Extremely prolific and versatile violist who has been active as a classical musician and a session player for a variety of artists and on a number of movie soundtracks.
She graduated magna cum laude from USC and was offered a membership in the esteemed Mu Phi Epsilon Honor Society. All of these early successes were a harbinger of things to come. Janet has lent her talents to a number of distinguished ensembles and orchestras, including the Stuttgart Bach-Collegium, for which she had the honour of being the solo violist.
She has always worked and played well with others, as her nearly two decades worth of service as Assistant Principal Viola with the Pacific Symphony will attest. A team player and seemingly ubiquitous collaborator, she has also been active with Les Amis Musicalles, a cozy triad featuring flautist Cynthia Ellis and violinist Jeanne Evans. They have made their mark a couple of times with the South Bay Chamber Society, and their repertoire ranges from Beethoven to Broughton and from Reger to Roussel. In early 2003, they were joined by guest cellist Matthew Millar, enabling them to perform Katherine Hoover’s Divertimento for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello in a mini-tour of Los Angeles Harbor College and Pacific Unitarian Church.
For a while, she was Principal Viola of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and when she’s not busy with the Pacific Symphony, she is also Principal Viola of the Pasadena Symphony. In her copious free time, she wears the hat of Associate Principal Viola of the Hollywood Bowl and Opera Pacific Orchestras. She has also appeared on Prairie Home Companion as a member of The Creamy Garlic String Ensemble, and has been active with the Southern California Viola Society, at whose inaugural event she had the rare..one might say once-in-a-lifetime…opportunity to play a version of “Mr. Sandman” arranged for six violas. (Apparently that’s what Max Raimi does in his copious free time.)
She has recorded with a litany of pop and country artists that includes Christina Aguilera, Bon Jovi, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, The Carpenters, Phil Collins, Harry Connick, Jr., Counting Crows, Celine Dion, Earth, Wind & Fire, Macy Gray, Faith Hill, Whitney Houston, James Ingram, Alan Jackson, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Kenny G, Keny Loggins, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Ricky Martin, Tim McGraw, No Doubt, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Boz Scaggs, Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart, George Strait, Barbra Streisand, Tony Toni Tone, and Frankie Valli.
If you go and look in your DVD collection, chances are good you own at least one movie that features her on the soundtrack. Her filmography spans three decades and includes Along Came A Spider, The Amityville Horror (1979), Angela’s Ashes, Antwone Fisher, The Big Bounce, Brother Bear, Brubaker, Dreamer, Enemy of the State, Jarhead, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lilo & Stitch, Lizzie McGuire: The Movie, Munich, The Notebook, Schindler’s List, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, War of the Worlds, and X-Men 2.
Her hobbies are gardening, hiking with her dog Zeke, reading, and traveling, although we’re not sure when she gets the time.
Lalo Schifrin recordings
Love Rhapody from “The Concorde – Airport ’79” (Lalo Schifrin)
Theme from “The Concorde – Airport ’79” (Lalo Schifrin)
She performs on viola here….
Sources:
1. http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/artist/Janet+Lakatos/a/Janet+Lakatos.htm
2. http://music.msn.com/artist/?artist=16147962&menu=credits
3. http://www.answers.com/topic/the-big-bounce-2004-film?cat=entertainment
4. http://www.jproyalties.org/japanese/albumtitles.html?partic=229
5. http://www.raroyalties.org/nl/albumtitles.html?partic=229
6. http://www.ahra.org/audio/musiciansyear1995.html?partic=229
7. http://www.pasadenasymphony.org/musicians.htm
8. http://www.operapacific.org/About/orchestra.php
9. http://www.answers.com/topic/x-men-2?cat=entertainment
10. http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/album/album.cgi?ALBUMID=1487320
11. http://www.pacificsymphonymusicians.com/Default.aspx?tabid=384
12. http://www.palosverdes.com/sbcms/web0102.htm
13. http://www.palosverdes.com/sbcms/web0203.htm
14. http://www.southerncaliforniaviolasociety.com/19980524-MiniCongressI(Program).html
15. http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2005/06/04/music.shtml