As of the end of the day — and of our fiscal year — on June 30, we had received gifts totaling $15,644, exceeding our goal of $15,000 to be raised by $ 644. Thanks to all who contributed! Click here to view a list of donors.
To•Day
DIARY: Tuesday, July 2, 2024
by Daniel Hathaway
At 2 pm, Ohio Light Opera presents a matinee performance of Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls in Freedlander Theatre at the College of Wooster.
And at 6:30, the Canton Symphony’s Summer Serenades present an outdoor performance by a string quartet at Lawrence Township Park in North Lawrence.
For details of upcoming concerts, visit our Concert Listings page.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The Friends of the McGaffin Carillon in University Circle write, “There are only a few more weeks to hear The McGaffin Carillon (pictured) before it is disassembled in mid-August in preparation for a complete restoration and renovation. The carillon will be silent until next spring when four new bells will be added to the instrument. Stay tuned for the exciting details.” [Read More…]
Pre•Views & Features
Conductor Brett Mitchell returns to Blossom Music Center
by Mike Telin
“To say that once again being asked to conduct The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom is an honor would be a gross understatement,” Brett Mitchell said during a telephone interview. “I am not often at a loss for words, but there really aren’t any to describe how much it means to me.”
On Saturday, July 6 at 7:00 pm Mitchell will return to the Blossom podium to lead The Orchestra in Leonard Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes from On the Town, William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American,” and Samuel Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal. The program also includes George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in Béla Fleck’s transcription for banjo and orchestra with Fleck as soloist. Tickets are available online.
Mitchell said he loves Rhapsody in Blue. But when the Orchestra told him that they didn’t want the symphonic version that is often played by orchestras he thought they might be considering the original Paul Whiteman jazz band version. “It turned out that what they wanted was Béla Fleck’s transcription where he plays the piano part on the banjo.”
Classically Lake View chamber series celebrates Justin Holland — Cleveland’s forgotten composer
by Mike Telin
Set on 285 acres on Cleveland’s East Side, Lake View Cemetery’s wonderful landscapes, beautiful gardens, and artful monuments make it a serene final resting place as well as a tranquil retreat for the living to reconnect with nature.
On Sunday, July 7 at 3:00 pm in the Community Mausoleum, the recently created Classically Lake View chamber music series will present “Cleveland’s Forgotten Composer, Guitar Hero, and Abolitionist, Justin Holland.”
Under the artistic direction of Cleveland Orchestra violinist Isabel Trautwein, the program spans over 280 years of chamber music by Black composers, including Joseph Bologne, Justin Holland, Scott Joplin, Florence Price, William Grant Still, George Walker, and Thomas Flippin. Performers include guitarist Damian Goggans, violinists Liyuan Xie and Isabel Trautwein, violist Eliesha Nelson, and cellist Tanya Ell. The emcee will be Jennifer Coleman, Program Director for Creative Culture and Arts at the Gund Foundation. Tickets are available online.
At last, Jason Vieaux to make ChamberFest Cleveland debut
by Mike Telin
This week guitarist Jason Vieaux will make his long-awaited ChamberFest Cleveland debut, appearing in three separate concerts. “We’ve tried for many years, but it always conflicted with other dates that I already had on my calendar. So it’s really great that we can finally do something together.”
On Wednesday, June 26 at 7:30 pm in Mixon Hall at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Vieaux will play Luigi Boccherini’s Guitar Quintet No. 4 in D (“Fandango”). The piece is one of the most popular works in the guitar chamber music repertoire and one that he’s recorded with the Escher Quartet.
Why is it so popular? “My guess is that it’s because of the third movement — the famous Fandango that gets played on radio stations around the country. But I think what really brings it over the top is when the cellist plays the castanets. It’s just one of those works that presenters like to program.”
Jacob Allen on Ohio Light Opera’s 2024 season
by Mike Telin
One of the neat things about a summer light opera festival is that there is always a family atmosphere. Ohio Light Opera is a perfect example of that, especially when it comes to associate artistic director Jacob Allen and his relationship with the company. 2024 marks Allen’s 18th season — and his sixth position within OLO after he started out as a young artist performer.
Allen is directing two shows this season: Guys and Dolls and Me and My Girl, the latter of which opens on Thursday, June 20 at 2:00 pm at Freedlander Theatre.
The show includes music by Noel Gay and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose. Tickets are available online.
I caught up with Allen by phone to talk about the two shows he’s directing — and his history with the company.