Welcome to LA's COMMUNITY BAROQUE ORCHESTRA! Join us at our early music lab for community, professional and student musicians.
LAB is fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Gifts are fully tax deductible.
Los Angeles Baroque (LAB) is LA's only community baroque orchestra, directed by violinist Lindsey Strand-Polyak.
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Interested in playing in LAB? Who is LAB for?
Musicians ages 16 to 86! We welcome amateur musicians eager to play, pre-professionals looking for playing/performance experience, professional players who want to study baroque performance practices, and students who want to explore music of the baroque era (c.1600-1750). Basically, if you enjoy learning new ways of playing old music, we think you’ll have fun.
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Since 2016 LAB has given dedicated community, student and professional musicians from across greater Los Angeles regular opportunities to explore repertoire, learn baroque playing style (suitable for music composed c.1600-1750) and perform. LAB gives three main season concerts a year at its home of St James' in South Pasadena, hosts workshops, and undertakes community outreach projects and performance collaborations. LAB's goal is to encourage, support and expand the early music community in Los Angeles, and to be inclusive in reach to give all highly motivated players the opportunity to participate.
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*Visit our Programs page to find out more about playing and learning with us.
HIGHLIGHTS
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March 2025
Rehearsals have begun for the Big Band's final 2024-25 concert on April 6, and we're an orchestra of 35! Our biggest LA Baroque big band yet.
February 2025
Winter activities are in full swing with a Valentine's Day "Pocket Dresden Orchestra" performance at El Sereno library and the Big Band's next main-stage concert on February 23, "From Dresden with Love," complete with four baroque oboes, four baroque flutes, and a total of 33 players on stage.
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October 2024
Welcome to our new members! LAB's 2024-25 season Fall concert "Big Band" is our largest cohort yet at 30-players.
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May 2024
That's a wrap! Thank you to everyone who attended Bohemian Rhapsody, our 8th Season closer, on May 19.
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April-May 2023
LAB chamber groups continued performances on LAPL's LA MADE stage at libraries around Los Angeles.
November 2022
LAB turned seven! Read our latest Meet a Member interview..
June 2022
LAB members took center stage in the summer Pop-Up courtyard concert. Members also participated in our Chamber Challenge program presenting a concert at the John Muir Branch Library in South LA.
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November 2021
LAB kicked off 2021-22 with an outdoor pop-up concert at St James' South Pasadena. Meet a member is back this season — first up, theorbo-player extraordinaire, Ted Stern!
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March 2020
We were honored to be a recipient of an Early Music America Mini-Grant for our "Game of Tones" concerts in San Diego and South Pasadena earlier in March. Thank you, EMA!
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November 2019
Meet Artistic Director Lindsey Strand-Polyak, in conversation with managing director Joan Lounsbery.
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June 2019
Our first LAB:Fest! We held a weekend of concerts, a play-in, and socializing with wonderful music May 31-June 2. Stay tuned for more special events by subscribing to our newsletter on our home page.
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May 2019
May 5 saw our first opera — Blow's "Venus and Adonis" — with a stellar cast.
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March 2019
We were proud to be an EMM partner again this year. Our #EarlyMusicMonth performances included an outreach event at the beautiful John Muir branch library in South LA.
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February 2019
A LAB viol consort performed to hundreds at LA's Natural History Museum on February 1st ​as part of "Night of Ideas" on the theme of climate change. Visit our gallery for a short video.
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May 2018
Come Together! — LAB's first consort music workshop — was held on May 28, Memorial Day. We are grateful to The Viola da Gamba Society of America for supporting this event.
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December 2016
"A breathtaking, furious performance". LAB's inaugural concert on November 13 was reviewed by Early Music America.
Faculty
Directors
Words from our supporters:​
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The LAB concert on Sunday was a real delight. It truly was a WONDERFUL program and beautifully performed. The group seems to get better every year.—Sam Tanenbaum
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So happy there is a community orchestra celebrating and dedicated to baroque music and there is a community of listeners who appreciate and support. Long may you thrive! —Graceann and Frederick Hurd
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We just returned from Leipzig, where we heard Bach's St. John Passion performed at St. Thomas Church. The performance was done from the balcony, which was behind us. Very historic, but when we craned our necks, we could only see the back of the conductor, not the choir or musicians. Honestly, we thought tonight's LAB concert was much more engaging and enjoyable.—Rhonda Rundle and Michael Thacher
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When I lived in upstate New York my husband and I went to the city several times for early music concerts, then when I lived in Washington, DC, I subscribed to the Folger Consort. When I moved to Los Angeles I was bemoaning the shortage of early music in LA until I heard about LAB. Some friends and I attended one of LAB’s concerts and were hooked—the wonderful music, the welcoming and comfortable atmosphere, and the introduction to composers we'd never heard before. A real find, and we're fans forever!—Chris Williams
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Words from our members:
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Cathy Newman (traverso flute, Big Band, 2024-25):
The rehearsals are really fun and enlightening; Lindsey is a wonderful director. It's been so great to find so many baroque musicians in one place.
Diana Sidtis (bass viol, Westside Consort Club, 2023-24):
Lindsey, the consort bloomed and flourished under your guidance. I love your encouraging style. The session was fun and enjoyable and yielded good insights, especially about rhythm.
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Tali Rubinstein (recorder, Big Band, 2022-23):
Thank you so much for a wonderful season! It was an honor to take part, and I'm lucky I got to try out baroque music from different perspectives. Thanks for your positive and encouraging energy, and for organizing everything so meticulously! I love making music in such an embracing, kind and inclusive way - it is how the best music is made, I think. I missed playing with people and this has been so uplifting. The group is also so excellent in so many ways. I truly feel part of a family!