(empo-caallii) California music? Vladimir Lande

The Empoprise-MU music blog has looked at a number of California musicians, including some who live in California, some who sing about California, some who died in California, and some who briefly stayed in California before going back east. This post is the story of Vladimir Lande, a musician who grew up outside of California and then went to California.

His biography begins as follows:

Vladimir Lande was born in St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia. He graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music with a Master's Degree in Oboe while maintaining studies in conducting and piano. He served as a principal oboist with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra from 1984 until 1989.

In December 1989 Lande immigrated to the United States, and spent some time in Maryland before going to California.

Vladimir Lande works as a principal oboist and soloist with groups such as The Baltimore Opera and Concert Artists of Baltimore. He also worked with the Baltimore, Delaware, Richmond and many other symphony orchestras.

But all of that changed when Lande went to California in September 2003 to become the music director of the Chamber Orchestra of Southern Maryland.

Now you're probably asking why Lande would go to California to direct an orchestra in southern Maryland. The answer is simple - the Chamber Orchestra of Southern Maryland is located in California.

California, Maryland - population about 9,000 (9,307 as of the 2000 census).


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Hey, we all know that there's more than one Los Angeles - why can't there be more than one California?

But there's one similarity to the state of California. The aforementioned chamber orchestra goes by the acronym "COSMIC." Pretty cool.

As for the orchestra itself, here is the program from their last performance:

Beethoven and Bess
Featuring COSMIC Community Chorus
Saturday, May 15, 2010 7:00 PM
Great Mills High School in Great Mills, MD
Sunday, May 16, 2010 4:00 PM
Huntingtown High School in Huntingtown, MD

Leonard Bernstein Mambo from West Side Story

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1
Featuring Kirsten Taylor

Alexander Borodin Polovtsian Dances
Featuring COSMIC Community Chorus

George Gershwin Porgy and Bess

Lande is also involved with several other orchestras, and is also a member of the Poulenc Trio. But the latter's repertoire does not include any Beach Boys, Eagles, or Tupac - although an oboe/bassoon/piano arrangement of "California Love" sounds intriguing.