The Santa Monica-based Westside Chamber Orchestra won The American Prize in Orchestral Programming, the Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award for 2025 in the professional division, selected from applications nationwide.
Conducted by Santa Monica native Brian Stone and governed by Sounds Like LA with The Da Camera Society producing concerts, all performances are free and held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 958 Lincoln Blvd.
"Even though I have played for over 50 years with many conductors, his knowledge of repertoire and the scores is amazing," said Susan Greenberg, principal flute. "Not only have I been introduced to music I have not yet played, but with music I have played many times, he seems to find new musical messages."
Concertmaster Paul Henning praised Stone's creative programming, saying he "always finds creative and ingenious ways to pair pieces together, linking them with distinct themes for each concert."
The orchestra's fourth series presents five concerts this season, beginning Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. with "From Baroque Dancing," featuring music of Arnold Schoenberg, Gabriel Faure and J.S. Bach.
Upcoming concerts include "From Germany" on April 11, 2026, "From Scotland" on June 27, 2026, "From France" on July 25, 2026, and "From Religion" on Aug. 29, 2026, featuring soprano Tiffany Ho, alto Rachel Labovitch and baritone Michael Segura.
The Westside Chamber Orchestra is a professional, non-profit orchestra presenting sophisticated programming with context and vitality.
Edited by SMDP Staff