The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) held its Chamber Series with Works by Women Composers over the weekend. The event paid tribute to the late Sarah Gibson. Gibson, a composer who passed away from cancer in July 2024 at age 38, was honored as the Orchestra performed Gibson’s “I do not want horses or diamonds.” LACO commissioned the work in celebration of the 200th birthday of Clara Schumann.
LACO artists also performed several Romantic-era treasures, including Clara Schumann’s timeless and heartfelt Three Romances, Op. 94; Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel’s rhapsodic String Quartet in E-flat major; and Louise Farrenc’s masterful but once forgotten Nonet, Op. 38, imbued with sonorous textures and intricate orchestrations. In addition, the program features Down, a trio for flute, viola, and harp by Los Angeles native Nokuthula Ngwenyama, whose music is celebrated for its rich timbres and emotional depth.
PROGRAM:
C. SCHUMANN Three Romances, Op. 94
S. GIBSON I do not want horses or diamonds
NOKUTHULA NGWENYAMA Down
F. MENDELSSOHN-HENSEL String Quartet in E-flat major
L. FARRENC Nonet, Op. 38
For learn more for 2025-2026 season, visit: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
