New West Symphony And The Colburn School To Present Violinist Lara St. John In Free Master Class

Online, November 3, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Violin virtuoso Lara St. John will present a master class on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 1:00 pm in the historic Jascha Heifetz Studio at The Colburn School in Los Angeles. Three talented young musicians from the studios of Robert Lipsett and New West Symphony concertmaster Danielle Belen will perform.

The master class, which is being presented jointly by the New West Symphony and The Colburn School, is free and open to the public. The Colburn School is located at 200 South Grand Avenue in Los Angeles. Space is limited and reservations may be made by calling (805) 435-2776.

Canadian-born violinist Lara St. John has been described as "something of a phenomenon" by The Strad and a "high-powered soloist" by The New York Times. In North America, she has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras including Cleveland, Philadelphia, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and the Boston Pops. In Europe, she has played with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Symphony (Hanover), Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Bournemouth Symphony, and the Amsterdam Symphony, among others. In Asia, solo appearances have included the Hong Kong Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, China Philharmonic in Beijing, Guangzhou Symphony, and the Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra. Ms. St. John has also performed in Australia and Turkey. The Los Angeles Times has written, "St. John brings to the stage personal charisma, an unflagging musical imagination and genuine passion."

Ms. St. John will perform with the New West Symphony in its West Coast premiere of the Hindson Violin Concerto No. 1, "Australian Postcards." The program will also include Claude Debussy's La Mer, and Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. Performances will take place on Friday, November 11 at 8:00 p.m. at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center; Saturday, November 12 at 8:00 p.m. at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza; and Sunday, November 13 at 4:00 p.m. at Barnum Hall in Santa Monica.

Founded in 1995, the New West Symphony is a professional symphony orchestra. The New West's players are all professional musicians drawn from the rich pool of nationally renowned classical musicians residing in the Los Angeles region, many of whom play for other area orchestras as well as being active "session players" for film, television and audio recording in the entertainment industry.

The New West performs in three concert halls, the 1,500-seat Oxnard Performing Arts Center, the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks, and the 1,200-seat Barnum Hall on the campus of Santa Monica High School.

The New West Symphony has served as the touring orchestra for Andrea Bocelli, having completed three tours, most recently in 2010. Beginning with the 2011/2012 season, internationally renowned guest conductors will lead the orchestra as the symphony's board searches for a new artistic director to implement a fresh vision in the future life of the orchestra.

The New West Symphony is a 501c3 charity and governed by a 50-member board of directors

For further concert information and tickets visit www.newwestsymphony.org.
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