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Omar Sosa Trio at CMA (Sept. 10)

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by Kevin McLaughlin

Omar Sosa has a way of turning concerts into ceremonies. Before sitting down to play on Wednesday, September 10 at the Cleveland Museum of Art, he invoked Elegguá, the Afro-Cuban deity of the crossroads, snapping the irukére — a Yoruba horsetail whisk — to clear the space, invite protection, and “open the way.” The gesture set a ritual tone, reminding listeners they were at a spiritual gathering as much as at a musical performance.

Sosa brought his new trio, Outside the Box, to Gartner Auditorium for its Cleveland debut. The group includes his longtime collaborator Yosvany Terry on saxophones and young drummer Julian Miltenberger, whom Sosa introduced as “a 25-year-old from Philly — the next generation.”

Terry’s early contributions on soprano saxophone were so compelling that he temporarily shifted the group’s center of gravity. [Read more…]

Pianist Polina Osetinskaya dazzles in her Cleveland debut at Severance (Sept. 12)

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by Daniel Hathaway

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A small but wildly enthusiastic crowd showed up at Severance Music Center on Friday to hear a recital by Russian pianist Polina Osetinskaya that marked her Cleveland debut and that of Domus Virtuosa, a new artist agency and production initiative founded by Clevelander Svetlana Stolyarova.

Not your usual piano recital, Osetinskaya’s program was entirely devoted to transcriptions — or arrangements — of music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

[Read more…]

Joe Hisaishi leads Cleveland Orchestra in genre-blending concert at Severance (Sept. 4)

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by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – If you know the name Joe Hisaishi, it’s likely thanks to Studio Ghibli. Since the 1980s, the Japanese composer has scored many of the animation studio’s most iconic films, including the Oscar-winning “Spirited Away” and the beloved “Howl’s Moving Castle.”

When not writing for the screen, Hisaishi composes contemporary classical music. His distinctly minimalist style sets these works apart from his more tuneful film scores.

On Thursday evening, Sept. 4, he brought examples of both to Severance Music Center for “Hisaishi Conducts Hisaishi,” a program featuring The Cleveland Orchestra and viola soloist Antoine Tamestit in an exploratory journey of texture, tone and rhythm.

[Read more…]

Margi Griebling-Haigh’s The Higgler now on video

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by Daniel Hathaway

The Higgler, a “tragi-comic chamber opera” with music and libretto by Margi Griebling-Haigh debuted at Disciples Christian Church early in June.

Adapted from a romantic English short story by A. E. Coppard about missed opportunities in life and love, the 90-minute opera was recorded live by Enharmonic Records, and is now available for viewing free of charge on Griebling-Haigh’s YouTube channel.

Directed by Marla Berg and conducted by Steven Smith, the production translates beautifully to a small screen. The sound quality is excellent and reflects a vocally strong cast that includes tenor Brian Skoog as Harvey Witlow, “The Higgler,” soprano Gabrielle Haigh as Mary Sadgrove, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Frey as Mrs. Sadgrove, mezzo soprano Denise Milner Howell as Mrs. Witlow, and soprano Lisl Wangerman as Sophy Dawes.

[Read more…]

The Cleveland Orchestra and Blossom Festival Chorus seamlessly mesh with The Lion King (Aug. 29)

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By Kevin McLaughlin|Cleveland Classical

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – With the unhurried grace of a great cat, on Friday, August 29 at Blossom Music Center, The Cleveland Orchestra and Blossom Festival Chorus made the live score of Disney’s The Lion King sound effortless. Ably led by conductor Sarah Hicks, Hans Zimmer’s music and the ear-catching songs of Elton John and Tim Rice took on a vividness and power that occasionally outdid the movie.

In her introduction, Hicks reminded the larger-than-usual and decidedly youngish crowd that The Lion King marks its 30th anniversary this year. She invited them to cheer for their favorite characters — Simba, Nala, perhaps Timon — and to boo the villainous Scar. This audience was eager to comply.

[Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra dazzles with Chopin and Rachmaninoff (Aug. 21)

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by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Works by pianist-composers Frédéric Chopin and Sergei Rachmaninoff offered some dazzling displays of virtuosity on The Cleveland Orchestra’s final Summers at Severance concert on August 21 at Severance Music Center.

Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto gave soloist Nobuyuki Tsujii multiple opportunities to shine, and Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony provided guest conductor Dima Slobodeniouk with a rich palette of orchestral colors to paint with, even without a soloist at the Steinway.

Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 was first performed in Cleveland by the Boston Symphony in 1911 and first played by The Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of Nikolai Sokoloff in March of 1920 as part of the newly formed ensemble’s second season.

[Read more…]

The Cleveland Orchestra just gave a most refreshing summer concert (Aug. 23)

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by Kevin McLaughlin

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – The Cleveland Orchestra sounded far younger Saturday than their 107 years, energized by guest conductor Stephanie Childress, lifted by cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and buoyed by a program of youthful works by Britten, Saint-Saëns, and Mendelssohn.

Franco-British conductor Stephanie Childress, who debuted with the Orchestra in 2024, returned Saturday to a warm welcome at the Blossom Music Center. From her slight frame and controlled gestures came a striking reserve of power. Whether with baton or without, her long, expressive fingers eloquently shaped phrases with precision and grace throughout the evening.

[Read more…]

Apollo’s Fire: “Fencing Match: Round One” (Aug. 9)

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by Peter Feher

Before the sound of armed conflict came to dominate classical music in the 20th century — think of the skittering strings or machine-gun rattle of snare drums in Dmitri Shostakovich’s symphonies — combat didn’t always mean life or death.

Among the aristocracy of 18th-century Europe, the clinking of swords was a cultivated pastime, an art on par with, say, practicing an instrument.

And that’s the spirit with which Apollo’s Fire took the stage at Case Western Reserve University’s Harkness Chapel on Aug. 9 for “Fencing Match: Round One.” The ensemble plans to reprise the program on tour next year, with this summer’s series of concerts serving to sharpen the players’ skills.

Only a few moments during Saturday afternoon’s performance needed that extra bit of fine-tuning. Much of the repertoire was right in the sweet spot for Cleveland’s Baroque orchestra, centering on well-known classics as well as a couple of signature pieces from the Apollo’s Fire canon. [Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra honors Rodgers & Hammerstein in dazzling Blossom concert (Aug. 17)

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by Peter Feher

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – If any industry understands the magic of a marquee, it’s Broadway. And few names in the history of musical theater have lit up the Great White Way as brilliantly as Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.

Together, the composer and lyricist have been a box-office draw for close to a century, from the smashing success of their first collaboration, “Oklahoma!” (1943) to the packed crowd they drew for The Cleveland Orchestra’s concert at Blossom Music Center on Sunday, Aug. 17.

A versatile trio of vocal soloists shared the spotlight with the ensemble under guest pops conductor Andy Einhorn, but the evening ultimately belonged to the singular duo who transformed the art of songwriting for the stage.

[Read more…]

Cleveland Orchestra delights with homage to Cuyahoga Valley National Park at Blossom Music Center (Aug. 16)

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by Kevin McLaughlin

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – The Cleveland Orchestra brought together music, nature and friendship in a program as warm and satisfying as a summer night under the trees at Blossom Music Center on Saturday.

Conducted by Daniel Reith — making his final appearance as the ensemble’s associate conductor — the concert offered the regional premiere of Gabriella Smith’s Rewilding, Max Bruch’s seldom-heard Violin Concerto No. 2 and Edward Elgar’s beloved Enigma Variations.

Commissioned in honor of the 50th anniversary of Cuyahoga Valley National Park — where Blossom is situated — Rewilding is Smith’s exuberant tribute to ecological restoration.

[Read more…]

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