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Ohio Light Opera enchants with The Count of Luxembourg (July 11)

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by Kevin McLaughlin

Operetta distinguishes itself when it is served by great voices and a captivating score. The stories and situations, which can be light and a little silly, pretty much stay in the sunshine. Franz Lehár’s The Count of Luxembourg, which opened in Ohio Light Opera’s production on Thursday, July 11, benefitted from uniformly excellent singing, comedic acting, and a perfectly winsome score — full of catchy waltzes and polkas with lush arias sprinkled in — that had you smiling and whistling like it was 1909. [Read more…]

Summers at Severance makes triumphant return (July 11)

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by Stephanie Manning

In between their already-packed schedule at Blossom Music Center, the musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra appeared at their usual venue — Severance Music Center — for an exciting offering on July 11. Returning after a five-year absence, the Summers at Severance series kicked off with a high-quality evening of Mandel Concert Hall debuts.

Conductor Oksana Lyniv, joining the Orchestra for the first time, brought a graceful precision and strong sense of tempo to the podium. The synergy between conductor and orchestra was evident from the opening piece, Leoš Janáček’s Suite from The Cunning Little Vixen, [Read more…]

A peaceful afternoon at Classically Lake View (July 7)

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by Stephanie Manning

Choosing a mausoleum as a concert venue might imply a more somber occasion, but the atmosphere was distinctly lighthearted at the Classically Lake View concert on July 7. Held in the Lake View Cemetery’s Community Mausoleum on a sunny Sunday afternoon, a string quartet of Cleveland Orchestra members and an Oberlin student guitarist presented a spirited program of chamber music by Black composers.

First violinist Liyuan Xie confidently led the quartet as they kicked things off with two movements from Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ String Quartet No. 3, Op. 1. Despite the unconventional indoor space, the small stage helped with projection and the blend between the four musicians kept a balanced timbre. (Probably best not to add any wind instruments into the mix with that echo, though.) [Read more…]

Béla Fleck and Cleveland Orchestra wow Blossom Music Center with Rhapsody in Blue (July 6)

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by Kevin McLaughlin
This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Appearing with the Cleveland Orchestra on Saturday evening July 6, Béla Fleck surprised the Blossom Music Center crowd not so much by the level of his playing — virtuosic as always — but by how well he adapted the solo piano part for the banjo in his transcription of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

His reworkings succeeded so well that the piece seemed not just suitable for the banjo but actually conceived for it.

With a reputation that preceded him — his 18 Grammys acknowledge his mastery of every genre from bluegrass to classical —the audience warmed to Fleck immediately and continued to lavish their attention on his playing, eager to hear what magic might happen next. [Read more…]

Divas reign at Tri-C JazzFest (June 21 & 22)

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by Peter Feher

The divas didn’t have to share the stage at Tri-C JazzFest this year. After a 2023 lineup that saw star singers paired with other performers or as part of larger projects, this summer’s schedule put the spotlight back on solo acts.

Creative freedom reigned in headlining sets by Cécile McLorin Salvant and Ledisi — two very different artists who could only come together here, under the big tent that is jazz. Both vocalists have a singular sensibility that somewhat transcends the limits of genre, although that’s where the similarities end. [Read more…]

Imani Winds captivate in Kent Blossom debut (July 3)

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by Stephanie Manning

Given Imani Winds’ active touring schedule, it’s not unusual to see the group revisit the same part of the U.S. within a few months. So while it might feel like the wind quintet was just here for their March performance in Oberlin, July 3 saw them return to Northeast Ohio to appear on the Kent Blossom Music Festival’s Faculty Concert Series in Ludwig Recital Hall. Thankfully, this proximity was no issue — Imani is a group worth hearing again and again.

The evening’s program, “Black and Brown II: A Celebration of Composers of Color,” was understandably similar to the one from March, although not without some notable changes. [Read more…]

Blossom Festival Band salutes America in performance on eve of Independence Day (July 3)

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by Daniel Hathaway | ClevelandClassical.com

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Conversations with fellow audience members at the Blossom Festival Band’s Salute to America last night, July 3, revealed that many had been glued to weather radar screens all afternoon in hopes that forecasts of evening thunderstorms would turn out to be wrong.

They were. Though some late afternoon rainfall increased humidity levels, the skies cleared and a large throng turned out to enjoy eve-of-Independence Day picnics on the lawn and band music from the pavilion stage — a Fourth of July tradition ever since the Blossom Music Center launched its second season in 1969.

Innumerable wind ensembles are featured in outdoor performances around Independence Day each year in America, but the Blossom Festival Band stands out for its excellent roster of musicians and soloists and its distinguished lineage of conductors.

[Read more…]

Diego Figueireo at Tri-C JazzFest 2024 (June 22)

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by Max Newman

One of the most wonderful things about the annual Tri-C JazzFest is the wide range of artists that are on display. Free jazz, modal jazz, bebop, and more, have all graced Playhouse Square’s theaters.

On the evening of June 22, this trend continued, as the crowd in the Allen Theater was given a masterclass in Brazilian jazz by guitarist Diego Figueiredo. The performer, hailing from Sao Paulo, was absolutely dazzling, and solidified his Reputation as one of the most technically skilled contemporary jazz guitarists around.

Jazz critic Scott Yanow once wrote that “Diego has the rare ability of making everything sound beautiful.” And he’s right. No matter what the guitarist was playing — samba, bossa-nova, flamenco, or anything else across the jazz spectrum — it was almost hypnotizing. Every single pluck of the string, every single strum lingered, making its effect, no matter how loud or soft.

[Read more…]

ARTEMIS with “Flying Home: A Trumpet Summit” at Tri-C JazzFest 2024 (June 22)

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by Max Newman

On the afternoon of June 22, the New York-based quintet ARTEMIS graced the stage at Tri-C JazzFest 2024 and did not disappoint. Filling the Mimi Ohio Theatre with mesmerizing sound, this was undoubtedly one of the most impressive performances of the festival this year.

The performance immediately followed “Flying Home: a Trumpet Summit,” which celebrated generations of Tri-C alumni. The blistering whirlwind of intricate soloing and grooving rhythms was the perfect lead-in to the groundbreaking sonic experimentation of the main act.

[Read more…]

Ohio Light Opera: Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondoliers or The King of Barataria (June 26)

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by Daniel Hathaway

There wasn’t a black canal boat in sight on the Freedlander Theatre stage during the opening performance of Ohio Light Opera’s production of The Gondoliers on Wednesday afternoon, June 26.

But setting the first act of Gilbert & Sullivan’s 1889 show in Venice gave Arthur Seymour Sullivan an infectious lexicon of Mediterranean dance tunes to work with — the cachucha, fandango, and bolero — and 135 years later, it suggested an exotic palette of colors for the OLO sets by Daniel Hobbs and costumes by Brooke Kesler.

Sullivan’s desire to create theater that aspired to grand opera dimensions was rewarded with a libretto by William Schenck Gilbert that inspired him to write fifteen minutes’ worth of continuous music at the top of the show. [Read more…]

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