Fusing symphonic music with photographs of the Yosemite National Park landscape, the New West Symphony and Larry Janss have created a unique series of concerts geared to transport the audience into the wild beauty of the West.

The musical and visual voyage explores the emotional and spiritual impact that the Yosemite Valley has had on visitors for generations, said organizers.

"This is not to be just a pretty slide show with music in the background: the two art forms are blended to become a single work of art," Janss said.

"Yosemite: Journey of Light" was commissioned by the New West Symphony and conductor Boris Brott, and the music was written by Robert Kyr. It will be presented in Thousand Oaks on Saturday, April 14 and in Oxnard on Sunday, April 15.

The original production is part of the regular New West masterpiece season, which includes seven major concerts each year.

This particular concert will feature more than 60 large-format traditional photos taken by Janss.

Janss met Ansel Adams in 1967 and began participating in the Ansel Adams Summer Photography workshops. Later, he assisted the renowned photographer with several projects and eight years ago collaborated with the New West on an audiovisual presentation called the "Grand Canyon Suite," he said.

"Original compositions are very unusual for orchestras," said Janss, a New West Symphony board member.

"As collaborators, Larry and I hope that this work will contribute to the growing awareness of Yosemite as an American icon, which reminds us of our need as a people to preserve the environment that nurtures and sustains us," said composer Kyr, who heads the music department at the University of Oregon.

"These concerts are dedicated to Ansel Adams in gratitude for his life's work, especially his exploration of Yosemite," said Brott, who lives in Canada but comes to lead the symphony here several times each year.

The concerts will also feature "Star Wars" music and a performance by guest violinist Elmar Oliveira.

Oliveira is the first and only American violinist to win the Gold Medal at Moscow's Tchaikovsky International Competition. According to the New West Symphony website, he is "one of the most commanding violinists of our time, with his unsurpassed combination of impeccable artistry and old-world elegance."

Because the upcoming performances include a variety of music and an audiovisual component, they provide a perfect opportunity for people who are not acquainted with symphonic and classical music to experience an orchestra, Janss said.

The New West was formed in 1994, when the Conejo and Ventura County symphonies merged into one.

Although the symphony has been compared to some of the great symphonies in the country, it is still a small regional orchestra, Janss said.

"Brott is an internationally recognized director and conductor who's played all over the world, but the New West is his favorite love," Janss said. "He's honed it and sculpted it."

For more information about the New West Symphony or to purchase tickets, visit www.newwestsymphony.org