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Kent Blossom faculty concerts continue with the Imani Winds: a chat with clarinetist Mark Dover

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by Daniel Hathaway

The 2024 GRAMMY® winner in the Classical Compendium category for Jeff Scott’s Passion for Bach and Coltrane, Imani Winds have led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet for over a quarter of a century.

Their adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations and outreach endeavors have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Tonight at 7:30 pm in Ludwig Recital Hall, the Kent/Blossom Music Festival will present the Imani Winds. Tickets available online.

I caught up with Imani’s clarinetist Mark Dover yesterday by phone to ask about the ensemble’s residency and this evening’s repertoire.

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Genre-Bending Pahua at CMA’s City Stages

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by Max Newman

“It’s everything. To have a project like this is something that makes you evolve as a human.”

That’s how Mexican DJ, producer, percussionist, and vocalist Paulina Sotomayor describes her Pahua project which bridges the gap between alternative electronic music and Latin rhythms.

On July 10 at 7:30 pm she will bring her talents to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Transformer Station as part of CMA’s City Stages series of free outdoor concerts that feature the best in global music.

And Pahua certainly is that. With over fifteen million streams on music platforms, the artist is thrilled about the upcoming concert. “It’s my first time in Cleveland. I am really excited and we are going to try to do something super special.”

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Conductor Brett Mitchell returns to Blossom Music Center

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by Mike Telin

“To say that once again being asked to conduct The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom is an honor would be a gross understatement,” Brett Mitchell said during a telephone interview. “I am not often at a loss for words, but there really aren’t any to describe how much it means to me.”

On Saturday, July 6 at 7:00 pm Mitchell will return to the Blossom podium to lead The Orchestra in Leonard Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes from On the Town, William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American,” and Samuel Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal. The program also includes George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in Béla Fleck’s transcription for banjo and orchestra with Fleck as soloist. Tickets are available online.

Mitchell said he loves Rhapsody in Blue. But when the Orchestra told him that they didn’t want the symphonic version that is often played by orchestras he thought they might be considering the original Paul Whiteman jazz band version. “It turned out that what they wanted was Béla Fleck’s transcription where he plays the piano part on the banjo.”

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Classically Lake View chamber series celebrates Justin Holland — Cleveland’s forgotten composer

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by Mike Telin

Set on 285 acres on Cleveland’s East Side, Lake View Cemetery’s wonderful landscapes, beautiful gardens, and artful monuments make it a serene final resting place as well as a tranquil retreat for the living to reconnect with nature.

On Sunday, July 7 at 3:00 pm in the Community Mausoleum, the recently created Classically Lake View chamber music series will present “Cleveland’s Forgotten Composer, Guitar Hero, and Abolitionist, Justin Holland.”

Under the artistic direction of Cleveland Orchestra violinist Isabel Trautwein, the program spans over 280 years of chamber music by Black composers, including Joseph Bologne, Justin Holland, Scott Joplin, Florence Price, William Grant Still, George Walker, and Thomas Flippin. Performers include guitarist Damian Goggans, violinists Liyuan Xie and Isabel Trautwein, violist Eliesha Nelson, and cellist Tanya Ell. The emcee will be Jennifer Coleman, Program Director for Creative Culture and Arts at the Gund Foundation. Tickets are available online.

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At last, Jason Vieaux to make ChamberFest Cleveland debut

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by Mike Telin

This week guitarist Jason Vieaux will make his long-awaited ChamberFest Cleveland debut, appearing in three separate concerts. “We’ve tried for many years, but it always conflicted with other dates that I already had on my calendar. So it’s really great that we can finally do something together.”

On Wednesday, June 26 at 7:30 pm in Mixon Hall at the Cleveland Institute of  Music, Vieaux will play Luigi Boccherini’s Guitar Quintet No. 4 in D (“Fandango”). The piece is one of the most popular works in the guitar chamber music repertoire and one that he’s recorded with the Escher Quartet.

Why is it so popular? “My guess is that it’s because of the third movement — the famous Fandango that gets played on radio stations around the country. But I think what really brings it over the top is when the cellist plays the castanets. It’s just one of those works that presenters like to program.”

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Jacob Allen on Ohio Light Opera’s 2024 season

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by Mike Telin

One of the neat things about a summer light opera festival is that there is always a family atmosphere. Ohio Light Opera is a perfect example of that, especially when it comes to associate artistic director Jacob Allen and his relationship with the company. 2024 marks Allen’s 18th season — and his sixth position within OLO after he started out as a young artist performer.

Allen is directing two shows this season: Guys and Dolls and Me and My Girl, the latter of which opens on Thursday, June 20 at 2:00 pm at Freedlander Theatre.

The show includes music by Noel Gay and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose. Tickets are available online.

I caught up with Allen by phone to talk about the two shows he’s directing — and his history with the company.

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Brandon Ridenour returns to ChamberFest Cleveland

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by Mike Telin

This week, trumpeter Brandon Ridenour will be featured in three ChamberFest Cleveland programs both as a performer and arranger.

Ridenour’s journey to becoming a  trumpet soloist, collaborative artist, composer, and arranger began at age 5, when he started studying piano with his father. After picking up the trumpet in 5th grade band class in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ridenour went on to study at the Juilliard School. After graduating he became the youngest member to join the Canadian Brass and eventually embarked on a solo career.

In 2014 Ridenour became the first trumpeter in 30 years to win the Concert Artist Guild competition. In his role as performer-composer, he helped to launch the Brooklyn-based ensemble Founders, and in 2023, he joined the American Brass Quintet. As an educator, he serves on the faculties at Juilliard, The New School and the Manhattan School of Music, where he is passionate about developing a new model of education for a well-rounded, progressive musician of the future.

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Tri-C JazzFest: Sam Blakeslee takes the stage

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by Max Newman

In addition to the stellar indoor lineup, there will be a myriad of talented artists featured on the outdoor stage at this year’s Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, to be held June 20-22 at Playhouse Square. One to keep an eye on is New York-based trombonist and composer Sam Blakeslee, who will be performing on Friday, June 21 at 6:45 pm as the bandleader of the Sam Blakeslee Large Group.

Blakeslee is cherishing the opportunity. “I have a pretty close relationship with Tri-C,” he told me during a telephone conversation. “When I was still living in Cleveland, I was the director of the JazzFest Academy, and then I taught trombone lessons at the College. I’m very grateful they’ve been supportive of me to come through and work with the students a couple of times a year, but this is the first time since 2017 that I’ll be performing with my own band. So it will be a nice reunion of sorts.”

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CMA launches Third Thursdays: a conversation with Gabe Pollack

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by Max Newman

If you are looking for musical experiences in Cleveland that are both thoroughly enjoyable and wholly unique, look no further than the programming put on by the Cleveland Museum of Art. Whether it be the eclectic concerts that grace Gartner Auditorium, the danceable, outdoor fun of City Stages, or any of CMA’s other wonderful offerings, there is truly something for everyone within the Museum’s programming.

Now, CMA is kickstarting another event series — Third Thursdays at Transformer Station — which will have its first show on June 20 at 7:00 pm. (Note that the concert is now sold out.) Admission is free, but tickets are required.

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45th Tri-C JazzFest comes to
Playhouse Square June 20-22

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by Jarrett Hoffman

The 45th annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland will be held in Playhouse Square from Thursday-Saturday, June 20-22. And as always, the schedule is stuffed full in the most wonderful way.

The centerpiece is the indoor lineup of national and international artists, but there are also the outdoor stages showcasing regional musicians as well as students. Not to mention the meet-the-artist talks, jam sessions, and all the activities aimed at kids — plus, speaking of a festival that is stuffed full, the cooking demonstrations and the array of food trucks.

I spoke to JazzFest director Terri Pontremoli to unpack everything in store. We began with the indoor lineup (tickets here), which kicks off on June 20 at 8:00 pm with the a cappella group Take Six, known for their blend of gospel, jazz, R&B, and pop. I noted to Pontremoli how their undeniably fun, charismatic style makes for a great opener — just as vocalist Ledisi, considering all the power and spirit in her voice and her stage presence, is the perfect closer (June 22 at 9:00 pm).

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