Jens Lindemann Set to Open 39th Music Guild Season

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The 39th season of concerts of St. Matthew’s Music Guild is set to open with “trumpet virtuoso”—and longtime resident of the Palisades—Jens Lindemann on October 6 at 8 p.m.

“Thanks to the support of so many, St. Matthew’s Music Guild continues to make a dynamic and fulfilling contribution to the rich musical landscape of Los Angeles,” Music Guild Director Dwayne Milburn said in a statement. “Our 39th season features beloved masterworks from the classical canon along with premieres of new works by outstanding composers, and performances by soloists and ensembles of international stature.”

Lindemann will be joined by the Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s for a program that features Joseph Haydn’s “Trumpet Concerto” and Allen Vizzutti’s “Rising Sun.”

“As the first classical brass soloist to ever receive the Order of Canada, Jens Lindemann is hailed as one of the most celebrated artists in his instrument’s history,” according to a press release from Music Guild. “Jens has played both jazz and classical in every major concert venue in the world: from the Philharmonics of New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Moscow and Tokyo to Carnegie Hall and even the Great Wall of China.”

Classically trained at Juilliard School and McGill University, Lindemann’s career has included being featured at the 2010 Olympics and at a solo Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II. Lindemann has also performed as a soloist and recording artist alongside Sir Neville Marriner, Sir Angel Romero, Pinchas Zukerman and others.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lindemann launched The Highlands Bowl, a series of backyard concerts that began with him playing his trumpet from his balcony for neighbors to hear, with his wife on electronic piano. The series eventually morphed into a small combo, leading up to what he planned to be the final show with a 15-piece big band, with each of the musicians eight feet apart within a 1,000-square-foot area at the end of the driveway.

“The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s has been praised for its stylish performances of music from the 18th to 21st centuries and has premiered more than 35 new works, commissioned by St. Matthew’s Music Guild,” the press release continued. “Commissioned composers include Richard Danielpour, David Conte, Paul Chihara, Bruce Broughton, David Newman and many others.”

The concert will take place at St. Matthew’s Church, located at 1031 Bienveneda Avenue. Tickets are $45 or available through a Music Guild season pass, which start at $285 for the seven-concert series.

For more information, visit musicguildonline.org or call 310-573-7422.