Violist

When 57-year-old Brahms penned his Second String Quintet, he truly believed that his best work was behind him. His biographer Walter Niemann later disagreed, calling it “the most passionate, the freshest, and the most deeply inspired by nature” of Brahms’ entire catalog.

EPSG:4326

Brahms Strings

Walt Disney Concert Hall

On Sunday, August 11th, Dr. Green and the LAJS players embarked on a musical journey that explored the rich diversity of Jewish music from various regions of the world, with a special focus on inspiring melodies from Israel.

Tapestry of Jewish Music

 IAC Shepher Community Center

LA Phil cello David Garrett curates this concert focused on Bohemian composers. Leoš Janáček’s String Quartet No. 2 has been called his “manifesto on love,” whereas Bohuslav Martinů’s Third String Quartet shows the influence of the time spent by the Czech composer in the oft-called “city of love,” Paris, where he absorbed French Impressionism from the likes of Debussy. The second half features a String Quintet—which adds a double bass to the standard string quartet—by the composer who pioneered the quintessential Bohemian voice, Antonín Dvořák.

Bohemian Strings

String quartets by Bartók and Tchaikovsky bookend this program—the visceral and cathartic former contrasting with the latter’s refined lyricism that famously moved the author Leo Tolstoy to tears in a moment Tchaikovsky called one of the proudest of his life. In between, musicians of the LA Phil perform a chamber reduction of the sweeping Prelude and “Liebestod” from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.

Tchaikovsky and Wagner

Season Finale with Mendelssohn, Rontgen and  Brahms

SEASON FINALE

The La Jolla Woman’s Club

This program ends as it begins—with breathtaking string quintets! Mozart’s Third exudes an effortless joy and elegance, weaving playful melodies into lively and refined conversations between the instruments. Composer and LA Phil violist John Hayhurst’s Adagio is rather brief yet comforting, drawing inspiration from the final words of Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, and Michael Lando.

Violist

Michael Larco

Events

Upcoming events

Mar 17, 2026

Mozart & Benavides · Los Angeles Philharmonic

Past events

Nov 18, 2025

Brahms Strings · Los Angeles Philharmonic

Aug 11, 2024

Tapestry of Jewish Music · Los Angeles Jewish Symphony

Future and recently performed repertoire

Viola in String Quintet No. 3 by Mozart

Los Angeles Philharmonic

Viola in String Sextet No. 1 by Brahms

Los Angeles Philharmonic

Viola in String Quintet No. 2 by Brahms

Los Angeles Philharmonic

About

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