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…]

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…]

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…]

by Daniel Hathaway

IN THIS WEEKEND’S EDITION:

.Three days packed with concerts sure to satisfy every classical musical taste

. Orchestra openings at Ohio Light Opera

. Training songs that make Music Theory and Aural Skills fun

. Anniversaries of entrances and exits by Daniel Pinkham, Martha Argerich, Victoria Bond, Louis Andriessen, Serge Koussevitzky, Orlando Gibbons, and Carl Maria von Weber [Read more…]

by Daniel Hathaway

WELCOME TO JUNE and the beginning of Summer in our hemisphere, with much in the way of outdoor chores to accomplish, as illustrated, left, by the Limbourg brothers in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (1416). June has also become the month of music festivals in Northeast Ohio. Today’s newsletter features articles about some that begin this week.

Month-long celebrations in the U.S. make June African-American Music Appreciation Month, as well as Great Outdoors Month, LGBTQ+ Awareness and Pride Month, and National Oceans Month (time to do something about all that plastic).

And June is National Smile Month in the U.K., whose subjects also happen to be marking the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II  — a nice coincidence for the first time that any British monarch has celebrated a platinum jubilee.

In recognition of the occasion, the U.K. will create a four-day Jubilee bank holiday from June 2-5 to include a “once-in-a-generation show” that will “mix the best of British ceremonial splendour and pageantry with cutting-edge artistic and technological displays.” [Read more…]

by Daniel Hathaway

IN THIS EDITION:

.Cleveland Orchestra appoints Concertmaster

. Vocal music highlights this weekend’s concerts

. Thea Musgrave and Nikoli Sokoloff celebrate birthdays, and our suggestions of music for Memorial Day

THIS WEEKEND’S EVENTS:

A lot of vocal music and related activities are on hand this weekend. Check our Concert Listings page for program details and ticket information.

May 27 – Friday

At 10:30 am and 3:00 pm, the Art Song Festival will hold Master Classes with soprano Tamara Wilson and at 8:00 pm will present a recital by tenor David Portillo and pianist Craig Terry. All three events are in Mixon Hall at Cleveland Institute of Music. [Read more…]