Patti Laursen

[3] During her three decade tenure with the company, she rose to become the Director of Artists and Repertoire, Angel Records, then Capitol’s classical label in the United States.

[4] During her career, Laursen produced recordings by leading classical artists, including: Kathleen Battle, Martha Argerich, Itzhak Perlman, Yehudi Menuhin, Ravi Shankar, Andre Watts, Christopher Parkening, Angel Romero, Ransom Wilson, David Shifrin, Florence Quivar, Aprile Millo, Elly Ameling, Bruce Hubbard, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Leonard Pennario, George Shearing, Michael Feinstein, Lee Erwin, Richard Kline, John Bayless, Nancy Allen, Sir Simon Rattle, Dennis Russell Davies, Gerard Schwarz, Leonard Slatkin, Edo de Waart, James Judd, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Empire Brass, the Tokyo String Quartet, the London Philharmonia Orchestra, the New York Chamber Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, among others.

[5] In a one-week period in November of that year, Laursen, Norberg, and Tanenbaum digitally recorded Bach and Telemann Suites (flutist Ransom Wilson with Gerard Schwarz conducting the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra), the Claude Bolling Concerto for Guitar and Jazz Piano (Romero, Shearing, Manne, and Browne, referenced above) and Bach’s The Six Brandenburg Concertos (Gerard Schwarz conducting the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Angel DSSC-4504).

She quickly stopped any take that didn`t measure up, but was just as fast to give out praise -- she repeatedly sent out a ``Bravo`` to the orchestra via an intercom.

On a phone hookup, she communicated privately with Judd between takes, suggesting a slight change in phrasing here, a dynamic shift there.

Many of them joined the conductor during breaks to listen to playbacks on speakers and the more revealing headphones...The focus then shifted to the suite from Henry V. The load-carrying brass section was tired, but Laursen`s instincts told her to keep going.

[2] Patti Laursen’s many interests included sewing, weaving, bookbinding, the Sierra Club Advocacy Program, cats, and fighting City Hall.