Four new members have been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), one of the nation’s leading orchestras renowned for its wide-ranging repertoire and adventurous commissioning initiatives. The appointees include Jean W. Horton, retired Senior Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Agnes Lew, Senior Vice President and Director of Wealth Management of Cathay Bank; Gary Larsen, Director of Asset Management; and Peter Mandell of Brentwood, professional bassoonist and established community philanthropist. Their three-year terms on the LACO Board of Directors conclude June 30, 2015.
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), proclaimed “America’s finest chamber orchestra†by Public Radio International, has established itself among the world’s top musical ensembles. Since 1997, LACO has performed under the baton of acclaimed conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, hailed by critics as “visionary†and “a conductor of uncommon intellect, insight and musical integrity†with “undeniable charisma.†During its 44-year history, the Orchestra has made 30 recordings, toured Europe, South America and Japan, performed across North America, earning adulation from audiences and critics alike, and garnered seven ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming. In addition, LACO presents two major fundraisers, a Concert Gala and an annual Silent Film screening at Royce Hall, as well as several fundraising salons each year. LACO was founded in 1968.
A retired senior partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, JEAN W. HORTON held senior management and technical positions in a career extending over 30 years as a certified public accountant. A financial services industry audit partner as well as a senior technical partner, he served banking, brokerage, leasing and mutual and hedge fund clients. In the decade since retiring from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Horton has consulted widely, providing litigation support services in the form of research, position papers and expert testimony. Horton holds an MBA in marketing and finance from Columbia University and a BA from St. Mary’s College. His wife, Ann, also a Columbia MBA, is a practicing psychotherapist.
GARY LARSEN’s love of music can be traced back to ten years of childhood piano studies. His life-long music appreciation was evident in his service on the board of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra from 2004 to 2009, which included chairmanship of the Audit Committee, and in his re-election to the LACO board in May 2012. Larsen, Director of Asset Management, built his 30-year career in the financial industry first as a bond trader at several Los Angeles firms, including Smith Barney and Security Pacific, and later as an investment advisor at City National Bank, US Trust Company and Wells Fargo Private Bank. In 2010, he became the Senior Fixed Income Strategist for Abbot Downing (formerly Wells Fargo Family Wealth Group) and co-chaired the company’s national Fixed Income Strategy Team. His status as a Chartered Financial Analyst was granted in 2000, and since then, Larsen has served as an instructor in the area of Fixed Income for the CFA Society of Los Angeles. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UC Irvine in history, Larsen went on to earn an MA from Princeton and serves as a volunteer admissions interviewer for the university.
As Senior Vice President and Director of Wealth Management of Cathay Bank, AGNES LEW is responsible for leading Cathay’s Wealth Management Department. Lew joined Cathay General Bancorp in 2001 with more than 15 years’ experience in the retail brokerage business. Under her leadership, Cathay Wealth Management has seen constant growth in revenue and profits for the past 10 years. Its sales force also has primary distribution responsibilities for other investment products including 401(k), Asset Management and Insurance. Cathay’s Wealth Management program is recognized as a top performer in the industry in both overall revenue and insurance revenue. Prior to joining Cathay General Bancorp, Lew was the President of Platinum Financial Services. She holds a liberal arts degree from Occidental College and completed graduate-level coursework at the California Institute of Technology.
PETER MANDELL has enjoyed a multi-faceted career as one of Los Angeles’ top recording bassoonists and leading community philanthropists. He has served on the Board of Trustees of the Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences and The Colburn Conservatory of Music as well as the Clarence E. Heller Foundation. He completed his musical studies at the USC Thornton School of Music before accepting a job as Co-Principal Bassoonist of the Mexico City Philharmonic. Upon his return to the United States in 1995, he performed for hundreds of motion picture and television soundtracks for the leading composers in the genre, and joined the New West Symphony as Principal Bassoon where he served for five seasons. He has also performed with the LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, and has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Iona Brown. In addition, Mandell taught as Adjunct Professor of Bassoon at Cal State Northridge. He also serves as Managing Partner of QRMS LLC, a family owned company offering financial services to its members. He is a licensed and bonded finance lender, specializing in residual payments for musicians in the motion picture industry. He owns the Mandell Collection of Southern California, a well-known inventory of fine antique violins, violas and cellos, leased to deserving young artists. Peter is married to former professional bass player Sarah Coade Mandell.
For more information on LACO: www.LACO.org
