CAMA Announces 106th Season in Santa Barbara

CAMA recently announced its lineup for the 2024-2025 concert season, Connecting Continents, Cultures, and Generations, which aims to inspire audiences with performances from musicians and orchestras that hail from around the globe. Threaded together by the idea that the power of music traverses boundaries, each show contributes to an overall effort to forge connection and unity among listeners. 

The International Showcase, held at The Granada Theatre, features three of California’s most accomplished orchestras and two renowned ensembles from the U.K. CAMA will also welcome talented classical soloists to the Lobero Theatre for their Masterseries. 

The International Showcase will open with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), “one of the world’s greatest chamber orchestras,” according to KUSC Classical FM. Conducted by the esteemed Jaime Martín and featuring lauded baritone Thomas Bauer, LACO is sure to dazzle. Avi Avital will be back in Santa Barbara yet again, leading San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (PBO). Touted by the New York Times as “America’s leading historically informed ensemble,” the PBO will be accompanied by two-time Grammy-winning soprano Estelí Gomez. 

The London Symphony Orchestra will also return to CAMA, this time under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano and showcasing revered violinist Janine Jansen. CAMA will also present the Chineke! Orchestra, a world-class ensemble based in the U.K. that consists of majority Black and ethnically diverse musicians. With a mission to “champion change and celebrate diversity in classical music,” the Chineke! Orchestra will be guided by eminent conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni and spotlight celebrated trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo. 

Described by the New York Times as “the most important orchestra in America — period,” it is only fitting that the Los Angeles Philharmonic close out the International Showcase. The L.A. Phil will be directed by the talented Esa-Pekka Salonen and joined by piano virtuoso Pierre-Laurent Aimard. 

The Masterseries will be no less captivating, bringing together first-rate artists for what is sure to be an unforgettable series of performances. Internationally recognized violinist Anne Akiko Meyers will kick off the Masterseries, supported by Fabio Badini on piano for her opening number. Garrick Ohlsson, well-known as an expert pianist, will play an all-Chopin program, his forte. Violinist Gilles Apap, whose versatility has distinguished him in the classical music world for decades, will return to Lobero. And Yefim Bronfman, a “powerhouse pianist” as stated by the Los Angeles Times, will wrap up the Masterseries.  

The complete concert details are: 

INTERNATIONAL SERIES at the Granada Theatre

Season Sponsor: SAGE Publishing

[I]

Monday, October 21, 7:30 p.m., Granada Theatre
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

Jaime Martín, music director
Thomas Bauer, baritone

Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 6 in D Major, “Le Matin”
Gustav Mahler arr. Arnold Schoenberg: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer)
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D Major

Founded in 1968 as an artistic outlet for the recording industry’s most gifted musicians, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) has spent the past six decades burnishing its reputation as “one of the world’s great chamber orchestras” (KUSC Classical FM) and as a major cultural force in Los Angeles. Since 2019, the esteemed Spanish conductor Jaime Martín has served as LACO’s Music Director, as well as Chief Conductor of both the Melbourne Symphony and Ireland’s RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. Known for his insightful interpretations, Maestro Martín offers a superb concert program featuring two symphonic masterpieces, the Haydn No. 6 and Brahms No. 2, and Mahler’s exquisite Songs of a Wayfarer, sung by acclaimed German baritone Thomas Bauer, who critics and audiences agree is one of the most fascinating vocal artists of our time.

[II] 

Tuesday, November 12, 7:30 p.m., Granada Theatre 
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

Avi Avital, mandolin/leader/arranger
Estelí Gomez, soprano

Venetian Splendor: Vivaldi Four Seasons & Gondola Songs
Gondolier Song: “Si’, la gondola avere’, no crie’”
Gondolier Song: “L’occasion delle mie pene”
Gondolier Song: “Cara la mia Ninetta”
Antonio Vivaldi: “La primavera” (“Spring”) from Le quattro stagioni, Op. 8, No. 1, arr. Avital
Gondolier Song: “In fin che’l tempo è bello”
Gondolier Song: “Semplicetta è la farfalle”
Antonio Vivaldi: “L’estate” (“Summer”) from Le quattro stagioni, Op. 8, No. 2, arr. Avital
Antonio Vivaldi: “L’autunno” (“Autumn”) from Le quattro stagioni, Op. 8, No. 3, arr. Avital
Gondolier Song: “Chi no ga la borsa grossa”
Gondolier Song: “Co’ Checca, Betta e Catte”
Antonio Vivaldi: “L’inverno” (“Winter”) from Le quattro stagioni, Op. 8, No. 4, arr. Avital

San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, considered the most versatile ensemble of its kind performing on period instruments, returns to Santa Barbara led by superstar mandolin virtuoso and longtime CAMA favorite Avi Avital for a very special program: Venetian Splendor: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons & Gondola Songs — a lively musical celebration of the magical Italian city nicknamed La Serenissima (“the Most Serenely Beautiful One”) on the occasion of the 300th Anniversary of Vivaldi’s enduringly popular Baroque masterpiece. The program also features an array of historic gondolier songs dedicated to Venice’s hallmark form of transport, with acclaimed soprano Estelí Gomez (a two-time Grammy winner) as soloist with the PBO. Join CAMA for a lively and spirited musical tour to the City of Canals!

[III]

Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 7:30 p.m, Granada Theatre
London Symphony Orchestra 

Sir Antonio Pappano, music director
Janine Jansen, violin

Leonard Bernstein: Serenade, after Plato’s Symposium
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1, “Titan”

Among the greatest of all orchestras today, the legendary London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) returns to Santa Barbara for a special concert co-presented by CAMA and the Music Academy of the West. Under the esteemed leadership of Music Director Sir Antonio Pappano since 2024, the LSO continues to shine on the global stage. Sir Antonio, renowned for his profound musical insight and charismatic conducting, was Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden from 2002 to 2023, and named “Conductor of the Year” at the prestigious International Opera Awards in 2023. Joining the LSO as violin soloist is Dutch violinist Janine Jansen, celebrated internationally for her intense expressivity and impeccable technique. Among the world’s star soloists, she performs regularly with the world’s most eminent orchestras and conductors, playing the Shumsky-Rode Stradivarius from 1715, on generous loan from a European benefactor.

[IV]

Thursday, April 3, 2025, 7:30 p.m, Granada Theatre
Chineke! Orchestra 

Chi-Chi Nwanoku CBE, founder & artistic director
Vimbayi Kaziboni, conductor
Aaron Azunda Akugbo, trumpet

Valerie Coleman: 7 o’clock Shout
Avril Coleridge-Taylor: A Sussex Landscape 
Franz Joseph Haydn: Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in E-flat Major, Hob.VIIe:1
Brian Raphael Nabors: Pulse for Orchestra 
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Symphony in A Minor

The Chineke! Orchestra, whose motto is “championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music,” is one of Britain’s most exciting new orchestras. It was founded in London in 2015 by double bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE to provide career opportunities at the highest level for Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the U.K. and Europe. They are currently a Resident Orchestra at London’s Southbank Centre, and their 2013 BBC Proms concert at the Royal Albert Hall featured musicians from 40 different countries. They have performed to great critical acclaim at leading European festivals such as the Lucerne and Edinburgh Festivals, as well as in the U.S. and Canada. Zimbabwean-born conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni, Assistant Professor of Orchestral Studies and Contemporary Music at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, is widely sought after by top orchestras around the globe for his depth of approach, interpretive imagination, and expressivity For its Santa Barbara debut, the Chineke! Orchestra presents an evening of compelling works by Black composers, and Franz Joseph Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E-flat featuring Aaron Azunda Akugbo, a founding member of Connaught Brass.

[V]

Friday, May 9, 2025, 7:30 p.m., Granada Theatre
Los Angeles Philharmonic 

Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor laureate
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano

Pierre-Boulez: Notations IV, for solo piano
Boulez: Notations IV, for orchestra
Claude Debussy: Images: I. Gigues
Boulez: Notations VII, for solo piano
Boulez: Notations VII, for orchestra
Debussy: Images: III. Rondes de printemps
Boulez: Notations II, for solo piano
Boulez: Notations II, for orchestra
Debussy: Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra
Debussy: La mer

The Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the baton of their esteemed Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen, is returning for an evening of profound musical exploration with celebrated pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard. The concert marks Maestro Salonen’s 16th appearance conducting for CAMA over the past 30-plus years — 12 with the L.A. Phil and three with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra. The program features an intricate dialogue between solo and orchestral textures, showcasing the innovative works of Pierre Boulez complemented by three of Debussy’s radiant works, including La mer.  Known for his deep connection with Boulez’s compositions, Aimard will perform solo pieces from the composer’s Notations along with corresponding orchestral versions, as well as Debussy’s Fantaisie for piano and orchestra. Both composers pioneered revolutionary approaches to composition and timbre, making this pairing especially apt, inviting discovery and association.

MASTERSERIES at the Lobero Theatre

Season Sponsor: Esperia Foundation

[I] 

Friday, November 22, 7:30 p.m., Lobero Theatre

Anne Akiko Meyers, violin
Fabio Bidini, piano

Arcangelo Corelli: “La Folia” Sonata, arr. Andy Poxon
Philip Glass: “New Chaconne” (Premiere)
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Sonata No.5 in F Major, “Spring” (Frühlingssonate)
Morten Lauridsen: “Sure On This Shining Night” and “Dirait-On”
Arturo Márquez: Danzón No. 2, arr. Arturo Márquez (Premiere)

Anne Akiko Meyers is one of the world’s most esteemed violinists, celebrated for her expressive depth and technical prowess. She has collaborated with today’s most important composers, conductors, and orchestras, creating a remarkable collection of new violin repertoire for future generations, including Arturo Márquez’s Fandango, a violin concerto written for her in 2021, which received a 2024 Grammy Award nomination for her recording with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Meyers’s upcoming CAMA recital debut program will include a premiere of Philip Glass’s New Chaconne, as well as Márquez’s “Danzón No. 2” in a new arrangement by the composer. Meyers will play the exquisite 1741 “ex-Vieuxtemps” Guarneri del Gesù, considered by many to be the finest sounding violin in existence for its powerfully luxuriant sound and mint state of preservation. Joining Meyers is Italian pianist Fabio Bidini, a distinguished faculty member at the Colburn School in Los Angeles.

[II] 

Thursday, January 23, 2025, 7:30 p.m., Lobero Theatre

Garrick Ohlsson, piano

All-Chopin Program
Frédéric Chopin: 
Nocturne in F Major, Op. 15, No. 1
Nocturne in B Major, Op. 9, No. 3
Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60
Fantasy in F Minor, Op.49
Scherzo in B Minor, Op. 39
Impromptu in F-sharp Major, Op. 36
Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58

Since his historic triumph at the 1970 Chopin Piano Competition, Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as one of the great American piano masters of the past 50-plus years, a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. He commands a vast repertoire spanning the entire piano literature, with noted mastery of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and the Romantic composers, as well as works of the 21st century. His comprehensive recordings of Chopin have received international acclaim, cementing his reputation as one of the composer’s greatest living interpreters. He will be returning to the CAMA Masterseries (with an all-Chopin program ) for the first time since his virtuosic all-Brahms recital at the Lobero back in March 2019, as part of CAMA’s historic 100th Anniversary Season.

[III]

Saturday, March 8, 2025, 7:30 p.m., Lobero Theatre

Gilles Apap, violin

Program: “…for Old times’ sake”
Works to-be-announced: by Brahms, Bartók, Enescu … and beyond!

Few musicians have achieved the balance and breadth in their careers that French violinist Gilles Apap has. He is a world-renowned and sought-after classical soloist, an innovative crossover artist and group leader, and a longtime musical hero in Santa Barbara, where he settled in 1986 at just 22 years of age, soon serving as the concertmaster of the Santa Barbara Symphony for more than a decade. He is known internationally for his ongoing musical journey, marked by collaborations with musicians and orchestras from around the world, delivering distinctive performances that combine classical repertoire with his love of traditional music — from Europe to India to America — such as Romani, Irish, swing, or bluegrass. The result is a unique merging of the borderlines between musical styles and the skill to bring joy to every concert hall. CAMA looks forward to Gilles’s homecoming to Santa Barbara and to the beloved Lobero “…for old times’ sake.”

[IV]

Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 7:30 p.m., Lobero Theatre

Yefim Bronfman, piano 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in F Major, K332
Claude Debussy: Images, Book II
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Grand Sonata in G Major, Op. 37

Twenty-six years after his March 1999 appearance in Masterseries, celebrated pianist Yefim Bronfman returns to the series with a program of pianistic fireworks. Bronfman, who immigrated from the Soviet Union to Israel and later the United States, honed his skills at prestigious institutions such as The Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, where he is now a staff member. (He performed with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra for CAMA in May 2023.) Renowned for his technical brilliance and profound musicality, Bronfman has built a distinguished international career featuring collaborations with the world’s premier orchestras. His artistry has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize and a Grammy for his recording of Bartók’s three piano concertos with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Series seats for new subscribers will be available starting Tuesday, July 9. Those wishing to buy new subscriptions to either or both series can call the CAMA office at (805) 966-4324 or visit camasb.org. Single tickets will be available starting Friday, September 13, at The Granada Theatre Box Office (805) 899-2222, granadasb.org, and the Lobero Theatre Box Office (805) 963-0761, lobero.org.