The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) presented “LACO @ The Movies Celebrates Walt Disney Animation Studios”, an evening of musical world premieres and animation spanning more than 80 years with orchestral scores performed live on June 13, led by six-time Emmy Award-winning composer Mark Watters, to nine iconic animated Disney shorts at The Theatre at Ace Hotel.

The sold-out event drew 1,600 people and raised more than $215,000 for LACO, considered one of the world’s premier chamber orchestras. Dustin Hoffman served as honorary chair, and Ann Mulally and Shaheen Nanji co-chaired the event. Committee members included Dave Bossert, Mark Watters, Edward Nowak, Howard Green, Amy Astley, Ashleigh Bateman, Garth Burkhard, Minnie Chen, LACO interim general manager Lacey Huszcza, Nicolette Atkins, Daren Fuster, Libby Huebner and Olivia Zanfardino.

Performance highlights included re-premieres of newly restored versions of two long lost 1920s-era “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” shorts, “Poor Papa” and “Africa Before Dark”, shown for first time in more than 50 years along with world premieres of music by Watters for both films, neither of which previously had musical scores.

Also featured was “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” from “Fantasia” the 2014 Academy Award-nominated “Get A Horse!” shown with live music for the first time ever; the “Silly Symphony” short “Music Land” highlighted by the first live musical performance to the film in its 80-year history; “Plane Crazy”, the first Mickey Mouse cartoon created by Walt Disney; “The Band Concert”, the first color Mickey Mouse cartoon to use the Technicolor process; and “Have a Laugh” versions of “Lonesome Ghosts” and “Mickey’s Trailer”.