By Lookout Staff

January 15, 2015--Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on Jan. 27, 1756, but Orchestra Santa Monica will perform at an early birthday concert in tribute to the composer this weekend, orchestra officials announced.

“Happy Birthday Amadeus” will feature Mozart’s “Symphony No. 40,” the “A Major Symphony No. 29” and other early works by the composer, orchestra officials said.

The orchestra’s principal oboist, Catherine Del Russo, will be featured in Mozart’s “Oboe Concerto in C.”

Del Russo has performed with orchestras in Southern California, including the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Santa Barbara Symphony, and around the world and has done studio work in Los Angeles, playing in movies, television shows, and commercials.

She also is on the musical faculty at Occidental College and Pepperdine University, according to the orchestra’s website.

Sunday’s concert also celebrates Orchestra Santa Monica’s recent move to the 342-seat Moss Theatre at the New Roads School in Santa Monica, orchestra officials said.

The Moss Theater, 3131 Olympic Boulevard., features an acoustic system designed by Yasuhisa Toyoto, the designer of the sound system for the Disney Concert Hall.

According to the New Roads School’s website, it features 286 ground-floor seats and 58 mezzanine seats.

The two-year-old Orchestra Santa Monica enjoys “mixing it up” musically, its website says, by presenting standard repertoire and less-traditional works, as well as culturally-diverse composers and soloists and contemporary pieces.

“Happy Birthday Amadeus” begins at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, $15 for college students, and $10 for children in kindergarten through 12th grade.

For more information, call 310-525-7618.