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VOCES8’s Oberlin debut: a delightful 20th anniversary program (Oct. 28)

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by Stephanie Manning

VOCES8’s 20th anniversary called for plenty of celebration and plenty of humor.

When the British a cappella group visited the Oberlin Artist Recital Series on October 28, they brought a program of audience favorites that delighted the sold-out crowd in Finney Chapel. Known for their ethereal voices and crystal clear harmonies, the octet demonstrated all that and more as they bridged the sacred and secular in “Songs From 20 Years.”

This two-decade milestone gave good reason to celebrate not only the singers, but also their longtime arranger-in-residence, Jim Clements. Responsible for some of the group’s most requested pieces, Clements is like “the secret burger sauce in the Big Mac,” joked tenor Blake Morgan.

[Read more…]

Guitarist Leonela Alejandro makes engaging Cleveland debut at CCGS (Oct. 25)

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by Stephanie Manning

When an artist is on tour for months at a time, it can be hard not to feel homesick. Leonela Alejandro knows that experience well. Her current cross-country tour — celebrating her win at the 2024 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition — began in September and continues through next May.

That’s a lot of time away from Puerto Rico, where the 25-year-old guitarist grew up and began her musical education. So, as she explained to the audience at the Maltz Performing Arts Center on October 25, her Cleveland program brought a little bit of her home country with her. Presented by the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society, Alejandro’s local debut brought out her most engaging abilities as a performer, making the case that she is a young artist to watch. [Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra, Chorus, and soloists excel with “Ode to Joy” performance (Oct. 23)

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by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Few melodies in the classical canon hold as much name recognition as Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” The beloved tune, set to the words of German poet Friedrich Schiller, comes from the composer’s Symphony No. 9 — a revolutionary piece both in its form and in its celebration of the indomitable human spirit.

The desire to witness such joyful music making in person is undoubtedly what drove a large audience to Mandel Hall at Severance Music Center on Thursday, Oct. 23. And it’s safe to say that the Cleveland Orchestra, Chorus and soloists did not disappoint.

[Read more…]

A Little Bit of Everything with VOCES8

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by Stephanie Manning

Reposted with the permission of Oberlin Conservatory

For Barnaby Smith, putting a concert program together is like cooking a three-course meal.

“You want the audience to come and have the starter, the main, and the dessert,” the countertenor says. “It’s like they’re having a nice dinner party while meeting the eight people on stage.”

As the Artistic Director of VOCES8, Smith curates those “dinner parties” for the renowned British vocal ensemble. And he has plenty of music choices to pick from. The a capella group is known for their genre-spanning repertoire — and they’re also celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Both of those ideas come to the forefront in the program that they’ll bring to Oberlin’s Finney Chapel on October 28 as part of the Artist Recital Series.

“It’s got everything from Renaissance polyphony to jazz and pop songs,” Smith says. “There’s a little bit of something for everyone — Simon and Garfunkel, a few madrigals, and a bit of Bach and Elgar.” [Read more…]

BW Opera’s dystopian Dido and Aeneas (Oct. 11)

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by Stephanie Manning

The contemporary relevance of doomed love, betrayal, and political maneuvering  continues to endear Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas to modern audiences. But the recent staging of the 17th-century opera by Baldwin Wallace Opera Theater made a more direct connection to today’s political climate.

Set “within the dystopian framework of A Handmaid’s Tale,” the all-new production, directed by Scott Skiba, drew parallels between Purcell’s tale and the setting of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 book. It’s an ambitious premise, and one that ultimately wobbled rather than sticking its landing. Regardless, the one-hour work featured lovely performances across the board from the student cast.

The Helen Theatre at Playhouse Square provided an intimate, black box venue, giving the small audience up-close sightlines to the action. The cast of the 3:00 pm show on October 11 set a high bar for singing and acting quality, anchored by Christol Stewart as Dido, who absolutely shone with her dignified voice and bearing. Conductor Jason Aquila led a string quartet from the harpsichord. [Read more…]

[VIDEO] The Cleveland Women’s Orchestra at 90 Years

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by Stephanie Manning

The oldest surviving women’s orchestra in the country — the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra — turns 90 years old this year. They’ll celebrate this milestone on Sunday, October 26th at 2:30 pm with a concert at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets available online.

Learn more in this video profile of violinist Joan Ferst and bassoonist Charlotte Hines, who have both been with the group for more than 50 years. Music director Eric Benjamin also talks about one of the featured pieces, Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1.

Also on the program is Fanny Mendelssohn’s Overture in C, Edward Elgar’s Sea Pictures (featuring mezzo-soprano Kira McGirr), and Clara-Jane Maunder’s The Coast (U.S. premiere).

Watch the video below and find it on Instagram and Facebook. [Read more…]

BlueWater combines two art forms in “Musical Momentum” (Oct. 4)

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by Stephanie Manning

BlueWater Chamber Orchestra opened their sixteenth season last weekend with a doubly enticing concept. Not only would audience members hear works by Elgar, Albinoni, and Handel, but they would also see these works brought to life by the dancers of Ohio Contemporary Ballet.

This collaboration between the two organizations isn’t new. Back in 2020, when Ohio Contemporary Ballet was known as Verb Ballets, the pandemic derailed plans for a similar concert, resulting in a pivot to video.

That admirable broadcast succeeded even though the musicians and dancers never performed in the same room. But as their October 4 event at the Lakewood Civic Auditorium reaffirmed, there’s nothing quite like the magic of live, in-person performance. [Read more…]

Faust at the Cinematheque: an intriguing combination of silent film and metal music (Sept. 27)

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by Stephanie Manning

Horror movies and metal music seem a natural fit. Too bad that F.W. Murnau’s Faust isn’t really a horror movie.

The late-night showing of the 1926 German Expressionist film, presented at the Cleveland Cinematheque, promised a spooky atmosphere with a score to match. This enticing premise didn’t always deliver, especially after the film’s plot veered off course. But the packed screening on September 27, which closed out this year’s Cleveland Silent Film Festival and Colloquium, provided other moments of synergy between screen and sound.

Live metal act The Silent Light — guitarist and synthesist Michael Formanski and drummer Matt Hardy — artfully set the scene as the opening credits rolled. [Read more…]

Folk quartet adds Oberlin to the fabric of their American Patchwork (Sept. 13)

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by Stephanie Manning

Once you’ve listened to the American Patchwork Quartet, you might not hear your favorite folk songs the same way. Take the group’s September 13 version of “Shenandoah,” which began with an introduction that held the Oberlin audience spellbound.

Accompanied only by a drone, Harini (“Rini”) Raghavan’s voice spun out a searching melody in the South Indian Carnatic style, an improvisation of pure sound and syllable. But before long, she took a breath and seamlessly began the words to “Shenandoah,” the rest of the group then picking up the familiar, bittersweet song.

Interactions like that are at the heart of the American Patchwork Quartet — a group that combines different cultural and musical traditions to perform folk music in a distinct and dynamic way. Their Saturday night performance in Finney Chapel marked the group’s debut on the Oberlin Artist Recital Series.

[Read more…]

DIARY: Monday, September 22, 2025

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by Stephanie Manning

LOOKING AHEAD:

This rainy start to the week has no concerts in store, but there’s plenty to look forward to coming up. Here are some highlights.

The Cleveland Orchestra opens their 2025–26 season on Thursday with Ravel’s Bolero. Franz Welser-Möst takes the podium, marking the beginning of his penultimate year as music director. (Photo credit: Extraordinaire Photos)

University concerts abound, with free offerings from Oberlin, CIM, and Baldwin Wallace. Plus, the Cleveland Silent Film Festival presents F.W. Murnau’s Faust, reimagined with a live heavy metal score. For more information, visit our Concert Listings.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

Since it’s Monday, most Broadway theaters are dark today, observing the traditional day off given to cast and crew. But in 1964, September 22 was a Tuesday — show day along the Great White Way. That evening, the lights went up on the premiere of a new musical: Fiddler on the Roof, the now-classic adaptation of Sholem Aleichem’s Yiddish stories about “Tevye the Dairyman.” [Read more…]

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