by Robert Rollin
On Sunday afternoon, June 4, Fairlawn’s Faith Lutheran Church hosted Akron Baroque’s energetic “Vintage Vivaldi” program directed by violinist Alan Bodman, who began each piece with clear gestures, leading the ensemble of twelve talented string players from his concertmaster’s chair. Three of the five works featured solo performers, making for a lively and enjoyable afternoon. [Read more…]
by Jarrett Hoffman
“Guitar and harp is such a rare, unique combination,” said guitarist Colin Davin in a recent conversation. “To the extent that there’s an epicenter for that kind of duo, it might be Cleveland. Jason Vieaux and Yolanda Kondonassis have performed and recorded an album together, and in the past few years, some of the students here have formed guitar and harp duos. We like to think we’re starting something that will catch on.”
On Sunday, June 11 at 7:30 pm in the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Mixon Hall, Colin Davin and harpist Emily Levin will close out the 2017 Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival with a duo recital featuring a world premiere by Dylan Mattingly and a recent work by Will Stackpole, with the Duo’s own arrangements of works by Maurice Ravel and Manuel de Falla as bookends. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
When David Russell last performed in Cleveland in March of 2014, James Flood wrote in ClevelandClassical.com that the celebrated guitarist produced “just the right tone color for a given phrase or, in some cases, a single note, all done with such naturalness it’s as if his fingers instinctively know just where to go.”
On Saturday, June 10 at 8:00 pm in Mixon Hall, Russell will return to Cleveland for his debut performance on the Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival. He will also present free public masterclasses on Friday, June 9 at 3:00 and Sunday, June 11 at 4:30 in CIM’s Studio 113. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
With the overarching theme of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” ENCORE Chamber Music is ready to begin its second season. “Last year was a pilot year for us, so there was a lot of experimentation,” ENCORE founder and artistic director Jinjoo Cho said during an interview. “I think this year is going to be even better. We’ve made some changes to the format, and the level of the students who are attending is even higher.” [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
Arguably one of the most popular operas ever written, Puccini’s La bohéme is third only to Verdi’s La traviata and Bizet’s Carmen in the most-performed-opera-of-all-time category. On Saturday, June 10 at 7:30 pm, The Cleveland Opera will bring the story of those beloved Parisian bohemians to the Ohio Theater in Playhouse Square. Grzegorz Nowak will conduct The Cleveland Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The production will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. [Read more…]
by Daniel Hathaway
After the deaths of Riff and Bernardo during the rumble in West Side Story, Ice tells the simmering Jets to “keep cool, boy.” Associate conductor Brett Mitchell minded that advice early on Sunday afternoon at Severance Hall when his video monitor gave up the ghost right after intermission. Calmly watching two technicians grapple with that show-stopping problem, he quipped to the audience, “We could just tell you how it ends.” After some tugging on wires, the monitor came to life and the 1961 film version of the show went on to its inevitable, tragic climax amid the symphonic splendor of live music from The Cleveland Orchestra. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
With a mission to “give a voice to the composers of our time,” the latest addition to Northeast Ohio’s opera scene, ContempOpera/Cleveland, will bring that goal to life on Friday, June 9 at 7:30 pm at Cleveland Public Theatre with the first installment of the company’s Incubator Series. The performance will feature music by Cleveland composers Dawn Lenore Sonntag, Steven Mark Kohn, and Lorenzo Salvagni, as well as New York City-based Darryl Curry and Argentine Saúl Cosentino. The concert is part of CPT’s Free Beer Friday. [Read more…]
by Samantha Spaccasi
The second change in two years has transformed one of Cleveland’s most prominent chamber music ensembles. Si-Yan Darren Li will be the new cellist for the Cavani Quartet, joining Annie Fullard and Mari Soto, violins, and Eric Wong, viola. Li will replace Merry Peckham, one of the group’s founding members.
The addition of Li marks a new era for the Cavani. Formed in 1984, the ensemble was one of the first all-female string quartets. Until last year, when Eric Wong replaced longtime violist Kirsten Docter, the group had undergone only two personnel changes in its history. [Read more…]
by Samantha Spaccasi
The Vienna Boys Choir, Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble are among the ensembles that will visit Akron as part of Tuesday Musical’s Main Stage and FUZE series for the 2017-18 season. [Read more…]
by Samantha Spaccasi
Neighborhood Connections, with additional funding from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, has announced $250,745 in funding for 100 projects in Cleveland and East Cleveland. [Read more…]