by Mike Telin
The weather on Sunday morning, June 13, was bright and sunny but not too hot — perfect for a ChamberFest lawn concert. Not to miss out on the occasion, a multitude of people, lawn chairs in hand, made their way down Guilford Road in Cleveland Heights to hear a wonderfully varied program titled Bach and More. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
On Wednesday, June 16 at 7:00 at The Grove Amphitheatre, ChamberFest’s theme of the evening was Luscious Soundscapes and included music by Richard Strauss and Amy Beach.
However, it was pianist Shai Wosner’s imaginative interweaving of sonatas by Italian Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti with sonatas by American composer Frederick Rzewski that got things off to a fascinating start. [Read more…]
by Daniel Hathaway
What has happened to June? The sudden flood of openings and return to in-person performances has made the month fly past, but also left some unfinished business — like a review of The Cleveland Orchestra’s In Focus Episode 12, subtitled “Celestial Serenades” that features works by Aaron Jay Kernis and Josef Suk.
The video captures a moment when the live concert world was still on hiatus, and face masks were more than merely de rigueur. Though we have moved on from that point in several ways, it’s good to have a reminder that the pandemic will remain with us for some time into the future, and that we’re not through with pondering mortality and creating memorials quite yet. [Read more…]
by Cait Winston
In her pre-concert introduction, ENCORE artistic director Jinjoo Cho praised the Cavani String Quartet for their tradition of music-making that is rooted in friendship, selflessness, and a strong sense of community.
These principles were in full effect in the June 20th Sparked by Rosa concert, where the quartet’s synergy and graceful musical dialogue helped them to move effortlessly through a wide variety of musical styles. [Read more…]
by Cait Winston
Nature Emerging, the June 19 installment of ChamberFest Cleveland’s Together Again! created a space where audience members could meditate on and celebrate the beauty of nature, and the many sonic forms it can take. While rain prevented the concert from being held outdoors at The Grove amphitheater, natural scenery could still be appreciated through the many windows of St. Paschal Baylon church.
To begin a program intended to provide “wildly diverse portraits of natural elements,” clarinetist Frank Cohen and pianist Roman Rabinovich performed a set of four songs by Franz Schubert. [Read more…]
by Cait Winston
ENCORE Chamber Music’s June 13 program, “Sparked by Murakami,” held at the Dodero Center for Performing Arts, explored the narrative potential of chamber music, both through dramatic music conveying characters and story, and through different artistic disciplines that created a hybrid storytelling experience.
Pianist Shuai Wang began the program with Debussy’s “Arabesque No. 1” (from Deux Arabesques) and Jardins sous la pluie (“Gardens in the Rain”), capturing a mood inspired by nature with a hint of the ethereal. [Read more…]
by Jarrett Hoffman
The last in a series of split-bill, pre-recorded recitals in this year’s Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival debuted on June 11, containing excellent performances by Cleveland’s own Colin Davin on the first half, and Duo Melis of Spain and Greece on the second.
The centerpiece of Davin’s program was Leo Brouwer’s Sonata No. 2 for guitar, also known as Sonata del Caminante or “The Wanderer’s Sonata.” Not only does it explore different regions of Brazil, but it also shifts in style frequently, moving among spare beauty, a violent and extended tonality, and bluesy reflectiveness — together, a fascinating world of sound.
by Stephanie Manning
Both considered young musical prodigies, composers Edvard Grieg and Erich Wolfgang Korngold enjoyed great successes in their careers. But while works by Grieg have long been part of the standard orchestral repertoire, Korngold’s film scores have overshadowed his classical compositions until more recently. The 13th episode of The Cleveland Orchestra’s digital series In Focus, “Dance & Drama,” presents works for string orchestra from each composer to highlight their shared Romantic sensibilities and influences from other art forms.
by Daniel Hathaway
Since many Clevelanders don’t have a clue why State Route 91 in Cuyahoga and Lake Counties is called SOM Center Road, maybe it’s time to rename at least one five-mile segment of that thoroughfare that passes through the centers of Solon, Orange, and Mayfield townships.
Based on recent events, its new designation might well be “Chamber Music Way” in honor of the fine performances that are taking place this month at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills and The Grove Amphitheatre in Mayfield, courtesy of ENCORE Chamber Music Institute and ChamberFest Cleveland, respectively. In addition to the distinction of presenting some of the first in-person performances to come onto the calendar since the pandemic, both organizations were making their debuts in new venues. [Read more…]
by Daniel Hathaway
Many pianists win prizes in international piano competitions but few return to the scenes of their triumphs to run them.
Make an exception for Yaron Kohlberg, the Israeli keyboardist who came in second in the 2007 Cleveland International Piano Competition at the age of 24, and became President of Piano Cleveland in 2018, just in time to have to cancel the 2020 competition due to the pandemic. (As a placeholder, he invented Virtu(al)oso, an online competition that increased the organization’s global audience.)
On Sunday, June 6, Cleveland piano fans got an opportunity to hear Kohlberg himself in a short solo recital that formed the coda to Music From The Western Reserve’s online concert series. [Read more…]