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To•Day

DIARY: Monday, June 1, 2026

by Daniel Hathaway

BUSTING OUT ALL OVER

The first month of summer promises an explosion of music in Northeast Ohio, with rollouts of numerous festivals that we’ll be previewing and reviewing in June. They include, in launch order, the Cleveland Classical Guitar Festival (artists pictured) and James Stroud Youth Competition (June 4), ENCORE Gates Mills Chamber Music & Ideas Festival (June 5), ChamberFest Cleveland (June 10), Ohio Light Opera in Wooster (June 13), and Kent Blossom Music Festival (June 24), All of those happen before The Cleveland Orchestra takes over at the beginning of July with performances both at Severance Music Center and Blossom.

Additionally, there’s a whole galaxy of individual events to attend and enjoy. Keep track of all this music making through our Concert Listings, and enjoy!

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

Two future piano makers entered the world on June 1: Ignaz Joseph Pleyel in 1757 near Vienna, and Carl F.W. Bechstein in Gotha in 1826. [Read More…]

Pre•Views & Features

Studio Espressivo presents Masquerading Melodies

by Mike Telin

What do Colombina, Harlequin, Pantalone, Pierrot, and Pulcinella have in common? They are all characters of the commedia dell’arte. This weekend they will be brought to life musically when Studio Espressivo presents Masquerading Melodies.

Performances are on Saturday, June 6 at 3:00 pm & 8:00 pm, and Sunday June 7 at 3:00 pm at Studio Espressivo, 2026 Murray Hill Road #111. Pay-what-you-wish, tickets available Online.

Studio Espressivo concert series founders, pianist Allison Hillier and composer/pianist Chris Neiner, will open the program with Gabriel Fauré’s Overture from Masques et bergamasques for piano four hands.

“The overture is not even four minutes long, but it is so fun,” Neiner said during a Zoom call. “It was commissioned as incidental music for a theatrical entertainment for the Prince of Monaco in 1919. It was inspired by commedia dell’arte and designed to be first on a concert.”

Neiner will then take on Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Polichinelle in F-sharp minor. “The title is French for Punch, from Punch and Judy, which itself goes back to commedia dell’arte. So it’s very much a character piece.”

[Read on…]

Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival celebrates 26 years this June

by Mike Telin

With the flipping of the calendar next week, the summer festival season in Northeast Ohio is set to launch. Keeping with tradition, the Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival will once again be leading the way.

Celebrating its 26th year, the Festival will run from June 4 through 7 at the Cleveland Institute of Music. This year CICGF will be highlighted by six concerts performed by internationally renowned guitarists and supporting musicians, six lectures, six master classes, private lessons, a demonstration of fine concert guitars, and the seventh annual James Stroud National Classical Guitar Youth Competition.

“Year 26, believe it or not,” Festival founder and artistic director Armin Kelly exclaimed during a recent telephone conversation. He noted that the six concerts are equally divided between solo and chamber music recitals. All performances will be held in Mixon Hall.

[Read on…]

No Exit welcomes Anika Kildegaard back to Cleveland for “Songs, Soundscapes and Sonnets”

by Mike Telin

In his composer note for Sonnets, Robert Honstein writes, “At a time of high poetic modernism, [Edna St. Vincent] Millay injects the ancient form with vitality and stylistic ingenuity. In her hands the sonnet feels fresh and urgent.”

On Thursday, May 28 at 7:00 pm at Waterloo Arts No Exit will present “Songs, Soundscapes and Sonnets” featuring soprano Anika Kildegaard. The setlist features Robert Honstein’s Sonnets, as well as Annika Socolofsky’s Don’t say a word, and Timothy Beyer’s Malekhamoves. The program will be repeated at 7:00 pm at  The Bop Stop (May 29) and Heights Arts (May 30). As always, No Exit concerts are free.

I reached Anika Kildegaard by phone and began by asking her about Hohnstein’s piece.

Anika Kildegaard: This is a work that Robert wrote for No Exit a few years ago. Five of the songs were premiered by soprano Lauren Pearl. I’ll be singing those plus three new ones.

[Read on…]

See all previews

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