Sounds of Downtown at the Kirk Douglas Theater

he Culver City Symphony Orchestra concludes its 2016-17 Season with aconcert, Sounds of Downtown, Saturday, June 10 at 7:30 pm., with the orchestra returning to the intimate and beautiful Kirk Douglas Theatre, Downtown Culver City, 9820 Washington. There is free parking underneath City Hall, behind the theatre, entrance from Duquesne. Americans, and Music From (The Time Of) HamiltonFounding Father Alexander Hamilton (Jan. 11, 1757-Jul. 12, 1804), was acontemporary of the two Classical Period Composers on our program-Haydn and Mozart. While the current musical "Hamilton" brilliantly portrays Hamilton in modern Hip-Hop, that genre obviously did not exist in Hamilton's day. Did Hamilton, though separated from Europe by the Atlantic Ocean and the American Revolution, know the music of Haydn and Mozart? The two other composers on our program, Copland and Still, are bonafide Americans. Copland was called our greatest composer by Leonard Bernstein, and Still was, and in many cases is still regarded as the Dean of Black American Composers. Frank Fetta-Conductor and Music Director Leah Hansen, Cello, Senior Division Winner, Parness Concerto Competition Program: Copland: Quite City (1939) Haydn: Cello Concerto, D Major (1783), Leah Hansen-Cello

William Grant Still: Danzas de Panama (1948) Mozart: Symphony No. 29, A Major (1774) General Admission: $25 Members SoCal Symphony Society and Their Guests: $15 Ages 13-17: $15 Post-concert reception Tickets available at the Kirk Douglas Theatre Box Office 6:30 pm and available on-line: http://www.culvercitysymphony.orginfo@culvercitysymphony.org310-717-5500 This performance is made possible in part by a Culver City Performing Arts Grant with Support from Sony Pictures Entertainment.Donations and membership to the SoCal Symphony Society, Inc. are welcome. SoCal Symphony Society, Inc., presents The Culver City Symphony Orchestra, The Marina del Rey Symphony, and produces the Parness Concerto Competition. The Culver City Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1963 in Westchester/Los Angeles, and has performed in Culver City since 2000. Frank Fetta, Conductor and Music Director, is well known for his conducting of orchestral music, ballet, and opera in Southern California as well as throughout the country including engagements with the San Diego Symphony, the Redlands Bowl Music Festival- music director, The San Bernardino Symphony-music director, the Fresno Philharmonic, the Torrance Symphony, the Nevada Opera Theater, and the Marina del Rey Symphony. Leah Hansen, age 21, began her cello studies at the age of three. She has performed in numerous solo, concerto, chamber, and orchestra concerts. In 2004, Leah was chosen to solo in the Walt Disney Concert Hall for the "John Kerry and

Friends" Presidential Fundraiser with an audience of stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Barbara Streisand, Robert DeNiro, and Ben Affleck. She also performed in the Irvine Barclay Theater for the "Stars of Tomorrow." At eight years old, Leah was the youngest First Place winner of the L.A. Cello Society Scholarship Competition. In 2007 Leah was invited to solo with the Pacific Symphony under the direction of Maestro Carl St. Claire on a four-city tour. Since 2008 she has soloed with the Culver City, Bellflower, Brentwood, Inland Valley, West Covina, Mount St. Mary's, and South Coast Symphonies. Other awards include; Scholarships from the YMF, Fe Bland Foundation, and the Colburn School. Additional Prizes include: Discovery Prize in the National Debut Competition sponsored by the YMF in 2011, First Place in the ASTA State Finals in 2012, and First Place in the Mondavi Young Artist Competition in 2012. Leah was invited to solo with the YMF Debut Symphony Orchestra in April 2013 performing the Dvorak Cello Concerto. Leah Hansen was a scholarship recipient in the prestigious Academy program at the Colburn School of Music, under the tutelage of Ronald Leonard. She has coached with Alan Stepansky, Janos Starker, Richard Aaron, Amit Peled, Steve Doane, Timothy Eddy, Natasha Brofsky, and David Finckel Leah Hansen was chosen to perform in the convocation for the USC fall and spring admits in 2013 and 2014. Leah performed with Elton John and Kristen Chenoweth in 2014. Leah's most recent masterclass performances were given by Steven Isserlis and Raphael Wallfisch. Leah won the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Mock Audition in collaboration with USC. She was also a winner of the USC Concerto Competition in 2016. Leah Hansen won the Culver City Symphony competition in 2016 and will be soloing with them in 2017. Leah won the "Best Schubert Performance" in the Great Composers Competition in 2017. Most recently, Leah Hansen won the USC Bach Competition in 2017.

Leah is currently working on her Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance at the USC Thornton School of Music with Professor Andrew Shulman.