Orchestra Nova LA News
HOW JOSH JOHNSON COMPOSED “SYMPHONY,” THE MUSIC-DRIVEN SPECIAL AIMING TO BE TIMELESS"
“Using music as a canvas to paint a funny, layered portrait of the human experience, Johnson creates a set that comes alive with the sound of more than the laughter of the crowd at the Wiltern, where the special was filmed earlier this year. With stories focused on surviving a rowdy family, moments of loneliness, struggles with faith, and navigating our deepest human relationships, Johnson’s abilities as a pensive storyteller are conducted masterfully. The result is an hour that helps showcase his refined comedic voice, surprise the audience and sound the trumpets for his next round of touring…”
“Watching it come together was a huge surprise, because you know, [the director] Jacob’s out here in L.A., I’m in New York, and so I make the flight down and everything, but the Thursday rehearsal with the musicians [before the taping] was the first time I was seeing everything come together. It was first time I was hearing everything, and so I think watching something finally come to life after such a long period of time is always going to throw you for a loop.” - Josh Johnson
— Nate Jackson, Los Angeles Times
MUSIC IN TROUBLED TIMES
“Like everyone in Los Angeles, when the fires first started, we all wondered what was going to happen to us personally, to our families and friends, to our jobs, and the groups and organizations to which we belong. And like many, those of us who were fortunate enough to escape immediate harm reached out to our friends, coworkers, and colleagues, to offer food, showers, and places to stay, which were badly needed…”
“…We greeted each other with hugs, some with tears in our eyes, and as we began to work on the Shostakovich Festive Overture, it was soon apparent that something special was happening. For those unfamiliar with the work, it starts with a fanfare in the brass, which gradually includes the entire orchestra, and suddenly bursts into a fast flurry of notes in the clarinets, which metamorphosizes into one loud and playful finger-breaking exercise for everyone at a presto tempo. When we finished, and the musicians started to look up from their parts, I saw smiles on their faces, smiles which had not been there before we started…”
“…Music can be a powerful force, perhaps not as powerful in the immediate sense as the wind-whipped inferno which consumed over 10,000 homes and other structures in Southern California in a short time, but music can do what no disaster can do, and that is to heal.”
— Ivan Shulman, Music Director, Symphony.org (from the League of American Orchestras)
ORCHESTRA NOVA LA WOWS AT ITS PREMIERE CONCERT
“…The orchestra also rose to the bar set by [Karolina] Protsenko, playing with finesse and deep focus as they were led though the movements by the sensitivity and fire of Maestro Shulman’s baton. Ms. Protsenko commented afterwards that, during rehearsals, she had turned to the Maestro and asked if the orchestra could play the allegros even a little faster. “It happened twice,” she confessed with a good-natured giggle and in complete camaraderie with her fellow musicians. “And, yes, they did.” Later, Board President Lee noted that the musicians’ ever-increasing “enthusiasm and skill have allowed us to play pieces we never would have considered a few years ago.”
Which brings us back to the motives for the new name and image of this decades-old orchestra. There were a few reasons, as explained by Mr. Lee. The orchestra has long since expanded its membership beyond the old requirement of being medical doctors, and includes musicians from all walks of life ranging from college students to grandparents. Maestro Shulman, along with the board, have been deeply committed to highlighting composers, compositions, and musicians that are new, obscure, or lesser known – a boon to the music world and a huge service to the community at large. It was time for this group — 2020’s Best Community Orchestra (American Prize) with Maestro Shulman awarded Honorable Mention in Conducting, and a participant in the new statewide California Festival this month that showcases new works – to level up its profile and fundraising abilities with a fresh new name befitting the fresh and refreshing image of this local Los Angeles treasure.”
— Fiona Nagle, PhD., Culver City Crossroads
THE UKRAINIAN CULTURE CENTER PRESENTS “SING FOR UKRAINE”
“The Ukrainian National Choir of California and Orchestra Nova LA, under the direction of Maestro Greg Hallick, present Sing for Ukraine, a fundraising concert to aid Ukraine…
…As war continues to ravage our homeland, we are performing this “SING FOR UKRAINE” program to raise awareness of the war’s injustice, the extreme hardships placed upon our brothers and sisters in the civilian population and to raise much needed funds to assist our country’s medical and military needs.”