by David Kulma
Cleveland Orchestra principal cellist Mark Kosower and his regular collaborator, pianist Jee-Won Oh, inaugurated both the 50th year of the Kent Blossom Music Festival and the newly-laid stage floor of Kent State University’s Ludwig Hall on Tuesday, July 3. This marvelously-played faculty concert featured four B’s: sonatas by Frank Bridge and Samuel Barber bookended by Beethoven at his silliest and solo Bach at his most eloquent. [Read more…]
by Alice Koeninger
As you may remember, two summers ago The Cleveland Orchestra helped to celebrate the centennial of the National Parks Service at the Blossom Music Center. Now it is time for Blossom to celebrate its own milestone: its 50th anniversary.
At Blossom’s conception, The Cleveland Orchestra was the only “Big Five” orchestra in the country that did not offer full-time positions to its musicians, mainly due to the fact that it did not have a summer home. In 1965, it became musical director George Szell’s mission to build such a residence, and the Musical Arts Association was finally listening.
Soon, Frank E. Joseph, Szell’s friend and board president, along with Beverly Barksdale, the Orchestra’s general manager, began looking at possible sites for that outdoor venue.
by Daniel Hathaway
With less than two weeks to go before students in the 50th Kent/Blossom Music Festival descend on the Kent State University campus for five weeks of rehearsals, master classes, and coachings, festival director Ricardo Sepulveda is close to solving the annual puzzle of scheduling daily activities for 43 students and 30 faculty members — mostly from The Cleveland Orchestra. “It keeps me up at night,” he said in a recent telephone conversation.
This summer’s students (16 of whom are international, hailing from Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Japan, and Colombia) will arrive on July 1 and begin their experience with a dinner for participants, faculty, donors, and host families who will house eight of the students. “Rehearsals, coachings, and lessons start right up the next day,” Sepulveda said.
Recruitment began in mid-winter. “I changed the process a bit, shortening it to end before the first of March. Instead of print, we did online promotion using the Violin Channel and Facebook, which allows us to reach people faster,” he said, noting that the Festival is now old enough that it’s fun to see students of former students applying. Once they settle in at Kent, there are busy days ahead. [Read more…]
by Daniel Hathaway
The fifth and final faculty concert of the 2017 Kent/Blossom Music Festival in Kent’s Ludwig Concert Hall on Wednesday evening, July 26, contrasted bracing 20th century music for wind duo with a heartwarming Romantic cello sonata. Oboist Frank Rosenwein, bassoonist Barrick Stees, and cellist Richard Weiss stepped out of their normal roles in The Cleveland Orchestra for the occasion, joined by KSU professor Jerry Wong, who contributed refreshingly varied mini-sonatas for solo piano. [Read more…]
by Samantha Spaccasi
Kent/Blossom Music Festi
val upheld its reputation of presenting world-class musicians in Northeast Ohio on July 12. For the third faculty concert in the series, cellist Mark Kosower and pianist Jee-Won Oh performed a wonderful evening of works by Russian composers. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
Clarinetist Daniel McKelway is an admitted fan of the great masterworks for his instrument. On his soon-to-be-released CD on the Louisville, Kentucky-based sonaBLAST Records, he is joined by soprano Amelia Baisley, pianist Hyunsoon Whang, and TCO violist Lembi Veskimets in performances of Mozart’s Trio in E-flat, K. 498, “Kegelstatt,” and Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (“Shepherd on the Rock”). [Read more…]
by Samantha Spaccasi
The audience at Ludwig Recital Hall received a treat on July 5 when pianist Spencer Myer and the Miami String Quartet deftly performed an enjoyable program for the second faculty recital of the Kent/Blossom Music Festival. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
There are many reasons to admire violinist Jennifer Koh. She possesses virtuosic technique, an impressive bow-arm, impeccable intonation, a tonal palette worthy of a master-painter, and she has an astute understanding of complex musical structures. Above all, her musical decisions are always intelligent and thoughtful. These attributes were on display when the dynamic violinist performed a recital on Wednesday, June 28 in Ludwig Hall as part of the Kent Blossom Music Festival.
by Mike Telin
Violinist Jennifer Koh is fascinating. Born in Chicago of Korean parents, she made her debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 11. In 1994, while she was pursuing a degree in English Literature at Oberlin, she won the International Tchaikovsky Competition.
After furthering her musical studies at Curtis, the violinist began carving a career path that has led to collaborations with artists from many disciplines, and creating projects that bridges music from all eras — traditional to contemporary. She has also premiered more than 60 works written especially for her.
This week Jennifer Koh will return to Northeast Ohio as this year’s Kent Blossom Music Festival Kulas Guest Artist. On Wednesday, June 28, at 7:30 pm in Ludwig Recital Hall, Koh will perform a solo violin recital featuring J.S. Bach’s Sonata No. 2 in a, BWV 1003 and the Partita No. 2 in d, BWV 1004. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
Beginning next week, 43 young classical musicians from around the globe will gather on the campus of Kent State University to begin five weeks of intensive chamber music study with members of The Cleveland Orchestra as well as other renowned artists in the field. Alumni of the Kent/Blossom Music Festival, founded in 1968 by George Szell and Louis Lane, have gone on to hold positions in many of the world’s major orchestras and ensembles.
“This summer we have twelve international students, as well as participants from Juilliard, Rice, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Oberlin, the University of Akron, Northwestern, and Kent State as well as others,” KBMF Director Ricardo Sepulveda, who was appointed to his position in late March, said during a recent telephone conversation. “It’s exciting, and I look forward to this season. This Festival is close to my heart, and I’m excited and honored to be leading it.” [Read more…]