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Franz Welser-Möst returns to The Cleveland Orchestra for passionate Summers at Severance finale (Aug. 27)

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by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The summer is almost over, which means that Franz Welser-Möst is back on the podium. The Cleveland Orchestra’s music director has historically preferred to make his appearances at the tail end of the Orchestra’s summer season, and he has scheduled himself for two performances during the last week of August. On Thursday evening, August 27 he led the final concert of the 2026 Summers at Severance series, bringing a good-sized crowd to hear a program of emotionally charged music at Severance Music Center.

Although the timing of Welser-Möst’s return to Cleveland is typical, it now comes with more gravitas than usual, as he is gearing up for his 25th and final year as music director. Understandably, his programming for this upcoming season has become more retrospective to match. Thursday’s concert featured works by historic composers he loves — Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner — and a living composer he has championed — Bernd Richard Deutsch.

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Rain refuses to dampen spirits for Cleveland Orchestra’s all-French program (Aug. 22)

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by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel often drew inspiration from water. Pieces like Debussy’s La Mer (“The Sea”) and Ravel’s Jeux d’eau (“Fountains” or “Water Games”) are prime examples of how to capture rippling shapes and shimmering colors in sound.

Neither of those pieces were played on The Cleveland Orchestra’s half-Debussy, half-Ravel program on Aug. 22, but they may well have been, as Mother Nature had her rainy way at Blossom Music Center.

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Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays Debussy’s Préludes to his strengths (July 30)

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by Stephanie Manning

Performing Claude Debussy’s complete Préludes in recital is rare, but Jean-Yves Thibaudet has been making a habit of it. Over the past few years, the pianist has appeared in venues across the country to play the entirety of Book I and Book II as a 90-minute concert. He presented that program on July 30 in Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

What brought Thibaudet to Cleveland was not just his solo recital — he also gave masterclasses as part of the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists. By July 30, all six finalists had already participated in sessions with Thibaudet, testing their ability to adapt to feedback. And on the eve of the Competition’s concerto round, the time was ripe for both contestants and audience to sit back and listen to the master pianist himself.

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DIARY: WEEKEND, Friday-Sunday, August 7-9, 2026

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by Stephanie Manning

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Today at 2:30 & 7:30, the Cooper International Violin Competition continues vetting its 18 semi-finalists in 30-minute recitals, then after a cut, the six remaining violinists will play 45-minute recitals on Saturday at 3 pm and 8 pm.

Moving into next week, three finalists will play complete concertos on Monday at 7:30 with the Columbus ProMusica Chamber Orchestra and conductor David Danzmayr, while violinists who didn’t survive the final cut will play an Honors Recital on Sunday featuring outstanding performances selected from the first three days of the competition. All events are free and will be live streamed from Oberlin’s Warner Concert Hall.

Lawrence Loh will conduct The Cleveland Orchestra in the live to screen score of John Powell’s How to Train Your Dragon on Friday at 7 and Sunday at 3 in Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center. And Lucas Waldin will be on the podium at Blossom Music Center on Saturday at 7 as the Orchestra presents vocalists Capathia Jenkins and Ryan Shaw in hits by Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Whitney Houston, and Elvis Presley.

On Friday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 4, The Cleveland Opera and Cleveland Ballet Theatre will stage the 14-year-old Mozart’s opera Mitridate, rè di Ponto (Mithridates, King of Pontus). Grzegorz Nowak conducts and tenor David Sadlier sings the title role at First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland.

And on Saturday at 7:30 in the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus and Sunday at 4 in Federated Church in Chagrin Falls, the Fryderyk Chopin Institute of Ohio will present pianist Kamil Pacholec on its summer series, featuring works by Chopin, Liszt, and Debussy. [Read more…]

Kazuki Yamada brings sunny energy to multifaceted Cleveland Orchestra program (Aug. 1)

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by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — To clap or not to clap between movements — that is the question many Cleveland Orchestra audience members faced on Saturday night at Blossom Music Center. Luckily, Japanese guest conductor Kazuki Yamada had an answer.

Hearing some scattered applause after the first movement of Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, Yamada turned his head, smiled, and gently put his own hands together. That moment gave the crowd the green light they needed to join in.

Yamada’s willingness to engage with listeners felt like an extension of his genial personality, which allowed him to lead The Cleveland Orchestra on August 1 with both excitement and poise.

[Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra’s dance-focused program at Blossom welcomes new face, new piece (July 25)

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by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — “Dance” was the operative word and cello the instrument of choice on Saturday evening at Blossom Music Center.

The 20th-century program on July 25 sandwiched The Cleveland Orchestra’s first performance of Bohuslav Martinů’s Cello Concerto No. 1 between two pieces inspired by the art of movement: Zoltán Kodály’s Dances of Galánta and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. Heading it all up was conductor Kevin John Edusei, making a memorable Cleveland Orchestra debut.

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Kent Blossom wraps up faculty series with concert of Cleveland Orchestra musicians (July 15)

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by Stephanie Manning

Just like most summer festivals, the schedule for the Kent Blossom Music Festival gets increasingly packed as it goes on. That all culminates with the fifth and final week, when the students rehearse side-by-side with The Cleveland Orchestra and perform in a concert at Blossom Music Center.

Helping send the students into that week was the last faculty concert of the summer, presented this year on July 15. The program, in Kent State University’s Ludwig Recital Hall, featured a group of Cleveland Orchestra string players with whom the students would soon be rehearsing.

Violinist Genevieve Smelser, violist Gareth Zehngut, cellist Dane Johansen, and bassist Charles Paul kicked things off with a modern piece: Fred Lerdahl’s Waltzes, written in 1981. Unsurprisingly, the quartet played together like the colleagues they are — paying attention to the broader needs of the group and not stepping on anyone’s toes.

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Cleveland Orchestra, Ohlsson bring solace amidst smoky skies (July 16)

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by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Although the festive lights had already been strung up around the Severance Music Center terrace, it remained conspicuously empty on Thursday evening, surrounded by the haze of wildfire smoke and lit by the glow of the eerily orange sun.

The area’s worst air quality ratings in three years arrived on July 16, the opening night of The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2026 Summers at Severance series, which unceremoniously sent the pre-concert mingling and light refreshments indoors. But after such a gloomy day, a program of absolutely beautiful music provided some needed solace.

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DIARY: WEEKEND, Friday-Sunday, July 17-19, 2026

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by Stephanie Manning

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Ohio Light Opera’s schedule is intensifying. This weekend, The College of Wooster’s resident professional company (pictured) presents The Merry Widow (Friday at 2), My Fair Lady (Friday at 7:30), The Boys from Syracuse (Saturday at 2), Damn Yankees (Saturday at 7:30), and The Yeomen of the Guard (Sunday at 2) in Freedlander Theatre.

The Cleveland Orchestra welcomes conductor Semyon Bychkov and violinist Karen Gomyo at Blossom on Friday at 7, and Kent Blossom Music Festival Young Artists concerts are daily events in a variety of venues — see the concert listings.

Piano Cleveland Live presents local professional pianists in a 5:30 pm outdoor concert on Friday in the Van Aken District in Shaker Heights.

The Oberlin Organ Academy hosts a student recital on Saturday at 10 am in Finney Chapel.

And Akron Symphonic Winds wish a happy 250th Birthday to America on Sunday at 6:30 in Nathan Hale Park in Parma Heights.

NEWS BRIEFS:

Les Délices has announced their 2026-27 season, “Light on the Horizon.” The early music ensemble’s 18th season includes five subscription concerts, including the conclusion of the multi-year commissioning endeavor known as The Mythology Project. Tickets and subscriptions will go on sale August 15th. Read the press release here. [Read more…]

DIARY: Thursday, July 16, 2026

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by Stephanie Manning

HAPPENING TODAY:

It’s a big day for both Ohio Light Opera, who open Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard at 2:00 pm, and The Cleveland Orchestra, who open this year’s Summers at Severance series at 7:00 pm (pictured). Semyon Bychkov conducts and local favorite Garrick Ohlsson performs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1, along with works by Smetana and Dvořák.

Also in the evening, the Medina Concert Series presents a free program of chamber ensemble, voice, and organ at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 7:00 pm.

At 7:30 pm, Ohio Light Opera completes its double-show day with a performance of Damn Yankees and the Oberlin Organ Academy presents a free faculty recital from Kirk M. Rich.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

by Daniel Hathaway

Belgian composer, violinist and conductor Eugène Ysaÿe was born on this date in 1858 in Liège. His solo sonatas are popular encore pieces, and you can see why in James Ehnes’ performance of his Third Sonata on an occasion that the YouTube uploader hasn’t bothered to identify. Any clues? [Read more…]

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