When Mark Carlson created the small chamber music ensemble
Pacific Serenades, he never dreamed he’d still be performing
with the group 22 years later.
But somewhere along the line, Pacific Serenades found a niche in
the Southern California classical music community.
“There’s such immediacy to chamber music and such
intimacy; it really feels like the music is being played just for
you, and that’s pretty wonderful,” said Carlson,
Pacific Serenades artistic director and a UCLA theory and
composition visiting assistant professor.
Pacific Serenades distinguishes itself from other chamber music
groups in its commitment to supporting composers and musicians
specifically from Southern California. A native Californian,
Carlson received his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in music
composition from UCLA.
“There’s a fair amount of prejudice in the world of
the arts that if you’re not in New York, or Boston or
Philadelphia, then you can’t be good,” Carlson
said.
Rather than move back East, Carlson decided to create Pacific
Serenades particularly to showcase the works of active musicians
and composers in Southern California.
Although the ensemble has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York
City and also in San Francisco, Carlson is content to keep the
group’s performances on a small scale.
“I’m just happy to keep it local,” said
Carlson.
One of the most unique aspects of Pacific Serenades is the
amount of material it commissions from contemporary composers. Each
performance features one contemporary piece juxtaposed with popular
classical works. The ensemble has premiered 72 new compositions, by
far the most of any comparable group in the country.
On Jan. 16, Chamber Music America recognized Pacific
Serenades’ commitment to contemporary chamber music
programming and awarded it the prestigious Award for Adventurous
Programming.
Pacific Serenades not only is acclaimed critically, but
consistently receives a positive response from its audiences. Last
year, its audience attendance increased an impressive 60 percent.
Carlson attributed much of this growth to word of mouth at
UCLA.
“There are a lot of people there who just love our
concerts and keep telling their friends they’ve got to
come,” Carlson said. “It’s partly just a growing
reputation. People keep discovering us who didn’t ever know
about us.”
Pacific Serenades also attracts talented musicians (from the Los
Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra among
others) to collaborate with the ensemble. The musicians often help
select musical works for the season and play an integral role in
referring other instrumentalists to the ensemble.
“I’m absolutely grateful for the experience that
I’ve had,” Carlson said. “It’s given me my
own forum as an artist and somebody as a member of the arts
community.”
This season, Pacific Serenades will perform four different
programs right at UCLA, each with a different theme celebrating the
landscape of Southern California. The first performance on Feb. 10,
titled “Of Golden Hills and Dark Forests,” will feature
a string ensemble performing a Mozart quintet and a Beethoven
quartet. They will premiere “Divertimento,” a
contemporary composition from Mexican composer Daniel Catan. The
remaining composers of the 2004 season include Bruce Babcock,
Benjamin Lees and Ian Krouse.
“It should be an exciting season for our audiences and our
musicians,” Carlson said.
Pacific Serenades will be performing Feb. 10 at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $28. Go to www.pacificserenades.com for more
information.