The Los Angeles Clarinet Choir Presents “Clarinets After Dark: Shadows & Dance “
Margaret Thornhill, Founder
Victoria Ramos Dresel, Conductor
E-flat Sopranino: David Myer
Principal Soprano: Christin Hablewitz
Sopranos: Rigo Carrillo, Julia Damron, Ryan Espinosa, Joel Nalewajek, Michael Salas, Jenna Tatiyatrairong
Principal Alto: Joel Kabakoff
Alto: Robert Reyes
Principal Bass: Steve Hongsik Park
Bass: Daryl Golden, Carlos Herrera, Karen Zelazo
Contra Alto: Carlos Herrera
Contrabass: Jose Moreno
Prepare for an unforgettable journey into the macabre, where haunting harmonies, mysterious rhythms, and chilling sounds come together for an evening of music that is both dark and delightfully unsettling including favorites like Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain, Camille Saint-Saëns Danse Macabre, Paul Dukas The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Edvard Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King, and more.
Sunday, November 1, 7p.m.
Drinkward Recital Hall
Founded in 2005 by Dr. Margaret Thornhill, the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir (LACC) is one of North America’s premier clarinet ensembles. The ensemble celebrated its 20th anniversary during the 2025–26 season with performances throughout Southern California, including its 20th Anniversary Concert in Pasadena. The LACC is dedicated to expanding the artistry and versatility of the clarinet choir through performances of original works, new arrangements, commissions, and premieres written for this unique instrumentation.
In 2025, Victoria Ramos Dresel became the LACC’s Principal Conductor after 15 years as Principal Clarinet and Associate Conductor. Under her direction, the ensemble performed at the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest® 2025 in Dallas–Fort Worth, continuing the group’s longstanding presence at this internationally recognized festival. The LACC has been featured at ClarinetFest® events in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Austin, Orlando, Knoxville, and Dallas–Fort Worth.
The LACC has performed throughout Southern California in partnership with colleges, school districts, museums, libraries, churches, arts organizations, and retirement communities. Its repertoire spans traditional and contemporary works for the full clarinet family, from sopranino and soprano to alto, bass, and contrabass clarinets. The ensemble has commissioned, premiered, and performed works by composers including Edward Cansino, Matti Kovler, Erol Gurol, David Avshalomov, Barry Brisk, Mike Curtis, Christin Hablewitz, and James McMillen.
Now entering its third decade, the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir continues to explore the rich repertoire and distinctive sound of the clarinet choir.
Founder
A clarinet recitalist and chamber musician active in the US and Europe, Margaret Thornhill is also one of LA's most sought-after private clarinet teachers. She is a former faculty member of the University of California Santa Cruz, Stanford University, Occidental College, Concordia University Irvine, and Claremont Graduate University. Thornhill is in demand as a masterclass leader, writes articles for international clarinet journals, and is a wind chamber music coach for the Humboldt Chamber Music Worskhop at Cal Poly Humboldt and at Hidden Valley Music in Carmel Valley. She holds the DMA from Stanford University.
Conductor
Victoria Ramos Dresel became the Principal Conductor after serving for 15 years as Principal Clarinet and Associate Director. She is the Director of Bands at Carmenita Middle School in Cerritos, and previously held the same position at Artesia High School in Lakewood. She holds the MM degree in Music Education from the University of Southern California where she also pursued doctoral work and taught music education courses in the Flora L. Thornton School of Music. Ramos Dresel studied clarinet with Yehuda Gilad and David Howard at USC and also with Dr. David Ross as an undergraduate at The University of Texas at El Paso.
The Los Angeles Clarinet Choir is supported in part by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Department of Arts and Culture.
HMC is deeply grateful for the generous support that created The Ken Stevens ’61 Founding Class Concert Series.