By Daniel Hathaway

HAPPENING TODAY:

Today at Noon, organist Jonathan Moyer will play music by Georg Böhm & Franz Liszt on both organs at the Church of the Covenant.

Tonight at 7:30, the Cleveland Chamber Music Society opens its 74th season with the Belcea Quartet (pictured), formed in 1994 when its members were studying at the Royal College of Music in London. On the menu: quartets by Schubert, Dvořák & Bartók. Come early and hear a 6:30 pre-concert interview with Eric Kisch. But don’t — out of habit — come to Plymouth Church. The concert has been moved to the Disciples Cultural Arts Center in Cleveland Heights.

For details, visit our Concert Listings.

TODAY’S ALMANAC:

On October 17, 1849 Frederic Chopin died in Paris. Having planned ahead, his coffin was sprinkled with earth he had brought from Poland before his remains were interred at Père Lachaise Cemetery. You can visit his grave there along with those of such luminaries as Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, and Édith Piaf.

On this date in 1943, Naumburg prize winning violinist, violist conductor and soprano Susan Davenny Wyner was born in New Haven. She made her Met Opera debut — her only performance in that house — in October of 1981 as Woglinde in Wagner’s Das Rheingold, and later settled in Ohio to lead the Warren Philharmonic and Opera Western Reserve.

And shockingly, a trio of promising composers — Victor Ulmann, Pavel Haas, and Hans Krása — were murdered by the Nazis on this date in 1944 in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND:

No Exit new music ensemble continues its season-long survey of surrealism with the third of three concerts on Saturday at 7 at SPACES. Read a preview article here.

And Apollo’s Fire repeats its “Splendour in London” program (Handel’s Water Music and Other Royal Festivities) on Saturday at 8 at Federated Church in Chagrin Falls, and on Sunday at 5 at Church of the Gesu in University Hts.

Two organizations will mark Hispanic Heritage Month on Saturday: Sammy DeLeon y su Orquesta at Severance at 7, and the Youngstown Symphony under Francisco Noya in “Latin Fire” at 7:30.

The first of two Cleveland Philharmonic concerts led by Victor Liva with violin soloist Andrew Sords will take place at West Shore Unitarian Universalist on Saturday at 7:30, repeated on Sunday at 3 at Cleveland State University.

And on Saturday at 8 at Disciples Church, Cleveland Chamber Collective plays two performances of the fourth program in its Music of America series, including music by Claude Bolling, Jeff Scott, Ty Alan Emerson, and traditional Brazilian chorinho, repeated Sunday at 8 at the Pivot Center. [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

HAPPENING TODAY:

The second installments of three repeating programs are on the agenda tonight: No Exit’s “Surrealist Games” at Heights Arts at 7, Apollo’s Fire’s “Splendour in London” at Lakewood Methodist at 7:30, and The Cleveland Orchestra’s all-Mahler program featuring baritone Simon Keenlyside at Severance at 7:30.

Also at 7, The Singers Club of Cleveland will present “The Music We Sing” at First Baptist in Shaker Heights, and CityMusic Chamber Series will feature British music at Praxis Fiber Gallery.

And at 7:30, the Oberlin Artist Recital Series will present the all-female Seraph Brass (pictured) in Finney Chapel, featuring a premiere by Jeff Scott.

For details, visit our Concert Listings.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Three recent press releases from The Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Museum of Art: [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

HAPPENING TODAY:

The first installments of three repeating programs drop today at 7:30: No Exit’s “Surrealist Games” at Kent State, Apollo’s Fire’s “Splendour in London” (in Akron), and The Cleveland Orchestra’s all-Mahler program featuring baritone Simon Keenlyside (pictured).

Also at 7:30, Gregory Ristow leads the Oberlin College Choir & Chamber Singers in a varied program in Warner Concert Hall, and at 8, Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project presents the trombone trio of Jeb Bishop, Matthias M. and Matthias M. as well as sound and visual artist Sandy Ewen at Convivium 33 Gallery.

For details, visit our Concert Listings.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Center for Arts Inspired Learning is sponsoring an Instrument Drive on  Saturday, October 14 from 10 am to 3 pm to benefit the Play It Forward! ® Cleveland free music program for 3rd to 12th grade youth. [Read more…]

by Daniel Hathaway

HAPPENING TODAY:

There are no concerts scheduled for today, but the tempo picks up dramatically later this week — so it’s a good time to check calendars and plan ahead. Visit our Concert Listings for details of forthcoming  events.

NEWS BRIEFS:

This morning, The Cleveland Orchestra issued the following statement:

“The Cleveland Orchestra has made the decision to cancel its upcoming tour in Israel. The safety of our musicians and staff is a top priority, and this decision was based on State Department guidelines in consultation with security advisors. The Orchestra will still travel to Austria to perform concerts in Vienna on October 18 and Linz on October 20. Our thoughts are with friends and family in Israel right now, and we hope for their continued safety.” [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND:

At its Severance Music Center concerts through Saturday, Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra are debuting Austrian composer Johannes Maria Staud’s new percussion concerto featuring Christoph Sietzen. Whereas the Reality Trembles shares the program with Tchaikovsky’s “Ukrainian” Symphony.

Also on Saturday, the Canton Symphony will give the first performance of Jeff Scott’s Song of the Uirapuru, led by music director designate Matthew Jenkins Jaroszewicz, and BlueWater Chamber Orchestra will feature pianist Yaron Kolhberg and trumpeter Austin Cruz in Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto in a performance at the Church of the Covenant.

Sunday’s schedule welcomes American pianist Maxim Lando (pictured, replacing Jan Bartoš) to the Art Museum under the auspices of the Tri-C Classical Piano series, and Arts at Holy Trinity in Akron begins marking its 40th anniversary with Miguel Esperanza Flamenco Fusion.

Check our Concert Listings for details of these and forthcoming events.

WEEKEND ALMANAC:

October 7, by Mike Telin

Today we celebrate cellist, cultural ambassador, and humanitarian Yo-Yo Ma, born on this date in 1955 in Paris. [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

HAPPENING TODAY:

At 12:15 Noon, George Leggiero performs on the McGaffin Carillon in University Circle.

At 7:30, Franz Welser-Möst leads The Cleveland Orchestra in the second of three subscription concerts featuring Christoph Sietzen (pictured) in Johannes Maria Staud’s new percussion concerto.

And at 8 pm, Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project presents Jonah Parzen-Johnson, baritone saxophone & flute, Bbob Drake, sound artist, and Kristen Ban Drake, poet, vocalist, and analog synth player at Convivium 33 Gallery.

Check our Concert Listings for details of these and forthcoming events.

CONCERT UPDATES:

The Tri-C Classical Piano Series has announced a change in artist for its recital on Sunday at 2 at the Art Museum. Maxim Lando will replace Jan Bartoš, who is ill. Program to be announced.

The Cleveland Chamber Music Society has announced a venue change for its opening concert on October 17. The Belcea Quartet will play at Disciples Church rather than at Plymouth.

NEWS BRIEFS:

The North Carolina radio station which had announced a ban on Metropolitan Opera broadcasts earlier in the week, has reversed course after meeting with harsh responses on social media. [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

HAPPENING TODAY:

All three of today’s events will take place in University Circle at 7:30 pm.

Guitarist Tal Hurwitz plays at the Maltz PAC under the banner of the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society, Franz Welser-Möst leads The Cleveland Orchestra in the premiere of Johannes Maria Staud’s Whereas the Reality Trembles featuring percussionist Christoph Sietzen plus Tchaikovsky’s “Ukrainian” Symphony, and saxophonist Steven Banks joins pianist Xak Bjerken for a recital in Mixon Hall at CIM. Check our Concert Listings for details of these and forthcoming events.

NEWS BRIEFS:

Oberlin has added another MacArthur Foundation award to its impressive list of thirteen previous winners. “Composer and pianist Courtney Bryan (pictured above), a 2004 graduate of Oberlin Conservatory whose works explore the African American experience through a range of musical and sociopolitical influences, has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for 2023, one of the nation’s most prestigious and lucrative honors.” [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

HAPPENING TODAY:

At noon, organist Mayumi Naramura & Baroque cellist Grace Mockus play music by Sweelinck, Byrd, Purcell, Domenico Gabrieli & Salvatore Lanzetti at the Church of the Covenant.

And at 7:30, the Russian Duo and friends — Oleg Kruglyakov, balalaika, Terry Boyarsky, piano, Eliesha Nelson, viola, Peter Wright, tenor, and Chris Bohan — offer music by Tchaikovsky and stories by Chekhov at the Maltz Performing Arts Center.

Check our Concert Listings for details of these and forthcoming events.

NEWS BRIEFS:

Last week the Management and Musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra ratified a new, three-year trade agreement that includes adjustments to compensation, and changes to working conditions “that benefit both the institution and the musicians.” Read a press release here. [Read more…]

By Daniel Hathaway

HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND:

On Saturday, a 3pm Baldwin Wallace Faculty Recital features J.R. Fralick, tenor, Christine Fuoco, piano, and Khari Joyner, cello, a 4pm Stars in the Classics classical cabaret at Praxis Fiber Gallery includes dance and the first performance of a work inspired by memories of Euclid Beach Park, and a 7:30 performance by Les Délices and Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble in Kulas Hall at CIM repeats Friday’s program, “The Pow’r of Music.”

On Sunday, The Cleveland Orchestra repeats its season opener at 3pm with Franz Welser-Möst on the podium and Daniil Trifonov at the Steinway (pictured — read our review on Cleveland.com here), new music director Kevin Jones plays a 4pm organ recital at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights, and at 6pm, CIM celebrates the life and compositions of its celebrated alumna Dolores White.

Check our Concert Listings for details of these and forthcoming events.

WEEKEND ALMANAC:

SEPTEMBER 30

Today marks the anniversaries of the birth of Irish composer and organist Charles Villiers Stanford (1852) and Russian violinist David Oistrakh (1908), and the death of American composer and music critic Virgil Thomson (1989). [Read more…]