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Cleveland Orchestra dazzles with French music, a tribute to Coltrane and Gershwin’s An American in Paris (Jan. 9)

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by Daniel Hathaway

This article was originally posted on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — You might think that an orchestra that excels in the Austro-German repertoire could prove to be the wrong tool for the special demands of French music. But think again.

On Thursday evening, January 9, at Severance Music Center, guest conductor Stéphane Denève and The Cleveland Orchestra gave elegant, witty, and transparent accounts of works by Darius Milhaud and Francis Poulenc, worked with  soloist Steven Banks in Guillaume Connesson’s wildly virtuosic saxophone concerto honoring John Coltrane, and explored George Gershwin’s ebullient An American in Paris from the point of view of a Frenchman on the podium. [Read more…]

Fireworks in the key of D Major: Cooper Violin Competition Finals (Jan. 10)

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by Stephanie Manning

With light snow and a winter wind blowing outside Oberlin’s Finney Chapel, the Final Round of the 2025 Cooper Competition — the January edition of the usual August event — looked a bit different this year. And yet, there was also a healthy sense of déjà vu.

The final three violinists, narrowed down from an initial field of nineteen, presented concertos by Brahms (once) and Tchaikovsky (twice) — coincidentally, the same program from 2022, the last time the competition was held for violin.

Joined by the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra and conductor Norman Huynh, this year’s finalists delivered an impressive evening of performances on January 10. [Read more…]

Cooper International Violin Competition Semi-Finals in Oberlin’s Warner Concert Hall (Jan. 8)

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After two days of impressive performances by the nineteen participants in the Cooper International Violin Competition, the Jury selected six to advance to Round Two. Yesterday at Oberlin Conservatory’s Warner Concert Hall, the six contestants — each vying for a spot among the final three — presented 45-minute programs with piano. Here are our impressions. [Read more…]

The Kings Brass at Federated Church (Dec. 22)

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by Kevin McLaughlin

The King’s Brass celebrated Christmas in bright and merry fashion with their trademark —  pop-tinged arrangements of Christmas carols, hymns, and sing-alongs — on Sunday, December 22, as part of the Federated Church Performing Arts Series in Chagrin Falls.

The ensemble has been led for 47 years by Tim Zimmerman, who was a genial host and fine trumpeter. The well-blended group of nine musicians — Tim Zimmerman, Gregory Alley, Anthony Sanders (trumpet), Kyle Davidson, Kolbe Schnoebelen (trombone), Nate Petersen (bass trombone), Jacob Fulkerson (tuba), Colton Morris (percussion), and Rebecca Edmiston (piano/organ) — acquitted themselves well under Zimmerman’s leadership.

The arrangements, most of them by Zimmerman himself, suffered a little from sameness, but nevertheless supplied plenty of Holiday zip and opportunities for the brass to shine. [Read more…]

Cleveland Chamber Choir At Cleveland School of the Arts (Dec. 20) 

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by Peter Feher

Handel’s Messiah wasn’t the only oratorio you could hear in Northeast Ohio over the Holiday season. The Cleveland Chamber Choir offered a brilliant, bracing alternative with two performances of David Lang’s the little match girl passion, December 20 and 21 at Cleveland School of the Arts.

Friday’s concert saw expert singing in service of sincere emotion, vividly realizing this stark Christmas story adapted from Hans Christian Andersen.

There’s no trace of a happy ending in Andersen’s original 19th-century fairy tale. The titular character in “The Little Match Girl” freezes to death on New Year’s Eve after being kicked out of the house by her father, losing her slippers in the street, and failing to sell any matches to passersby who can’t spare so much as a penny. [Read more…]

Jazz vocalist Magos Herrera with her trio at CMA (Dec. 11)

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by Peter Feher

Magos Herrera sang for a full five minutes before uttering a single lyric at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

It was an apt introduction to the artistry of the Mexico City-born jazz vocalist, whose boundary-free style can sometimes beguile and sometimes confuse.

Performing the wordless “Choro de Lua,” a track off her 2023 album Aire, Herrera sounded transcendent in certain moments but less than stellar in others. That pattern would continue throughout the evening in Gartner Auditorium — her set just beginning to coalesce near the end. [Read more…]

Northwest Ohio Vocal Arts Ensemble at Cleveland Heights’ Church of the Savior (Dec. 15)

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by Kevin McLaughlin

The fifteen singers of the Northwest Ohio Vocal Arts Ensemble (NOVA) gladdened the heart at Cleveland Heights’ Church of the Saviour on Saturday, December 15, in a program drawing from Medieval chant, early Renaissance, and 20th-century settings.

Artistic director Kevin S. Foster and his Toledo-based choir presented a comforting and relatable version of the Nativity story in a sequence of hymns, motets, and carols collectively called “Songs of Wonder: The Nativity Through the Ages.”

Even for the non-religious, the antiquity of the repertoire, the grandeur of the building,  and the winsomeness of the singing all worked in combination to evoke a collective sentiment, a shared sense of seasonal memories, and a timeless message of peace and good will. [Read more…]

Canadian Brass dazzles Severance with holiday magic and musical mastery (Dec. 23)

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by Kevin McLaughlin

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Canadian Brass brought its customary brilliance and easy rapport to Severance Music Center on Monday night, in their holiday program “Make Spirits Bright.”

There was plenty of fun to be had for sure, but unlike the frivolity of Canadian Brass concerts of the 1970s and ‘80s, this was a more disciplined product.

Playing their trademark tune, “Just a Closer Walk,” they marched in New Orleans-style from the back of the hall, dressed in black suits and white Nikes. Then a Christmas carol quickly followed. But that light music — maybe the lightest on the program — was soon unmasked as being not an opening number, but an encore. “You can never take those for granted,” explained tubist Chuck Daellenbach, the group’s only remaining original member.

[Read more…]

The Cleveland Orchestra delights audiences with the heartwarming ‘Muppet Christmas Carol’ (Dec. 18)

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by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — With a whole week to go, December 18 wasn’t quite “One More Sleep ‘til Christmas.” But for those at Severance Music Center on Wednesday, it was close enough.

That heartfelt ballad about Christmas Eve sung by Kermit the Frog is just one of many gems from The Muppet Christmas Carol — the surprisingly faithful movie retelling of Charles Dickens’ tale that features Michael Caine, the cast of the Muppets, and a healthy dose of holiday cheer. Add to that list The Cleveland Orchestra, who played Miles Goodman’s score live under the direction of Sarah Hicks.

The beloved Disney holiday classic, released in 1992, drew a sold-out crowd. The Orchestra’s performance of Paul Williams’ songs — which many in the audience likely knew by heart — blended almost indistinguishably with the film. [Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra’s holiday concerts return with plenty of festive cheer (Dec. 11)

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by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — If the twinkling lights, leafy green garlands and festive poinsettias didn’t already clue you in, the holidays have arrived at Severance Music Center. ‘Tis the season for annual traditions — including The Cleveland Orchestra’s holiday concerts, which began on Wednesday evening.

Running through December 22, the programs feature plenty of seasonal classics plus some potential new favorites. The first performance proved that this mix is a delightful recipe for festive cheer.

“Look at you all, out on a school night!” conductor Sarah Hicks proclaimed joyfully from the podium. Just as many concertgoers donned red outfits to get into the spirit, Mandel Concert Hall was also decked out with decorations and stage lighting effects.

[Read more…]

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