Irish Chamber Orchestra. Courtesy photo

LACA News:

One of Ireland’s great cultural assets, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, will perform in Los Alamos at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7.

Presented by the Los Alamos Concert Association as part of its 70^th Anniversary celebration, the orchestra will be led by distinguished Hungarian conductor, Gábor Takács-Nagy. 

Joining the orchestra as soloist will be the celebrated Hungarian cello prodigy István Várdai in performances of concertos by Haydn and C.P.E. Bach. The spirited Haydn concerto was lost for nearly 200 years. Finally unearthed in 1961, it is often considered the single greatest musicological discovery since the Second World War. Haydn’s 49^th Symphony and the Divertimento for Strings by Béla Bartók will complete the program.     

Takács-Nagy is perhaps best known to local audiences as the founder of the Takács Quartet presented by LACA 2003. Since turning to conducting, he has led a long list of ensembles including the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra. Today he is considered one of the great exponents of Hungarian music, particularly that of Bartók. He is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music in London. 

István Várdai has earned prizes in prestigious international competitions including three first place finishes in the David Popper International Music Competition in Budapest. Since his concert debut in The Hague at the age of 13 in 1998, he has performed with major orchestras throughout Europe.   

Founded in 1963, the Irish Chamber Orchestra tours regularly from its base at the University of Limerick. The orchestra’s travels have taken them across Europe and to appearances in the US, China, Korea, and Australia.

Tickets for this performance are available electronically through LACA’s website, in Los Alamos at CB FOX and Smith’s Marketplace, in White Rock at Smith’s and at the door. In Santa Fe, tickets are available at the Lensic box office. Continuing a long LACA tradition, tickets for young people age 6-18 are free and available at the Los Alamos and White Rock outlets and at the door. Children under 6 will not be admitted.

For complete artist, venue and ticket information, visit www.losalamosconcert.org.