By Daniel Hathaway

IN THIS EDITION:

. Light operas, carillons, Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom

. Almanac notes invention of the metronome & quarter-tone pianos, the founding of Cleaveland & initiatives to perform all of J.S. Bach’s cantatas

HAPPENING THIS  WEEKEND:

Time is running out to catch one of the excellent Ohio Light Opera shows this summer. All six are running in repertory through July 30. Check out the calendar here and plan a road trip to Wooster for a matinee or evening performance.

It’s great weather for outdoor music, and what could be more al fresco than tower bells? On Friday, July 21 at 12:15, Keiran Cantilina, Church of the Covenant assistant carillonneur, will play “Music Old and New” on the Alexander McGaffin Carillon in University Circle, followed on Saturday at 6 by Katarzyna Takao-Piastowska, City Carillonneur of Emmerich am Rhein, Germany, who will play Polish music from the 16th & 19th centuries, and Polish Film and Cabaret music from the 20th century as well as American folk songs.

The Cleveland Orchestra performs twice this weekend at Blossom. On Saturday at 7, Kahchun Wong (read an interview here) conducts Yasushi Akutagawa’s Music for Symphony Orchestra, Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with Zlatomir Fung (pictured, read an interview here) & Debussy’s La mer. On Sunday at 7, Keith Lockhart conducts an innovative two-piano program featuring Jean-Yves Thibaudet & Michael Feinstein (who also does vocals) in music from the world of George Gershwin, including Rhapsody in Blue. [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

IN THIS EDITION:

. Orpheus in Hades in Wooster, Meridian Bros in Hingetown, Miami Quartet (pictured) in Kent

. Almanac remembers Peggy Stuart Coolidge & Will Marion Cook

HAPPENING TODAY:

Today at 2, Ohio Light Opera descends into Hades with a matinee performance of Jacques Offenbach’s zany Orpheus in the Underworld in Wooster’s Freedlander Theatre.  At 7:30, the Cleveland Museum of Art’s City Stages series visits a variety of Latin music in a Transformer Station performance by Meridian Brothers, a five-piece band “with a strong psychedelic and experimental sensibility.”

Also at 7:30, the Miami Quartet makes its annual appearance on the Kent Blossom faculty series in Ludwig Recital Hall at Kent State with works by Schubert, Mendelssohn & Dvořák.

Click here to visit the ClevelandClassical.com Concert Listings page for more information. [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

IN THIS EDITION:

. Charnofsky highlights Peter Schickele, IU memorializes André Watts

. Debut of Handel’s Water Music

HAPPENING TODAY:

Host Eric Charnofsky writes: “Music by Peter Schickele will highlight Monday’s edition (#505) of Not Your Grandmother’s Classical Music, in celebration of the composer’s 88th birthday! (and no, there will not be any PDQ Bach on the program this time). Other featured composers will include Beethoven, Verne Reynolds, Julius Benedict, and Gregg Wramage. Tune in Monday afternoon, 2-4 pm Eastern time, to 91.1 FM in Cleveland or the live stream link here:

R.I.P. ANDRÉ WATTS, 77

Pianist André Watts died of prostate cancer on Wednesday, July 12 at the age of 77. Read an obituary from The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where Watts taught beginning in 2004.

NEWS BRIEFS

Organizations that have recently released news of their 2023-2024 seasons include Apollo’s Fire and the Cleveland Museum of Art Fall Performing Arts Series. [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

IN THIS EDITION:

. On the schedule: light opera, Piano Cleveland Young Artist finals, carillon concerts & Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom with Nikolai Lugansky (pictured)

. Women’s Orchestra appoints music director, New Ohio Arts Economic Relief Program grants, administrative staff cuts at CIM

Almanac: milestones for composers Unsuk Chin, Harrison Birtwistle & James MacMillan

HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND:

Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld — the show with the famous Can-Can and the sixth and final Ohio Light Opera production to open this summer hit the stage in Freedlander Theatre at the College of Wooster on Thursday and repeats on Sunday at 2. OLO’s other shows running in repertoire this weekend: How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Saturday at 2), Arizona Lady (Friday at 2), No, No, Nanette (Friday at 7:30) and Camelot (Saturday at 7:30).

Six finalists in the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists will play concerto movements with conductor Steven Byess and the Canton Symphony in the Final Round on Friday at 7:30 in Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Witness these performances either live or online (tickets required). [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

IN THIS EDITION:

. Next up at Wooster and Kent Blossom Festivals

. Report from “Europe’s Most Interesting Opera Festival”

. Almanac: remembering Oscar Hammerstein II in 4,600 of his 25,000 letters — “the best ones”

HAPPENING TODAY:

At 2pm, Ohio Light Opera’s production of Frank Loesser’s How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying returns to the Freedlander Theatre stage in Wooster.

And at 7:30, the second of four Kent Blossom Music Festival Faculty Concerts in Ludwig Recital Hall on the Kent State campus features pianist Orion Weiss, piano (pictured), violinist William Hagen, and members of The Cleveland Orchestra. [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

IN THIS EDITION:

. Charnofsky from WRUW, summer organ institute faculty from Oberlin

. R.I.P. Peter Nero

. Nipper, an early audiophile?

HAPPENING TODAY:

From 2 to 4 this afternoon, Eric Charnofsky hosts Not Your Grandmother’s Classical Music from the studios of WRUW. Today’s playlist includes unusual selections by Louis Aubert, Gerhard Stäbler, J.S. Bach, Philip Glass, Carl Orff & Elizabeth Austin.

And tonight at 7:30, an Oberlin Summer Organ Institute Faculty Concert features Jonathan W. Moyer & Kirk M. Rich performing on the organs by D.A. Flentrop (Dutch)  & Greg Harrold (Spanish) in Warner Concert Hall. Click here for webcast.

For details, click here. [Read more…]