by Daniel Hathaway
LIVE THIS WEEKEND:
On Friday, ENCORE Chamber Music presents The Evelyn Wright Jazz Quartet at the Dodero Center at Gilmour Academy, and ChamberFest Cleveland presents pianist Roman Rabinovitz (pictured) in Bach’s Goldberg Variations — moved indoors at St. Paschal Baylon due to rain.
Saturday’s in-person lineup on the new official national holiday, Juneteeth, includes ChamberFest’s “Nature Emerging” at The Grove Ampitheater, the Akron Symphony Strings and Symphonic Winds at Lock 3, and Cleveland Opera Theater in Medina’s Uptown Park.
On Sunday — Father’s Day — ChamberFest tells the tale of Ferdinand the Bull at The Grove, organist Karel Paukert plays music from Paris at St. Paul’s, Cleveland Heights, and the Cavani String Quartet plays a Sunday Discovery Concert on the ENCORE series in Gates Mills.
ONLINE THIS WEEKEND:
On Friday, Carnegie Hall replays Leonard Bernstein’s performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony in Ely Cathedral, and the final round of the James Stroud Classical Guitar Youth Competition features four young guitarists.
On Saturday, Saratoga Opera observes Juneteenth, as do the Harlem Chamber Players with Adolphus Hailstork’s Pity These Ashes: Tulsa 1921-2021,
And on Sunday, Renovare Music presents a virtual benefit concert on World Refugee Day.
Check details on our Concert Listings page.
CIPC BOX OFFICE OPENS:
Tickets are now on sale for Piano Cleveland’s 2021 Cleveland International Piano Competition (July 8—August 11), including both in-person and virtual options. Click here for details.
THIS WEEKEND’S ALMANAC:
On June 18, 1818, French composer Charles Gounod was born in Paris. Instead of linking to one of his popular operas or symphonic masses, here’s his Petit symphonie pour vents in honor of all the wind players who have been watching the game from the bench for the last 14 months. The Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France performs it in January, 2018 at the Maison de la Radio in Paris.
On June 18, 1942, Paul McCartney (Sir Paul since 1965 when The Beatles were inducted into the Order of the British Empire) was born in Liverpool, England. In addition to his career with the groundbreaking Liverpudlian band (who memorably played Cleveland in 1964 and 1966), he made a foray into classical music with his Liverpool Oratorio, featuring Kiri Te Kanawa. But while searching for that video link, I ran across a Wired Autocomplete Interview where Sir Paul answers “the internet’s most searched questions about himself.” Too charming to pass up. Watch here.
On June 19, 1819, Rhenish-Jewish conductor, cellist, and composer Jacques Offenbach was born in Köln (Cologne). To celebrate his lesser-known side as a cellist, here’s his Grand Concerto for Cello in G, nicknamed “Concerto militaire,” written in 1848. Mark Minkowski leads Les Musicians du Louvre with soloist Jérôme Pernoo.