Sinfonietta La Jolla was commissioned by the Musical Arts Society of La Jolla (now the La Jolla Music Society; LJMS), to which it is dedicated. Martinů began work on Sinfonietta La Jolla in New York on January 1950 and completed it on 21 March of the same year. The premiere took place in the auditorium of La Jolla High School on Sunday 13 August 1950, at the conclusion of the ninth season of summer concerts sponsored by the Musical Arts Society of La Jolla. The chamber orchestra of Los Angeles musicians was conducted by Nikolai Sokoloff and for Sinfonietta La Jolla, the orchestra was complemented by the pianist Shibley Boyes. The first recording of the composition followed soon after the premiere. It was performed for Alco Records in Los Angeles on Saturday 28 October 1950 by Nikolai Sokoloff and the Orchestra of the Musical Arts Society of La Jolla. After B&H published the score in 1953, Sinfonietta La Jolla quickly entered the repertoire of various orchestras and frequently appeared in programmes, especially on radio. The Czechoslovak premiere did not take place until 25 May 1957, during the Prague Spring festival, when it was performed at the House of Artists (Rudolfinum) by the Prague Chamber Orchestra without conductor and the pianist Václav Jan Sýkora.
Marek Pechač.