The Salastina Music Society will kick off the new season with a special fundraising event on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 8 p.m. at Thayer Hall at the Colburn School. Classical KUSC’s Brian Lauritzen will host an in-depth exploration of Wagner’s personal declaration of love for his wife, the Siegfried Idyll, in its original version for 13 musicians. The performance will begin with an original arrangement of the fiery Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Wagner’s contemporary, Johannes Brahms.
Salastina Music Society Artistic Directors/violinists Kevin Kumar and Maia Jasper will be joined by 11 outstanding string and wind instrumentalists. Among the guest artists are international soloist Hakan Rosengren on clarinet, principal flute of Pacific Symphony Orchestra Benjamin Smollen, members of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and highly regarded rising stars.
Lauritzen’s presentation will also initiate a discussion about the intersection of aesthetics and ethics in light of Wagner’s 200th birth year.
The concert will take place on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 8 p.m. in Thayer Hall at the Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., LA 90012. Discounted tickets ($28) for each concert can be purchased at www.salastinasociety.org; regular-priced tickets ($35) will be available at the door. Students with valid ID may purchase tickets for $10.
The audience is invited to mingle with the artists at the complimentary reception immediately following the concert. This season premiere is also a fundraising event, so the audience will have the opportunity to bid on a variety of items at the silent auction.