Oberlin, July 29 — Following the concerto round of the Oberlin Cooper International Violin Competition, the jury announced early this morning the six performers who would advance to the recital round on Wednesday evening. Each will play a 30-minute recital in Warner Concert Hall at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Admission is free. The performances will be streamed (click here for the video link) and carried live over WCLV, 104.9 FM. At the end of the evening, the jury will name the three violinists who will play concertos in the final round with Jahja Ling and The Cleveland Orchestra on Friday evening at Severance Hall. [Read more…]
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Ten advance in Oberlin Cooper Violin Competition
Oberlin, July 27 — Following the semifinal rounds of the Oberlin Cooper International Violin Competition, the jury announced late tonight that ten performers would advance to the concerto round on Tuesday, July 28. Each will play a full concerto with piano accompaniment in Warner Concert Hall at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Admission is free, and the performances will be streamed (click here for the video link). At the end of the evening, six violinists will be advanced to Wednesday’s recital round. (Photo: 2013 Winners with Jahja Ling at Severance Hall.) [Read more…]
Cleveland Orchestra Summers@Severance: Stanislaw Skrowaczewski returns on August 7
by Daniel Hathaway
In 1957, Polish conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski was one of the local hosts for The Cleveland Orchestra’s first European tour — an event which established the ensemble’s inter-national reputation. It was also an important moment for Skrowaczewski, whose first meeting with George Szell in Warsaw launched his own career in the United States.
On Friday, August 7 at 7:00 pm, Skrowaczewski will return to Severance Hall to conduct the Orchestra in a program that features Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. He was scheduled to lead this program at Blossom last summer but was forced to withdraw at the last moment. This preview was written for that occasion and has been revised and reposted. [Read more…]
Cleveland Orchestra seeks volunteers for Severance Hall season
The Cleveland Orchestra is seeking volunteer ushers, greeters, ticket-takers, tour guides and store clerks for the 2015-2016 Severance Hall season. Opportunities to serve include concerts by The Cleveland Orchestra (evening, matinee, education, family, and holiday events) and performances by other ensembles including the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, and the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra, as well as other musical and non-musical events.
Individuals who are energetic, enthusiastic, and eager to assist the Severance Hall audiences with a high level of customer service are invited to attend open interviews in the Smith Lobby of Severance Hall (ground floor near the Box Office) on Wednesday, August 5, Monday, August 17, or Thursday, August 27, anytime between 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. [Read more…]
Good Company, Stambaugh Chorus & West Shore Chorale announce auditions
Three area choruses have announced openings for new members and audition details for the 2015-2016 concert season.
Good Company, a mixed chorus “focusing on classical chamber repertoire covering many centuries and composers, numerous languages and many styles,” is planning to present four concerts under the direction of Karen Weaver. The group rehearses on Monday evenings in Lakewood from September through May. To read more about the ensemble and to schedule an audition, visit the Good Company website. [Read more…]
Cooper International Violin Competition gets underway in Oberlin this weekend
by Mike Telin
Later this week, 22 young violinists representing seven countries will arrive in Oberlin to participate in the third edition of the Cooper International Violin Competition. Events begin with the semi-final round on Saturday, July 25 at 1:30 pm in Warner Concert Hall at the Oberlin Conservatory, and continue into next week when three finalists will play concertos with Jahja Ling and The Cleveland Orchestra in Severance Hall on Friday, July 31 at 8:00 pm. (See our concert listings for details about the semi-final, concerto and recital rounds that will determine who plays in the finals.)
“The level of playing of the applicants has always been extremely high, but this year the field is pretty incredible,” competition co-director David Bowlin said during a telephone conversation. “To get to play with The Cleveland Orchestra is an extraordinary opportunity and everyone knows that, so the degree of interest in the Competition is very high.” Additionally, the winner will also receive a cash prize of $10,000. [Read more…]
Kent/Blossom Festival: Danna Sundet returns from a busy summer for last faculty concert
by Daniel Hathaway
Kent State oboe professor Danna Sundet will join members of The Cleveland Orchestra in the final faculty concert of the Kent/Blossom Music festival on Wednesday, July 29 at 8:00 pm in Ludwig Recital Hall on the Kent State Campus. Sundet, who is co-artistic director of the festival, will join pianist Joela Jones and violist Stanley Konopka in Charles Martin Loeffler’s Two Rhapsodies for oboe, viola and piano, originally conceived for bass voice, clarinet and piano.
The program includes Mozart’s Trio in E-flat, K. 498 “Kegelstatt” (with Konopka and clarinetist Robert Woolfrey), and three works for cello and piano featuring Richard Weiss: Gaspar Cassadó’s Requiebros (1934) & Danse du Diable Vert (1926), and Charles-Marie Widor’s Cello Sonata in A, op. 80. [Read more…]
Jung Eun Oh to be featured in second Stars in the Classics Summer Cabaret
by Daniel Hathaway
Google “Jung Eun Oh soprano” and you’ll turn up articles about a singer who earned three degrees at the Cleveland Institute of Music and has received rave notices about her vocal prowess. Google “Anna Rathbun financial” and you can read about a Harvard economics graduate who launched — and has now relaunched — a career in investment management.
Those are the two sides of a fascinating woman who will be featured in the next Stars in the Classics Summer Cabaret on Thursday, July 23 at 7:30 pm in the council chambers of the Orange Village Hall. On that occasion, Jung Eun Oh will join pianist Zsolt Bognár in three songs by Franz Liszt and Gioacchino Rossini’s “Una voce poco fa” from The Barber of Seville. Also on the program: music by Brahms and Mendelssohn, and tangos by various composers, played by violinists Yun-Ting Lee & Jeffrey Zehngut, violist Amber Dimoff, cellists Daniel Pereira & Ryan Louie & clarinetist Stanislav Golovin. [Read more…]
The Cleveland Orchestra: Clarinetist Franklin Cohen to perform Weber’s Second Concerto (July 26)
by Mike Telin
Although Franklin Cohen played his final concert as a member of The Cleveland Orchestra wind section back in May, on Sunday, July 26 at 7:00 pm at Blossom Music Center, Cohen will make his farewell appearance as concerto soloist after 39 seasons as the Orchestra’s principal clarinet. The program includes Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2, and Elgar’s Enigma Variations.
During a recent telephone conversation Cohen said that he looks forward to performing the Weber under the direction of his good friend Jahja Ling. “I love Jahja. He has such seriousness of purpose, yet such a great sense of humor. He’s a wonderful family person, and he brings a lot of humanity to everything he does. And, if I have to play a last performance with this group, he’s the one I want to do it with,” Cohen said. “I think he’s conducted more performances with The Cleveland Orchestra than almost any other conductor.” [Read more…]
Kent/Blossom Festival to perform Rossini’s first opera (July 18)
by Mike Telin
What do you do if you’re running a summer music festival and you discover that for one week, the majority of your teachers will be unavailable to coach ensembles and give private lessons? The obvious answer is to present an opera! On Saturday, July 18 at 3:00 pm in Ludwig Recital Hall, vocal music returns to the Kent/Blossom Music Festival when festival director Charles Latshaw will lead the Kent/Blossom Chamber Orchestra and soloists in a concert version of Giaochino Rossini’s first opera, La Cambiale di Matrimonio.
“It is an exciting undertaking, but there were a lot of things that came together in order for it to happen,” Charles Latshaw said during a telephone conversation. “This year we had a unique challenge and opportunity in that The Cleveland Orchestra is in New York this week as part of the Lincoln Center Festival, which left us with fewer coaches for that period of time. We talked about different options, and in the end we decided to bring opera back to the festival, and I think the audience is going to be receptive to the idea.” [Read more…]