This week’s Cultural Cocktail recipe is: 3 Oz. of Italian chamber music, a Dash of Mendelssohn, and a Splash of a soirée for young art enthusiasts. Shaken. Not Stirred. Enjoy!

Commemorating the Unification of Italy through the Music of Verdi, Puccini and Mozart

Free Concert at the Norton Simon

Fri. August 12- 7:00 p.m

To mark the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, the California String Quartet will perform chamber music by Italian composers Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini, in addition to compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who influenced Italian opera.

Concert is free (with museum admission ticket)

Norton Simon Museum of Art.411 W. Colorado Boulevard Pasadena, CA 91105 626.449.6840 http://www.nortonsimon.org/

Gallerati Society

Sat. Aug 13. 3:30- 5:30 p.m

The Glass Garage Gallery, 414 N. Robertson Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90048

The Gallerati Society is a new breed of social networking: an art gallery soirée where young arts enthusiasts mingle over art, fine wine, and gourmet desserts. Meet 3 of the artists at a group exhibition featuring Surrealist landscapes and portraits, abstract sculptures, crashed Porsches, and defiled Bibles. The exhibiting artists are: Clair Carter, Jerry Wanye Downs, Susan Hannon, Steven Kenny, Aleve Meh Loh, Larissa Morais, and Joshua Suda. Carter, Hannon, and Morais will be in attendance.

For information on purchasing tickets to the exhibit, as well as the dinner at Il Piccolino Restaurant after the show please visit: www.gallerati-society.com

The Lyris String Quartet

Free Concert at LACMA

Sunday, August 14- 6 pm

Mendelssohn: Quartet in A minor, Opus 80.

Bing Theater.

No reservations or museum ticket needed.

LACMA. 5905 Wilshire Blvd. LA, CA

323-857-6000

http://www.lacma.org/