LA Phil principals Boris Allakhverdyan (left) and Whitney Crockett (right) will play a piece by composer David Lefkowitz (center).
This St. Matthew’s Music Guild Concert is special because it celebrates the return to St. Matthew’s sanctuary more than a year later after the January 7, 2025 Palisades Fire. The 8 p.m. concert on Friday, March 20 will feature LA Philharmonic principals Boris Allakhverdyan (clarinet) and Whitney Crockett (bassoon).
The musical program will include Richard Strauss’s Duet-Concertino for Clarinet and Bassoon, that was written in the final years of the composer’s life. It is a work of remarkable transparency and warmth and is often described as autumnal in character.
The duet features a graceful interplay between the two solo instruments, supported by scoring for string orchestra whose textures remain luminous and restrained. The piece reveals Strauss at his most distilled—elegant, reflective, and quietly virtuosic.
David Lefkowitz’s Zachor (“Remembrance”) draws on the spirit of an old Lithuanian Klezmer tune that emerges gradually from a distant musical past. The work unfolds as an act of recollection, layering memory and sonority to create a soundscape that is at once intimate and resonant.
Lefkowitz is a prominent Los Angeles-based composer and UCLA professor known for his ability to integrate historical and traditional references with contemporary musical expression.
Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings concludes the program. Composed as both homage to Mozart and an expression of Tchaikovsky’s own romantic sensibility, the work moves from the stately opening movement to the tender Waltz and the spirited Finale that resembles a lively Russian dance.
St. Matthew’s Music Guild Director Dwayne S. Milburn said, “Strauss’s Duet-Concertino is one of his most refined late works—lyrical, humane, and full of subtle character.
“To perform it with artists of the caliber of Boris Allakhverdyan and Whitney Crockett is deeply rewarding,” Milburn said. “Just as meaningful is our return to St. Matthew’s Church. Coming back to our musical home and sharing this moment with our audience carries profound significance for us.”
This will be Allakhverdyan third performance with the Chamber Orchestra. As both orchestral leader and soloist, he has appeared in major concert halls around the world, bringing a distinctive musical voice shaped by technical command and interpretive depth.
Crockett, Principal Bassoon for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is celebrated for his clarity of articulation and warm, resonant sound. He has collaborated with distinguished conductors and ensembles internationally.
The concert will be in St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda. Tickets are $45 for general admission and $10 for students with ID (at the door). Visit musicguildonline.org or call (310) 573-0722.
A free pre-concert talk, “Liner Notes,” begins at 7:10 p.m., and offers audiences additional context about the music, composers, and historical figures featured in the program. Members of the ensemble will join host Tom Neenan for this talk.
St. Matthew’s Music Guild returns to its home March 20.