by Samantha Spaccasi
It was hot and humid on the evening of July 22, but that didn’t stop concertgoers from flocking to Blossom Music Center to hear the Kent/Blossom Chamber Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra. [Read more…]
Archives for July 2017
Apollo’s Fire Artist Profile: violinist Susanna Perry Gilmore
by Daniel Hathaway
This summer, Apollo’s Fire audiences have had the opportunity to hear violinist Susanna Perry Gilmore explore two dimensions of her musical persona that aren’t part of her day job as concertmaster of the Omaha Symphony Orchestra — and which Jeannette Sorrell and Cleveland’s Baroque Orchestra are largely responsible for developing.
Perry Gilmore appeared as a folk fiddler in “Mediterranean Roots” during the month of June, then turned to Baroque violin as soloist in the “Summer” concerto of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. The Vivaldi program was presented twice earlier this month in Northeast Ohio before going on tour to Youngstown and the Tanglewood, Gretna, and Ravinia Festivals. The show returns for two final performances at Cain Park and Laurel School’s Butler Campus on July 29 and 30.
How did the violinist originally become involved with Apollo’s Fire? “It was a serendipitous meeting,” Perry Gilmore said in a telephone conversation, explaining that Sorrell had made a guest appearance with the Omaha Symphony in the spring of 2014 in an all-Vivaldi program. [Read more…]
Johan Dalene takes first prize at Cooper International Competition
by Mike Telin
On Friday evening, July 21 at Severance Hall, violinist Johan Dalene, 16, from Sweden, was named first place winner in Oberlin’s Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition following his stellar performance of the Tchaikovsky Concerto with Jahja Ling and The Cleveland Orchestra. Two American competitors — Christina Jihee Nam, 14, who also played the Tchaikovsky, and Qing Yu Chen, 17, who was featured in Prokofiev’s Second Concerto — shared second place.
Dalene, who had already captured the Audience Prize of $500 following Wednesday’s Recital Round, takes home $20,000 in cash. Nam and Chen receive $7,500 each. All three were also offered full-tuition scholarships to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, pending admission. [Read more…]
Oberlin Cooper Competition: six violinists play recitals (July 19)
by Samantha Spaccasi with Daniel Hathaway
The stakes were high on Wednesday evening in Oberlin’s Warner Concert Hall as the Recital Round of the Cooper International Violin Competition began. Of the ten participants in the Concerto Round, six would move on to the next phase — the Recital Round — which would determine the three who will be heading to Severance Hall on Friday, June 21 to perform with Jahja Ling and The Cleveland Orchestra. The concert, emceed by Robert Conrad, was broadcast live on WCLV 104.9 and wclv.org. [Read more…]
Oberlin Cooper Competition: ten violinists play concertos (July 18)
by Samantha Spaccasi with Daniel Hathaway
23 young violinists descended upon Oberlin this week for the 2017 Cooper International Violin Competition, which began on July 15. After three days of intense competition, only 10 of the musicians advanced to the July 18 Concerto Round in Warner Concert Hall, when each violinist performing full concertos with piano accompaniment in afternoon and evening sessions. [Read more…]
CREDO Chamber Music: Jasper String Quartet (July 18)
by Daniel Hathaway
The Oberlin Conservatory is a busy place even in mid-summer. On Tuesday evening, July 18, while the second session of the concerto round of the Cooper Violin Competition was in progress in Warner Concert Hall, the Jasper String Quartet made a special appearance right across the lounge in Kulas Recital Hall as part of their residency at CREDO Chamber Music. [Read more…]
Three advance to Final Round at Oberlin Cooper Violin Competition
Following the recital round on Wednesday, July 19, the Jury of the Oberlin Cooper International Violin Competition advanced three competitors to Friday evening’s 7:30 pm Final Round with Jahja Ling and The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. Performances will be broadcast live on WCLV, 104.9 FM and wclv.com.
In order of appearance, Qing Yu Chen, 17, USA, will play Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 2 in g, Op. 63; and Johan Dalene, 16, Sweden, and Christina Jihee Nam, 14, USA, will each be featured in Tchaikovsky’s Concerto in D, Op. 35. (L-R: Nam, Dalene, and Chen. Photo: Roger Mastroianni.)
Prizes of $1,500 each conferred on Wednesday evening included:
Sixth Prize: Kiarra Saito-Beckman, 18, USA
Fifth Prize: Maya Anjali Buchanan, 17, USA
Fourth Prize: Zachary Brandon, 18, USA
Six advance to Recital Round at Oberlin Cooper Violin Competition
Following the concerto round on Tuesday, July 18, the Jury of the Oberlin Cooper International Violin Competition advanced six competitors to Wednesday evening’s 7:00 pm Concerto Round in Warner Concert Hall at the Oberlin Conservatory. Each will play a 30-minute recital. Three competitors will advance to Friday evening’s final round with Jahja Ling and The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. Performances will be live streamed here and broadcast live on WCLV, 104.9 FM and wclv.com.
Competitors in order of performance:
Kiarra Saito-Beckman, 18, U.S.A.
Maya Anjali Buchanan, 17, U.S.A.
Qing Yu Chen, 17, U.S.A.
Johan Dalene, 16, SWEDEN
Christina Jihee Nam, 14, U.S.A.
Zachary Brandon, 18, U.S.A.
Violinist Eli Matthews to perform Paganini with The Cleveland Orchestra
by Mike Telin
When Cleveland Orchestra first assistant principal second violin Eli Matthews performs Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1 this weekend, he will be revisiting a work that has been an important part of his life since he was seven years old. “When I was a wee child my mother took me to the symphony in Memphis, where I grew up, to hear Eugene Fodor play Paganini’s First Violin Concerto,” Matthews recalled during a telephone conversation. “After hearing it, I asked her to get me a violin and she did. From the time I first picked up the instrument, playing that was a big goal of mine and I did many times when I was a teenager — I won some competitions with it, and I’ve played it with orchestras.” [Read more…]
ENCORE Chamber Music at Mixon Hall (July 16)
by Samantha Spaccasi
ENCORE Chamber Music’s “Sunday Unplugged” series presented a true “Transfigured Night” on July 16 at the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Mixon Hall. The magical evening was marked by exquisite performances from all musicians. [Read more…]