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ChamberFest Cleveland opens with “Exquisite Beginnings” at CIM (June 16)

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by Daniel Hathaway

ChamberFest Cleveland’s Season X — Roman numeral, not unknown quantity — got underway on Thursday, June 16 when a crowd of masked fans filled every seat in Mixon Hall at the Cleveland Institute of Music for “Exquisite Beginnings,” an opening salvo of works by Mozart/Grieg, George Walker, and Brahms.

The joy of returning to live concerts was palpable, reinforced by co-artistic director Franklin Cohen — who warmly greeted attendees in the lobby beforehand — and captured in the words of performers in an almost giddily edited video by Erica Brenner that was shown right after intermission. Chez Cohen was once again bubbling over with the sounds of rehearsing musicians in the “Chamberhood” that the Festival has created over nine previous seasons. The audience showed its feelings in ardent ovations. [Read more…]

DIARY: Weekend of June 17-19, 2022  

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by Daniel Hathaway

IN THIS EDITION:

. June festivals! ENCORE and ChamberFest continue, Ohio Light Opera raises the curtain

. In the Almanac: impressions of Stravinsky at Severance and the White House, Gounod’s birthday gift to wind players, the birth of Juneteenth

THIS WEEKEND’S EVENTS:

ENCORE:

On Friday, June 17 at 6:00 pm, a Conversation features Brandon Chrostowski of  EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute. At 7:00 pm the Classics Series presents “Tales of Pleasure: Food & Desire,” including Svante Henryson’s Suite Off Pist, Derek Bermel’s Coming Together, Andrew Rindfleisch’s Night Singing, Paul Schoenfield’s Café Music and Bohuslav Jan Martinu’s La revue de cuisine. Read a preview article here. [Read more…]

DIARY: Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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by Daniel Hathaway

TODAY’S ENTRIES:

. Quire Cleveland on replay, Women’s Orchestra chooses third music director

. PianoCleveland opens applications for 2023 Young Artists competition & institute

. Royal Opera House head writes about sensitive solutions to offensive material

. And a Quiz!

TODAY’S EVENTS:

No live events show up on our radar for today, but you can tune in to WCLV’s Ovations at 8:00 pm to hear Quire Cleveland’s “Resonant Glory” concert from May 15 at Akron’s St. Sebastian Church (pictured). Jay White conducts, and is featured in an intermission interview with John Simna. Tune in to listen live on many platforms.

To check out concerts happening this week see our Concert Listings. [Read more…]

DIARY: Monday, June 13, 2022

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by Daniel Hathaway

TODAY’S ENTRIES:

. Not Your Grandmother’s Classical Music from 2-4

. Mäkëla to lead Concertgebouw Orchestra at 26, megabucks for Minnesota Public Radio, Cleveland comes of age in 1921, and does eye contact between musicians matter during performances?

. Anniversaries of composer comings and goings: enter Carlos Chavez (pictured) and exit David Diamond.

TODAY’S EVENTS:

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Radio Broadcast: Not Your Grandmother’s Classical Music, Eric Charnofsky, host. [Read more…]

Cleveland Chamber Choir’s weekend concerts to benefit Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence

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by Daniel Hathaway

Scott MacPherson frequently programs concerts for his Cleveland Chamber Choir that deal with current social issues, and its programs at Akron’s St. Sebastian Church on Saturday, June 11 at 6:30 pm (freewill offering, live stream available), and at Chagrin Falls Federated Church on Sunday, June 12 at 5:00 pm (tickets here) have been heavily influenced by recent events.

In a recent telephone conversation, Oberlin Conservatory musicology professor Charles Edward McGuire, who will give pre-concert lectures 45 minutes before each performance, revealed the thought process that led to the choice of repertory for these concerts by MacPherson’s professional singers.

“The concept was really planned around Kent State composition professor Adam Robert’s work, Book of Doubt/Book of Faith.” Written for 16-part choir, viola and percussion, the piece sets secular, feminist ‘psalms’ by poet Claire Schwartz relevant to our time and connected to Jewish history, as well as music by composers who have historically been excluded from the world of classical music. [Read more…]

DIARY: Weekend of June 10-12, 2022  

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by Daniel Hathaway

IN THIS EDITION:

. Two Opera premieres, cello and carillon music, a festival of experimental sounds, ENCORE returns to Gates Mills, choral settings of feminist psalms: a wide palette of performances is in the works these three days.

. Anniversaries of Delius, Richard Strauss, and an innovative Britten work in the Almanac.

THIS WEEKEND’S EVENTS:

At 12:15 pm on Friday it’s the McGaffin Carillon Concert & Live Stream: George Leggiero, carillonneur. An 18th century carillon prelude by Matthias van den Gheyn, two Songs Without Words by Mendelssohn & Beethoven’s Für Elise. [Read more…]

ChamberFest Cleveland: catching up with pianist & rising star Evren Ozel

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by Daniel Hathaway

Born in Minneapolis in 1999, pianist Evren Ozel has established a stellar reputation in Northeast Ohio.

He has competed twice in the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition at Oberlin, making it into the finals in 2013, when he also won the Audience Prize. He finished second in 2016, when photographer Roger Mastroianni captured him here in the heat of collaboration with Jahja Ling and The Cleveland Orchestra. We were impressed:

17-year-old Evren Ozel, from Minneapolis, learned Beethoven’s fourth concerto expressly for this competition, and the results of his preparation were impressive. His interpretation shone both with technical poise and poetry — basking in the moment of performing on the Severance Hall stage with his excellent colleagues. [Read more…]

DIARY: Wednesday, June 8, 2022

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by Daniel Hathaway

TODAY’S ENTRIES:

. Catalyst Quartet at the Aronson Cello Festival, Bristow’s Mass finally debuts

. Oberlin Global offers a continuing ed class, “The Racial Politics of Classical Music”

. Anniversaries of a German, a Czech, and a Pole in music history today

TODAY’S EVENTS:

Tonight at 7, the Lev Aronson Cello Festival features a recital by The Catalyst Quartet, Karla Donehew-Perez & Abi Fayette, violins, Paul Laraia, viola, Karlos Rodriguez, cello. [Read more…]

DIARY: Monday, June 6, 2022

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by Daniel Hathaway

TODAY’S ENTRIES:

. Continuing: Not Your Grandmother’s Classical Music. Launching: The Cleveland edition of the Lev Aronson Cello Festival with Haimovitz recital

. Birthday candles and listening suggestions for the anniversaries of Sir John Stainer, Aram Khachaturian, and Vincent Persichetti

TODAY’S EVENTS:

At 2:00 pm, tune into the radio broadcast, “Not Your Grandmother’s Classical Music” with host Eric Charnofsky. Today’s focus is on “Classical One-Hit Wonders and Their Neglected Gems,” including music by Pachelbel, Lehar, Dukas, Humperdinck, Satie, and Orff, as well as music by Aram Khachaturian in celebration of his 119th birthday. WRUW, Case Western Reserve University. Click here to listen to the internet feed.

At 7:00 pm the Lev Aronson Cello Festival — usually held in Dallas, this year in Cleveland — will present a recital by Matt Haimovitz (pictured), with pianist Elizabeth DeMio. The program in Mixon Hall of the Cleveland Institute of Music features works by female composers including a premiere, along with film clips by Emmy Award-winning storyteller Ty Kim. You’ll need tickets. [Read more…]

Stephanie Manning named as Rubin Institute Fellow for 2022

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by Daniel Hathaway

Third-year Oberlin bassoon major Stephanie Manning is among 18 aspiring music writers to be named Fellows of the Fifth Biennial Stephen and Cynthia Rubin Institute for Music Criticism, which will convene at the San Francisco Conservatory from June 16-20.

Founded at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 2011 by book publishing executive Stephen Rubin, the Institute is designed to further the art and craft of critical writing about music. Keynote addresses are given by the nation’s top music critics and public concerts are reviewed by the fellows and critiqued by professional journalists in private workshops.

The Institute will culminate in the awarding of the $10,000 Rubin Prize in Music Criticism to the fellow who demonstrates exceptional promise in music criticism. [Read more…]

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