, the Colburn School broke ground on the Frank Gehry-designed Colburn Center, a multi-faceted campus expansion of the Colburn School. Located across the street from the School’s existing campus at the intersection of Olive and Second Streets, the Colburn Center will enable the School to expand its mission of presenting programs for the public. Gehry’s design includes a 1,000-seat in-the-round concert hall named for Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall, five professional-sized dance studios including a 100-seat studio theater, and gardens that bring fresh air and green spaces to the downtown landscape.
In addition to the 1,000-seat Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall, the expansion will also more than double the facilities for the School’s Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, creating one of the most comprehensive dance education complexes in Southern California. The dance facilities include a 100-seat theater for dance and four professional-sized studios for dance instruction and rehearsal. The Colburn Center will also add a rooftop garden that will be large enough to host receptions and outdoor performances, as well as a ground-level garden with a dedicated performance space that will be open to the public.
To read the full press release, download it here: LACO 2025_26 Season Announcement + Colburn School partnership