The Cleveland Orchestra November 21-23 Concerts

Tchaikovsky

& Sibelius

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2024/2025 SEASON

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Introduction

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THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM

Tchaikovsky & Sibelius

Santtu-Matias Rouvali, conductor

Overture to Maskarade (page 8) by Carl Nielsen

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (page 11) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Stefan Jackiw, violin

Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 (page 14) by Jean Sibelius

Conductor & Artist Biographies (page 21)

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TCO SPOTLIGHT

Feature articles & musician interviews

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IN THE NEWS

Noteworthy happenings at The Cleveland Orchestra

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SNAPSHOTS

Photo highlights from recent Cleveland Orchestra events

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THANK YOU

The community of supporters who bring the music to life

“THE RUSSIAN COMPOSER Tchaikovsky is surely not an ordinary talent, but rather an inflated one, with a genius-obsession without discrimination or taste.” So opens the review the influential critic Eduard Hanslick wrote after the Vienna premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in December 1881. Though tinged with more than a hint of passive-aggressiveness, Hanslick quickly let his true feelings of Tchaikovsky’s work be known. The rest of the review — which is worth quoting at length — reads as follows:

Such is also his latest, long and pretentious Violin Concerto. For a while it moves soberly, musically, and not without spirit. But soon vulgarity gains the upper hand, and asserts itself to the end of the first movement. The violin is no longer played; it is pulled, torn, drubbed. The Adagio is again on its best behavior, to pacify and to win us. But it soon breaks off to make way for a finale that transfers us to a brutal and wretched jollity of a Russian holiday. We see plainly the savage vulgar faces, we hear curses, we smell vodka. Friedrich Vischer once observed, speaking of obscene pictures, that they stink to the eye. Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto gives us for the first time the hideous notion that there can be music that stinks to the ear.

Tchaikovsky would ultimately have the last laugh, as his Violin Concerto has gone on to become one of the most performed and beloved of all instrumental concertos, a spectacular vehicle for violinists everywhere (including tonight’s soloist, Stefan Jackiw).

This weekend’s concerts — led by guest conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali (above) in his Cleveland Orchestra debut — feature two other works that, as luck would have it for their composers, were met with immediate acceptance from the general public.

Jean Sibelius was hailed as a major musical figure upon the premiere of his First Symphony in 1899. Perhaps even more remarkable is that, from its stark opening bars, the work reveals the voice of an already mature composer, who would soon go on to help redefine the symphony for the 20th century.

Danish composer Carl Nielsen would also pen a series of groundbreaking symphonies during his career. Opening this concert, though, is the light and frothy overture to his 1906 opera Maskarade, a work that remains an enduring favorite in his home country.  — Kevin McBrien

orchestrating innovations.

Cleveland has always embraced new ideas. Organizations like Sherwin-Williams, Cleveland Clinic, Lubrizol, NASA’s Glenn Research Center, and many more are inventing the future here.

THE MUSIC

Tchaikovsky & Sibelius

Thursday, November 21, at 7:30 PM

Friday, November 22, at 7:30 PM

Saturday, November 23, at 8 PM

Santtu-Matias Rouvali, conductor

Carl Nielsen (1865–1931)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

Concert Preview featuring a conversation with violinist Stefan Jackiw Reinberger Chamber Hall one hour prior to performance

Jean Sibelius (1865–1957)

Overture to Maskarade 5 minutes

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 35 minutes

I. Allegro moderato

II. Canzonetta: Andante —

III. Finale: Allegro vivacissimo

Stefan Jackiw, violin

INTERMISSION 20 minutes

Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 40 minutes

I. Andante, ma non troppo — Allegro energico

II. Andante, ma non troppo lento

III. Scherzo: Allegro —  Lento (ma non troppo) — Tempo I

IV. Finale (Quasi una Fantasia): Andante — Allegro molto

Total approximate running time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Thank you for silencing your electronic devices.

The works originally scheduled for this program — Prokofiev’s Seventh Symphony and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, featuring tenor Limmie Pulliam and baritone Iurii Samoilov — will now be performed in the 2025–26 season. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to sharing these performances with you soon.

Overture to Maskarade

by Carl Nielsen

BORN : June 9, 1865, in Sortelung, Denmark

DIED : October 3, 1931, in Copenhagen

▶ COMPOSED: 1906

▶ WORLD PREMIERE: November 11, 1906, with the composer conducting

▶ CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA PREMIERE : November 25, 1966, led by Max Rudolf

▶ ORCHESTRATION : 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (bass drum, cymbals), and strings

▶ DURATION : about 5 minutes

CARL NIELSEN ’S HIGHLY PERSONAL amalgam of traditional and modern styles is evident in his comic opera Maskarade, which is a perennial hit in Denmark, though scarcely known to the rest of the world. It is a supremely funny and entertaining work, based on a classic of Scandinavian literature, Ludvig Holberg’s 1724 comedy of the same name. (Holberg, claimed by both Danes and Norwegians as a major literary figure, was memorialized by Grieg in his popular Holberg Suite.)

The plot of the opera has been aptly summarized by Steven Ledbetter, former program annotator of the Boston Symphony Orchestra: Two fathers have arranged for the son of one to marry the daughter of the other. But their children (who have never set eyes on each other) have other plans. Both of them have been out celebrating the

carnival season in the required costume and mask, and both have fallen in love with a stranger. The two fathers are distressed; the two young people are steadfast in their determination not to bow to the parental will. Of course, as the audience will have guessed from the first scene, they have actually managed to fall in love with the mates proposed by their parents, though it takes a good deal of confusion and much-mistaken identity on the part of the maskers to bring about this resolution.

In addition to mistaken identities, the masquerade obliterates all social differences: one doesn’t know who is a nobleman and who is a servant. And — even more importantly for an opera — the masquerade allows for lots of song and dance, which is what the overture evokes. The melodies are simple and catchy, though they are worked out with a great deal of sophisti-

cation, with busy contrapuntal activity and extremely colorful orchestral writing. One may distinguish three sections: the overture opens and closes with a theme announcing the masquerade (it also is

used later in the opera); in between, the dancers take center stage, their performance starting out tender and lyrical and becoming furioso towards the end.    — Peter Laki

is a musicologist and frequent lecturer on classical music. He is a visiting associate professor of music at Bard College.

Peter Laki

Carl Nielsen (photographed here in 1908) achieved fame for a distinctive body of work that merged modern and folk styles.

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

BORN : May 7, 1840, in Votkinsk, Russia

DIED : November 6, 1893, in St. Petersburg

▶ COMPOSED: 1878

▶ WORLD PREMIERE: December 4, 1881, with Adolph Brodsky as soloist and Hans Richter conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

▶ CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA PREMIERE: February 13, 1921, at the New York Hippodrome, conducted by Music Director Nikolai Sokoloff and featuring soloist Mishel Piastro

▶ ORCHESTRATION: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings, plus solo violin

▶ DURATION: about 35 minutes

THERE IS CERTAINLY NO SHORTAGE of great masterpieces that met with negative criticism at their premiere, but few have fared worse than Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. This may sound surprising, since this work — now one of the most popular of all concertos — is devoid of the revolutionary spirit of Stravinsky’s riot-inciting The Rite of Spring, Wagner’s enraging Ring of the Nibelung operas, or Beethoven’s unprecedented Third Symphony, to name just three works that generated heated controversies at their unveilings. Yet, at the time of its premiere, Tchaikovsky’s work clashed with the expectations of people who had strong

opinions about what a violin concerto ought to be.

The great violinist and teacher Leopold Auer, for whom Tchaikovsky had written the concerto, rejected it. And the Viennese critic Eduard Hanslick, a friend of Brahms and a fierce opponent of Wagner, uttered the immortal phrase after the 1881 premiere that the concerto “stank to the ear.” The harshness and vulgarity of these opinions could not help but exacerbate Tchaikovsky’s depressive tendencies, which were rarely far from the surface. The composer never forgot Hanslick’s caustic remarks. Why such unusually strong resistance to a work that did not attempt to challenge the existing world order but simply aspired to be a brilliant and beautiful violin concerto?

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky helped usher the Russian classical tradition into the 20th century, paving the way for later figures such as Stravinsky and Shostakovich

In Hanslick’s case, the answer may lie in the critic’s inability to accept symphonic music outside of Germanic traditions. The first great violin concerto to come from Russia, Tchaikovsky’s work struck a chord that was disconcertingly foreign in Vienna. (While Hanslick thought of Tchaikovsky as a Russian barbarian, ironically in Russia, the composer was considered a “Westernizer” whose music was not as truly Russian as that exemplified by the work of the group of composers known as the “Mighty Five.”)

Heifetz, and Efrem Zimbalist.

Symphony No. 6 in E-flat minor, Op. 111

By Sergei Prokofiev

BORN : April 23, 1891, in what is now Sontsivka, Ukraine

DIED : March 5, 1953, Moscow

▶ COMPOSED: 1944–47

Tchaikovsky wrote his Violin Concerto in the spring of 1878. In order to recover from the recent trauma of his ill-fated and short-lived marriage to Antonina Milyukova, the composer retreated to the Swiss village of Clarens, on the shores of Lake Geneva, accompanied by his brother Modest and a 22-year-old violinist named Yosif Kotek, who assisted him in matters of violin technique.

The composition progressed so effortlessly that the whole concerto was written in only three weeks, with an

▶ WORLD PREMIERE: October 10, 1947, with Yevgeny Mravinsky leading the Leningrad Philharmonic

▶ CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA PREMIERE: March 17, 1977, led by guest conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky

Lyrical and dramatic, robustly folklike and tenderly sentimental

moments follow one another without the slightest incongruity, just as a variety of elements had in [Tchaikovsky’s] First Piano Concerto, written three years earlier.

▶ ORCHESTRATION: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (snare drum, bass drum, woodblock, tam-tam, tambourine, cymbals, triangle), piano, celesta, harp, and strings

▶ DURATION: about 45 minutes

As for Auer, the novel technical demands of the piece may have seemed out of place to him. He was later quoted as feeling that certain passages were “not in keeping with the demeanor of the violin,” as he knew the instrument. To his credit, once others introduced the concerto, Auer became a great advocate for it — although, he modified passages to conform to his view of how they should have been written. As one of the great violin teachers of his era, Auer taught the work to many of his star pupils, including Mischa Elman, Jascha

ON JANUARY 13, 1945 , Sergei Prokofiev conducted the first performance of his Fifth Symphony in Moscow. The new work was well received and continues to be popular today, rivaled in frequency in the concert hall only by his First Symphony, which he had named the Classical Symphony.

Composed during World War II, the Fifth might also be termed “classical” in its conventional form and in its abstract, non-storytelling qualities. It was and is, many people argue, what a symphony ought to be — the exploration of purely musical elements and their combination and relationships. In a sense, such pure

extra week taken up by the orchestration. During this time, Tchaikovsky wrote not only the three concerto movements that we know, but a fourth one as well. The initial second movement, Méditation, was rejected at an early run-through and replaced with the present Canzonetta, written in a single day. Due to Auer’s initial unfavorable reaction, it took three years for a violinist to agree to perform the work. The premiere fell to Adolph Brodsky, a 30-year-old Russian-born virtuoso living in Vienna, about to make his Vienna Philharmonic debut.

music could even be said to provide escapism in times of trouble. The Romantic age of the 19th has taught us, however, that a does not have to be confined to musical argument. It can also to human experience and directly reference our feelings and experiences. Beethoven’s Fifth is surely about something, even if no one can certain what that something is of its musical journey from darkness to triumph.

Shortly after composing his Sixth Symphony, Sergei Prokofiev was singled out by Soviet for writing “formalist” music.

One of the things that makes this concerto so great is the ease with which Tchaikovsky moves from one mood to the next. Lyrical and dramatic, robustly folklike and tenderly sentimental moments follow one another without the slightest incongruity, just as a variety of elements had in the First Piano

Concerto, written three years earlier. Another remarkable feature is the combination of virtuosity with emotional depth. Although the technical difficulties of the solo part are tremendous, every note exudes a poignancy beyond virtuosic fireworks. All in all, it is one of the greatest violin concertos ever written, and no critic after Hanslick has ever challenged its status again or smelled anything unpleasant in the work!

— Peter Laki

This charming statue of Tchaikovsky can be found in Klin, Russia, close to the house where the composer lived from 1892 until his death in 1893.

Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39

by Jean Sibelius

BORN : December 8, 1865, in Hämeenlinna, Finland

DIED : September 20, 1957, in Järvenpää, Finland

▶ COMPOSED: 1898–99

▶ WORLD PREMIERE : April 26, 1899, with the composer conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic

▶ CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA PREMIERE : January 6, 1921, led by Music Director Nikolai Sokoloff

▶ ORCHESTRATION : 2 flutes (both doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (bass drum, cymbals, triangle), harp, and strings

▶ DURATION : about 40 minutes

MANY OF US THINK OF Jean Sibelius primarily as a symphonist, yet he did not embark on his First Symphony until he was well into his thirties. Like Richard Strauss, who was only a year older, he had dabbled unsuccessfully in opera but was best known for a series of tone poems — in Sibelius’s case, tone poems with Finnish subjects. Strauss soon renewed his efforts in opera, to great success. Sibelius, instead, built a solid and lasting achievement in his seven symphonies, the last dating from 1924. We could equally compare Sibelius to Beethoven, who also waited until he was 30 before producing the first of his immortal nine symphonies.

Sibelius first studied law in Helsinki before shifting to music, taking courses in Berlin and Vienna. His home country,

Finland, was aflame with patriotic sentiment in reaction to Russia’s repressive control, so in response, his early orchestral works were based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. His stirring overture Finlandia brought him wide support and celebrity.

Sibelius knew, however, that a reputation beyond the borders of his country would depend on music with a broader international appeal. He had always shown a capacity for thinking on a large scale, and this suggested that the symphony might be the sphere in which he would excel.

Jean Sibelius sparked a sense of national pride with his early works, which evoked Finnish legends and folktales, before moving on to composing symphonies.

But Sibelius was at first thinking not so much in terms of Beethoven’s symphonies as those of Borodin, Tchaikovsky, and Bruckner, whose works impressed him deeply. During a stay in Berlin in 1898, he also heard Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and noted in his sketchbook: “O holy inspiration! O holy goddess!”

Sibelius began work on his First Symphony soon after. The work was completed in 1899, and with it came international renown. Sibelius was invited to conduct his music in Stockholm, Paris, Heidelberg, and Berlin. He acquired a publisher in Leipzig (German publishers were then

down European prejudices about composers from remote parts.

For the first half of the 20th century, Sibelius’s reputation in Britain and the United States was at the level where Mahler’s is now — his creations were deemed the pinnacle of the modern symphony. The English critic Cecil Gray roundly declared Sibelius to be “the greatest master of the symphony since the death of Beethoven.” His more measured colleague Ernest Newman said of the First Symphony: “The impression it makes is that here we have a man really saying things that have never been said in music before. Every page of it breathes of another manner of thought,

The impression [Sibelius’s symphony] makes is that here we have a man really saying things that have never been said in music before. Every page of it breathes of another manner of thought, another way of living, even another landscape and seascape than ours.

— Ernest Newman

considered the most prestigious) and met Dvořák in Prague. All of this pushed his acclaim at home to such a level that he was awarded a Finnish state pension for life and was able to resign from his teaching post at Helsinki University.

There were to be dark times ahead, when poor health, money problems, too much drinking, and anxiety about his standing in contemporary music dogged him, but for the first few years of the 20th century, Sibelius was riding high. For a period of years, he produced important works regularly, breaking

another way of living, even another landscape and seascape than ours.”

For many today, the First Symphony will most readily be compared to the last two from Tchaikovsky. Like Tchaikovsky’s Fifth, it is in the key of E minor and the opening movement begins with an important theme laid out by the clarinet. It also concludes with a grandioso reprise of the Finale’s second theme. Some of Bruckner’s breadth will be observed too, as Sibelius presents long, unhurried “paragraphs” of music, scored without fussiness.

The clarinet’s theme is not heard again until the last movement, but it supplies hints of some of the themes to come. It is immediately followed by the opening movement’s Allegro section, in which a succession of distinct themes are heard, one of them using the stirring scoring of violins and cellos in octaves. The first climax is reached by Tchaikovsky’s method of pushing the top notes ever higher and the bottom notes ever lower.

One telling characteristic of Sibelius’s writing is his habit of allowing the music to change tempo, sometimes almost unnoticed, speeding up over a long repetitive passage and then either arriving at a new faster tempo or reverting to the earlier slower tempo. Over these mild disturbances, the first movement leaves an impression of powerful organic growth all the way to the final thunder on the timpani.

The second movement has the flavor of a lament, which eventually begins to grow in strength and speed. The pace at length reaches double the original tempo, allowing the original theme to return underneath the scurrying texture and bring back the sense of calm and serenity with which it started. This is an example of Sibelius’s craft at its best.

The timpani suggests the theme of the speedy Scherzo third movement, which involves some clever dialogue between winds and strings. The movement’s Trio

section is a little slower, echoing material from the previous two movements. It is a full-blooded reprise of the clarinet’s original theme that opens the Finale fourth movement, which is accompanied by the Beethovenian expressive marking Quasi una Fantasia (In the style of a fantasia). Now on full strings, this gives way almost at once to a section in Allegro tempo, with a restless first theme and broad second theme laid out by all the violins in their lowest register, destined to become a grand statement that will bring this symphony to an equally grand conclusion. — Hugh Macdonald

Hugh Macdonald is Avis H. Blewett Professor Emeritus of Music at Washington University in St. Louis. He has written books on Beethoven, Berlioz, Bizet, and Scriabin, as well as Music in 1853: The Biography of a Year

Jean Sibelius sitting on the grounds of his beloved home, Ainola (named after his wife Aino), in 1939. By this time, he had retired from composition, even though he would live another 18 years before his death in 1957.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Opera by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels

Featuring Limmie Pulliam in the title role.

Two free and live-streamed concert performances of the award-winning opera. Performances are free, reservation required.

Friday, December 6 | 7:30 p.m.

Finney Chapel, Oberlin

Sunday, December 8 | 7:00 p.m.

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Seckou Keita, Kora

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Saturday, December 7 | 7:30 p.m Finney Chapel

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Santtu-Matias Rouvali

THE 2024–25 SEASON is Santtu-Matias Rouvali’s final as chief conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra following a successful eight-year tenure. He continues as principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra and honorary conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra.

Throughout this season and last, he continues his relationships with toplevel orchestras and soloists across Europe, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, TonhalleOrchester Zürich, and returns to North America for concerts with New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. This season, he also makes his debut with The Cleveland Orchestra.

Continuing their strong touring tradition, Rouvali and the Philharmonia Orchestra toured Finland and Estonia in fall 2024 and will be joined by Javier Perianes for a tour of Spain in spring 2025. In January 2025, they embark on an extensive tour to Japan, with concerts in cities including Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka.

The end of Rouvali’s tenure with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is marked by a tour to Germany and the Czech Republic, followed by a celebration concert in Gothenburg. He completes his Sibelius symphony cycle recording with Alpha Classics, the previous releases of

which have been highly acclaimed with awards, including the Gramophone Editor’s Choice Award, the Choc de Classica, a prize from the German Record Critics, the prestigious Diapason d’Or, and Radio Classique’s Trophée.

Philharmonia Records’ first release — the double album Santtu Conducts Strauss — was released in March 2023 following recent releases of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony. Santtu Conducts Mahler —  the second album from Philharmonia Records, featuring Mahler’s Second Symphony — was released in September 2023 followed by Santtu Conducts Stravinsky on the same label in March 2024.

Another prominent album — featuring Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with Benjamin Grosvenor, Nicola Benedetti, and Sheku Kanneh-Mason — was released on Decca in May 2024.

Stefan Jackiw, Violin

STEFAN JACKIW IS ONE OF America’s foremost violinists, captivating audiences with playing that combines poetry and purity with impeccable technique. Hailed for playing of “uncommon musical substance” that is “striking for its intelligence and sensitivity” (Boston Globe), Jackiw has appeared as a soloist with the orchestras of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, among others.

Jackiw’s 2024–25 season is studded with performances in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He will join the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland under Hans Graf’s baton, perform Sibelius’s Violin Concerto with the Erie Philharmonic and Jacksonville Symphony, join the Pasadena Symphony for Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto, and appear with The Florida Orchestra in Korngold’s Violin Concerto. Jackiw will also hold residence at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in winter 2025, where he will lead performances and masterclasses.

Jackiw tours frequently with his musical partners, pianist Conrad Tao and cellist Jay Campbell, as part of the Junction Trio. He also enjoys collaborating with pianist Jeremy Denk, with whom he has toured the complete Ives violin sonatas, a recording of which was released on Nonesuch Records in October. In 2019, he recorded Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with Inon Barnatan, Alisa Weilerstein, Alan Gilbert, and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

Jackiw has performed in numerous major festivals and concert halls around the world, including the Aspen Music Festival and School, Ravinia Festival, Caramoor International Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Celebrity Series of Boston, and Washington Performing Arts Society.

Born to physicist parents of Korean and Ukrainian descent, Jackiw began playing the violin at age 4. His teachers have included Zinaida Gilels, Michèle Auclair, and Donald Weilerstein. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University, as well as an artist diploma from the New England Conservatory, and is the recipient of a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. Jackiw plays a violin made in 1705 by Vincenzo Ruggieri. He lives in New York City.

NOW FIRMLY IN ITS SECOND CENTURY , The Cleveland Orchestra, under the leadership of Franz Welser-Möst since 2002, is one of the most sought-after performing ensembles in the world. Year after year, the ensemble exemplifies extraordinary artistic excellence, creative programming, and community engagement. In recent years, The New York Times has called Cleveland “the best in America” for its virtuosity, elegance of sound, variety of color, and chamber-like musical cohesion.

Founded by Adella Prentiss Hughes, the Orchestra performed its inaugural concert in December 1918. By the middle of the century, decades of growth and sustained support had turned the ensemble into one of the most admired around the world.

The past decade has seen an increasing number of young people attending concerts, bringing fresh attention to The Cleveland Orchestra’s legendary sound and committed programming. More recently, the Orchestra launched several bold digital projects, including the streaming platform Adella.live and its own recording label. Together, they have captured the Orchestra’s unique artistry and the musical achievements of the Welser-Möst and Cleveland Orchestra partnership.

The 2024 – 25 season marks Franz Welser-Möst’s 23rd year as Music Director, a period in which The Cleveland

Orchestra has earned unprecedented acclaim around the world, including a series of residencies at the Musikverein in Vienna, the first of its kind by an American orchestra, and a number of celebrated opera presentations.

Since 1918, seven music directors —  Nikolai Sokoloff, Artur Rodziński, Erich Leinsdorf, George Szell, Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Franz Welser-Möst — have guided and shaped the ensemble’s growth and sound. Through concerts at home and on tour, broadcasts, and a catalog of acclaimed recordings, The Cleveland Orchestra is heard today by a growing group of fans around the world.

Franz Welser-Möst, Music Director

KELVIN SMITH FAMILY CHAIR

FIRST VIOLINS

Liyuan Xie

FIRST ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

Virginia M. Lindseth, PhD, Chair

Jung-Min Amy Lee

ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

Gretchen D. and Ward Smith Chair

Stephen Tavani

ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Dr. Ronald H. Krasney Chair

Wei-Fang Gu

Drs. Paul M. and Renate H. Duchesneau Chair

Kim Gomez

Elizabeth and Leslie

Kondorossy Chair

Chul-In Park

Harriet T. and David L. Simon Chair

Miho Hashizume

Theodore Rautenberg Chair

Jeanne Preucil Rose

Larry J.B. and Barbara S.

Robinson Chair

Alicia Koelz

Oswald and Phyllis Lerner

Gilroy Chair

Yu Yuan

Patty and John Collinson Chair

Isabel Trautwein

Trevor and Jennie Jones Chair

Katherine Bormann

Analise Handke

Gladys B. Goetz Chair

Zhan Shu

Youngji Kim

Genevieve Smelser

SECOND VIOLINS

Stephen Rose*

Alfred M. and Clara T. Rankin Chair

Jason Yu2

James and Donna Reid Chair

Eli Matthews1

Patricia M. Kozerefski and Richard J. Bogomolny Chair

Sonja Braaten Molloy

Carolyn Gadiel Warner

Elayna Duitman

Ioana Missits

Jeffrey Zehngut^

Sae Shiragami

Kathleen Collins

Beth Woodside

Emma Shook

Dr. Jeanette Grasselli Brown and Dr. Glenn R. Brown Chair

Yun-Ting Lee

Jiah Chung Chapdelaine

Gawon Kim

VIOLAS

Wesley Collins*

Chaillé H. and Richard B.

Tullis Chair

Stanley Konopka2

Mark Jackobs

Jean Wall Bennett Chair

Lisa Boyko

Richard and Nancy Sneed Chair

Richard Waugh

Lembi Veskimets

The Morgan Sisters Chair

Eliesha Nelson^

Anthony and Diane Wynshaw-Boris Chair

Joanna Patterson Zakany

William Bender

Thomas Lauria and Christopher Lauria Chair

Gareth Zehngut^

CELLOS

Mark Kosower*

Louis D. Beaumont Chair

Richard Weiss1

The GAR Foundation Chair

Charles Bernard2

Helen Weil Ross Chair

Bryan Dumm

Muriel and Noah Butkin Chair

Tanya Ell

Thomas J. and Judith Fay

Gruber Chair

Ralph Curry

Brian Thornton

William P. Blair III Chair

David Alan Harrell

Martha Baldwin

Dane Johansen

Paul Kushious

BASSES

Maximilian Dimoff*

Clarence T. Reinberger Chair

Derek Zadinsky2

Charles Paul1

Mary E. and F. Joseph Callahan Chair

Mark Atherton

Thomas Sperl

Henry Peyrebrune

Charles Barr Memorial Chair

Charles Carleton

Scott Dixon

HARP

Trina Struble*

Alice Chalifoux Chair

FLUTES

Joshua Smith*

Elizabeth M. and William C.

Treuhaft Chair

Saeran St. Christopher

Jessica Sindell2^

Austin B. and Ellen W. Chinn Chair

Mary Kay Fink

PICCOLO

Mary Kay Fink

Anne M. and M. Roger Clapp Chair

OBOES

Frank Rosenwein*

Edith S. Taplin Chair

Corbin Stair

Sharon and Yoash Wiener Chair

Jeffrey Rathbun2

Everett D. and Eugenia S.

McCurdy Chair

Robert Walters

ENGLISH HORN

Robert Walters

Samuel C. and Bernette K.

Jaffe Chair

CLARINETS

Afendi Yusuf*

Robert Marcellus Chair

Robert Woolfrey

Victoire G. and Alfred M. Rankin, Jr. Chair

Daniel McKelway2

Robert R. and Vilma L. Kohn Chair

Amy Zoloto

E-FLAT CLARINET

Daniel McKelway

Stanley L. and Eloise M. Morgan Chair

BASS CLARINET

Amy Zoloto

Myrna and James Spira Chair

BASSOONS

John Clouser*

Louise Harkness Ingalls Chair

Gareth Thomas

Jonathan Sherwin

CONTRABASSOON

Jonathan Sherwin

HORNS

Nathaniel Silberschlag*

George Szell Memorial Chair

Michael Mayhew§

Knight Foundation Chair

Jesse McCormick

Robert B. Benyo Chair

Hans Clebsch

Richard King

Meghan Guegold Hege^

TRUMPETS

Michael Sachs*

Robert and Eunice Podis

Weiskopf Chair

Jack Sutte

Lyle Steelman2^

James P. and Dolores D. Storer Chair

Michael Miller

CORNETS

Michael Sachs*

Mary Elizabeth and G. Robert Klein Chair

Michael Miller

TROMBONES

Brian Wendel*

Gilbert W. and Louise I. Humphrey Chair

Richard Stout

Alexander and Marianna C. McAfee Chair

Shachar Israel2

BASS TROMBONE

Luke Sieve

EUPHONIUM & BASS TRUMPET

Richard Stout

TUBA

Yasuhito Sugiyama*

Nathalie C. Spence and Nathalie S. Boswell Chair

TIMPANI vacant

PERCUSSION

Marc Damoulakis*

Margaret Allen Ireland Chair

Thomas Sherwood

Tanner Tanyeri

KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS

Carolyn Gadiel Warner

Marjory and Marc L. Swartzbaugh Chair

LIBRARIANS

Michael Ferraguto

Joe and Marlene Toot Chair

Donald Miller

Gabrielle Petek

ENDOWED CHAIRS CURRENTLY UNOCCUPIED

Elizabeth Ring and William Gwinn Mather Chair

Blossom-Lee Chair

Clara G. and George P. Bickford Chair

Sandra L. Haslinger Chair

Paul and Lucille Jones Chair

Charles M. and Janet G. Kimball Chair

Sunshine Chair

Otto G. and Corinne T. Voss Chair

Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Smucker Chair

Rudolf Serkin Chair

CONDUCTORS

Christoph von Dohnányi

MUSIC DIRECTOR LAUREATE

Daniel Reith

ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR

Sidney and Doris Dworkin Chair

Lisa Wong

DIRECTOR OF CHORUSES

Frances P. and Chester C. Bolton Chair

* Principal

§ Associate Principal

1 First Assistant Principal

2 Assistant Principal

^ Alum of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra

This roster lists full-time members of The Cleveland Orchestra. The number and seating of musicians onstage varies depending on the piece being performed. Seating within the string sections rotates on a periodic basis.

FALL

NOV 29–DEC 1

RHAPSODY IN BLUE

David Robertson, conductor

Marc-André Hamelin, piano

COPLAND Suite from Appalachian Spring

GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue

ELLINGTON New World A-Comin’

COPLAND Suite from The Tender Land

RECITAL

DEC 4

GERSTEIN IN RECITAL

Kirill Gerstein, piano

Works by R. Schumann, Francisco Coll, Ravel, and Liszt

DEC 5–7

AX PLAYS MOZART

Pablo Heras-Casado, conductor

Emanuel Ax, piano

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 10

WINTER

JAN 9, 11 & 12

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

Stéphane Denève, conductor

Steven Banks, saxophone

MILHAUD La création du monde

GUILLAUME CONNESSON A Kind of Trane

POULENC Suite from Les biches

GERSHWIN An American in Paris

JAN 16–18

HAHN PLAYS BRAHMS

Elim Chan, conductor

Hilary Hahn, violin

BRAHMS Violin Concerto

LUTOSŁAWSKI Concerto for Orchestra

FEB 7–9

ALSO SPRACH

ZARATHUSTRA

Thomas Guggeis, conductor

Mark Kosower, cello

R. STRAUSS Also sprach

Zarathustra

DUTILLEUX Tout un monde

lointain...

RAVEL La valse

FEB 13 & 15

BRUCKNER’S SEVENTH

Fabio Luisi, conductor

Tim Mead, countertenor

SILVIA COLASANTI Time’s Cruel Hand

BRUCKNER Symphony No. 7

FEB 20 & 22

ADÈS CONDUCTS ADÈS

Thomas Adès, conductor

Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano

The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus

SIBELIUS The Oceanides

SAARIAHO Oltra Mar

THOMAS ADÈS America: A Prophecy IVES Orchestral Set No. 2

RECITAL

FEB 23

ÓLAFSSON & WANG IN RECITAL

Víkingur Ólafsson, piano

Yuja Wang, piano

Works by Berio, Schubert, Cage, Nancarrow, John Adams, Arvo Pärt, and Rachmaninoff

FEB 27–MAR 1

BEETHOVEN’S EROICA

Alan Gilbert, conductor

Leonidas Kavakos, violin

SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No. 2

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”

MAR 6–9

TCHAIKOVSKY’S FOURTH SYMPHONY

Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

Seong-Jin Cho, piano

RAVEL Rapsodie espagnole

RAVEL Piano Concerto in G major

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4

MAR 13 & 15

HAYDN & STRAUSS

Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

Asmik Grigorian, soprano

HAYDN Symphony No. 52

R. STRAUSS Four Last Songs

JANÁČEK Suite from From the House of the Dead

PUCCINI Final Scene from Suor Angelica

MAR 14

HAYDN & STRAVINSKY

Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

HAYDN Symphony No. 52

STRAVINSKY Pétrouchka

MAR 22 & 23

YUJA WANG PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY

Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

Yuja Wang, piano

TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5

SPRING RECITAL

MAR 27

ANDSNES IN RECITAL

Leif Ove Andsnes, piano

Works by Grieg, Tveitt, and Chopin

RECITAL

APR 8

IN THE FIDDLER’S HOUSE

Itzhak Perlman, violin

Hankus Netsky, music director, arranger, saxophone, piano

Andy Statman, clarinet, mandolin

Michael Alpert, vocals, violin

Lorin Sklamberg, vocals, accordion

Judy Bressler, vocals, percussion

Frank London, trumpet

Klezmer Conservatory Band

APR 17–19

BACH’S EASTER ORATORIO

Bernard Labadie, conductor

Joélle Harvey, soprano

Adèle Charvet, mezzo-soprano

Andrew Haji, tenor

Gordon Bintner, bass-baritone

The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus

J.S. BACH Easter Oratorio

J.S. BACH Sinfonia from Cantata No. 29

J.S. BACH Magnificat

APR 24–26

MOZART & ELGAR

Kazuki Yamada, conductor

Francesco Piemontesi, piano

MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25

ELGAR Symphony No. 1

RECITAL

MAY 7

KISSIN IN RECITAL

Evgeny Kissin, piano

Works by Beethoven, Chopin, and Shostakovich

MAY 8–10

MOZART’S SYMPHONY NO. 40

Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

MOZART Symphony No. 40

ALLISON LOGGINS-HULL New Work

PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 3 *

* Not performed on the Friday matinee concert

MAY 17, 22 & 25

JANÁČEK’S JENŮFA

Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

Latonia Moore, soprano

Pavol Breslik, tenor

Miles Mykkanen, tenor

Nina Stemme, soprano

The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus

JANÁČEK Jenůfa

Opera presentation sung in Czech with projected supertitles

MAY 23 & 24

VOX HUMANA

Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

Sarah Aristidou, soprano

Tony Sias, narrator

The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus

POULENC La voix humaine

J.S. BACH Concerto from Komm, Jesu, komm

USTVOLSKAYA Symphony No. 5, “Amen”

J.S. BACH Aria from Komm, Jesu, komm

R. STRAUSS Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten

Generous support for the 2024–25 Recital Series provided by the Reyzis Family Foundation

ON VIEW AT SEVERANCE MUSIC CENTER

Standing the Test of Time: Composer-Conductors in Cleveland GREEN ROOM

The Cleveland Orchestra has been inviting composer-conductors to Severance for decades — Maurice Ravel, Béla Bartók (right), and Igor Stravinsky among them. However, when they first came to Cleveland to present their own music, they ventured into “new and uncharted” territory and were met with some resistance from audiences and critics alike. Explore these famous figures and their early appearances with the Orchestra in this special exhibit.

On the Record

THE MAGICBOX outside the Grand Foyer

Explore our latest audio recordings with Music Director Franz Welser-Möst. The MagicBox offers a quick digital look at these releases and includes rehearsal footage from select recording sessions.

Behind the Scenes of Severance Music Center

LERNER GALLERY

Take a photographic journey into the inner workings of Severance Music Center, including where musicians gather before concerts, where tour equipment is stored, and where the air for the organ comes from.

REWIND: 100 Years of Cleveland Orchestra Recordings

THIS YEAR MARKED a special occasion in Cleveland Orchestra history: 100 years since the Orchestra made its first recording in 1924. Since then, the Orchestra has released hundreds of recordings, introducing the iconic “Cleveland Sound” to millions of listeners worldwide. As 2024 comes to a close, we take a brief look back at the Orchestra’s recorded legacy, which encompasses everything from 78s to digital releases.

On January 23, 1924, several dozen Cleveland Orchestra musicians and Music Director Nikolai Sokoloff arrived at the Brunswick Records recording studio in Midtown Manhattan. The night before, the Orchestra had performed a program at Carnegie Hall and were now preparing to inscribe a shortened, 4-minute-15-second-long version of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture onto wax. Sokoloff gives the following account in his unpublished memoir:

... The [recording] horn was set up and the musicians were grouped behind it on tables, risers, packing boxes, books, even two stepladders, in addition to tall stools. After

immense effort, we got the sound balanced —  more or less — and started to record. Three hours of struggle, corrections, errors and retakes later, we finally had a good “take” going for slightly over four minutes and victory was in sight. With ten seconds to go (that was six bars from the end of the piece), a large packing case suddenly collapsed, felling our first trumpeter (unhurt, thank heaven) with a thunderous crash. Thus ended the first recording session of the Cleveland Orchestra!!

Music Director Nikolai Sokoloff and our founder Adella Prentiss Hughes (left) admire The Cleveland Orchestra’s first record in 1924. Since then, the Orchestra has released hundreds of recordings, nine of which appear along the bottom of this feature.

The cartoonish scenario of the first recording session did not deter Sokoloff and the young Orchestra from continuing to explore this new aural medium both in New York and back at Cleveland’s Masonic Auditorium. One of the biggest opportunities came in 1928 when Cleveland became the first orchestra to record Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony. The composer trimmed the symphony especially for the recording project, but

it was an arduous task. As Sokoloff admitted, “Even with the cuts, it took us four hours of almost every morning of a week in New York to record it!”

Though this would be the final recording of the Sokoloff era, his tenure also brought about the construction of Severance Hall in 1931, which came with a radio broadcast studio that could accommodate up to 125 musicians.

In 1933, Music Director Artur Rodziński arrived in Cleveland in the wake of the Great Depression, which

George Szell listens to a recording playback session at Severance, circa 1960.

took its toll on the recording industry, but by 1935, interest began to stir again. Several years later, in 1938, the Orchestra signed a contract with Columbia Records and would go on to record a total of 28 works under Rodziński’s baton, a wideranging collection that includes music by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Weinberg, and Jerome Kern. Notable also is the first recording of Berg’s Violin Concerto with soloist Louis Krasner, who performed the work’s world premiere in 1936.

Rodziński’s recorded legacy in Cleveland stopped short in 1942 when James C. Petrillo, president of the American Federation of Musicians, banned all musicians from participating in recording activities as part of his campaign against “canned” music. The ban would last more than two years.

Erich Leinsdorf was over a year into his tenure as music director when Petrillo lifted his recording ban. However, Leinsdorf recorded relatively little in his three years with the Orchestra — military service and a contractual disagreement with Columbia being the main factors —  but he still managed to capture works by Dvořák, Rimsky-Korsakov, Robert Schumann, and others.

George Szell’s arrival in Cleveland in 1946 opportunely coincided with a golden age for classical recordings. Even when considering another recording stoppage by Petrillo from 1947–48, Szell’s first decade was surprisingly underrepresented on LP; only 14 works were recorded in his first nine seasons at Severance.

This changed in 1954 when the Orchestra signed a contract with Columbia subsidiary, Epic Records. Over the remaining 16 years of Szell’s tenure, the Orchestra would produce definitive recordings of works by Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Haydn, and many others. (Szell and the Orchestra were also the first to record Walton’s Second Symphony and Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber.) Overall, the Szell era produced more than 100 recordings, many of which would serve as a calling card for the Orchestra and win fans across the world.

Following the unexpected death of Szell in the summer of 1970, the appointment of Lorin Maazel as music director ushered in a new opportunity with London-based Decca Records. After recording the complete ballet score of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, the Orchestra signed

a three-year, 13-record contract with Decca, which would include the first in-stereo release of Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess. The recording won the 1976 Grammy for Best Opera Recording.

At the same time, Cleveland-based Advent Records, which would evolve into Telarc, was pioneering a new “direct-to-

Since [2020], the Orchestra has issued 13 recordings of 27 works, including its first digital-only releases.

disc” technology that produced enhanced, high-fidelity recordings. Cleveland embraced this new technology, and its LP of Maazel conducting works by Berlioz, Bizet, Falla, and Tchaikovsky was the first classical direct-to-disc LP when it was released in 1977.

Eight years earlier, in 1969, the French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez was appointed principal guest conductor and would soon begin releasing his own recordings with the Orchestra. The first was a compilation of works by Debussy, which received the Orchestra’s first Gram-

my Award for Best Classical Performance, followed by Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, which received the same award the following year. In all, Boulez won five Grammy Awards with the Orchestra. (Other guest conductors, including Vladimir Ashkenazy and Oliver Knussen, also made notable recordings with the Orchestra.)

Like Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi also had an established relationship with Decca when he arrived in Cleveland, and by his second season as music director, the Orchestra had deals with three companies: the European recording company Teldec, Decca/London, and Telarc. In the early 1990s, Dohnányi embarked on one of the Orchestra’s most ambitious recording projects yet: all four operas of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Due to the project’s complexity and external pressures on the recording industry, only the first two installments, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, were released.

Dohnányi would record 109 works with the Orchestra, including the complete Beethoven symphonies and music by Mahler, Schoenberg, Lutosławski, and John Adams. One of the final recordings of his tenure, featuring works

by Ives and Ruggles, won the Orchestra’s eighth Grammy, this one for Best Orchestral Performance.

Franz Welser-Möst stepped into the role of Cleveland Orchestra music director at an inauspicious time for the recording industry. Turning this challenge into an opportunity, the Orchestra not only pursued audio recordings but also ventured into video recordings. Five of Bruckner’s symphonies were released on video, including two recorded in Austria’s St. Florian Monastery, where the composer was a choirboy and organist, and is now buried.

In 2020, the Orchestra launched its own recording label with the box set

A New Century, featuring Welser-Möst conducting six works spanning three centuries, from Beethoven to commissions from two of the Orchestra’s Daniel R. Lewis Young Composer Fellows:

Johannes Maria Staud and Bernd Richard Deutsch. Since then, the Orchestra has issued 13 recordings of 27 works, including its first digital-only releases. At the same time, the streaming platform Adella.live, also launched in 2020, has offered a fascinating window into the Orchestra through behind-the-scenes features, pre-filmed interviews, and video broadcasts of live performances.

Since 1924, The Cleveland Orchestra has released 833 commercial recordings. With its recent leap into the world of digital and streaming, one can only imagine what the Orchestra’s recordings will look like 100 years from now. But if its track record is any indication, The Cleveland Orchestra will venture into new territory with an innovative mindset and continue to capture musical excellence for future listeners, no matter the medium.

— Amanda Angel and Kevin McBrien, with research by Andria Hoy (Cleveland Orchestra Archivist)

Music Director Franz Welser-Möst leads a distanced ensemble of Cleveland Orchestra string players in an arrangement of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 10 in October 2020, which was recorded and subsequently released on Adella.live.

BY

PHOTO

ROGER MASTROIANNI

A Conversation with Lisa Wong

Director of Choruses

FRANCES P. AND CHESTER C. BOLTON CHAIR

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA CHORUS is a beloved part of the larger Cleveland Orchestra community. Since 1952, this all-volunteer ensemble has provided a robust choral sound for hundreds of concerts at Severance; in the 2024 – 25 season specifically, they appear alongside the Orchestra in six wildly contrasting programs. What does it take to prepare the Chorus for such an ambitious season? We sat down with Director of Choruses Lisa Wong to find out more about her role and the unique challenges and opportunities it presents.

What does a typical Cleveland Orchestra Chorus rehearsal look like?

LISA: We rehearse at Severance most Monday evenings, and it’s terrific to be able to rehearse in the space where we’ll perform. Not only is there a great piano and the hall’s beautiful acoustics, but it’s just inspiring to be in this environment. It’s really helped develop the sound of the group.

The Chorus always knows in advance what we’ll be rehearsing, and we try to give them as many tools as possible to help them prepare at home. Rehearsals can move quickly because we cover a lot of repertoire throughout the season. Even now in the fall, we’re preparing some of what we’ll do in the spring! But I like having multiple projects. Each piece has

its own unique challenges, and I think it’s good to be working on many things at once.

How do you approach preparing a canonic work — like a Bach cantata or Mahler symphony — compared to a newer piece?

LISA: When we work on canonic repertoire, there are usually lots of resources available and it’s interesting to see what other conductors have done. For example, I really admire the Bach Collegium Japan, so in preparing for our all-Bach program [April 17 – 19, 2025], I’ve been using their recordings as a resource for our singers, having them listen to the style and the sound. Even though they’re a very different chorus from us, it can still be informative in so many ways. ▶ ▶ ▶

With newer works, like those we’ll perform by Saariaho and Thomas Adès [February 20 & 22, 2025], there are few — or, in some cases, no — recordings or writings for us to reference. But that can be very freeing in a way, because then you put all your creative input into figuring out what is possible and how we can bring the performance to life. It’s so exciting to perform new music, and I love working on pieces that we’ve never done before.

You’ve collaborated with Music Director Franz Welser-Möst on many different projects with the Chorus. What is his approach to working with singers? Is there a lot of discussion about interpretation or do you tend to align on things?

LISA: There’s actually very little discussion in advance! He’s really open, which is wonderful. But I also think it’s important for us to come into our first rehearsal with Franz with lots of musical

BY

Lisa Wong shares an ovation with conductor Klaus Mäkelä (left) and baritone Thomas Hampson (right) after a high-octane performance of Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus in April 2024.

PHOTO

ROGER MASTROIANNI

ideas. If he likes them, he can take them and go even further. Or if he wants to go in a completely different direction, that’s fine too! He’s worked with many singers throughout his career, so he knows what to ask for and how to ask for it. That’s really, really helpful.

We have lots of people who have careers in music and we also have lots of people who do something else in their professional lives, but the common aspect is that we all love to sing.

What are some of your favorite aspects of working with an allvolunteer ensemble like The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, where members come from all different backgrounds?

LISA: My favorite thing is that everyone is there because they love to sing, and they’ve dedicated a huge portion of their lives to singing. We have somebody, for example, who’s been in the Chorus for 50 seasons! And everyone brings something different. We have lots of people who have careers in music and we also have lots of people who do something else in their professional lives, but the common aspect is that we all love to sing. I find that very inspiring.

The Children’s Choruses are also made up of a robust group of young singers. What is going on in their world right now?

LISA: We always look forward to December because that’s when The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus joins with our Children’s Choruses for the Holiday Concerts [December 11–15 & 20–22]. Some of the performances this year will also feature a chamber ensemble from our Youth Chorus. We’re also really excited that this year, not only are all of our youth and children’s choruses tuition-free — thanks to a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Outcalt — but we’ve opened up our Children’s Preparatory Chorus to fourthgrade students without audition. We’re actually in discussions about how to fit everyone on stage! We have so many kids coming to us. It’s a wonderful predicament to be in!

It definitely is! With all of the music the Chorus is preparing this season, is there one concert you’re particularly looking forward to?

LISA: I love it all! I love both the new repertoire and the classics, but I’m really glad that we’re ending the season with Janáček’s Jenůfa [May 17, 22 & 25, 2025]. Opera, whether it’s staged or a concert performance like this season, brings everything together. There’s beautiful singing, of course, but there’s also language, acting, and a shared sense of community that comes with this art form. It’s very much a culmination of everything we’ve been working on throughout the season.

Nancy McCann Receives 2024 – 25

Distinguished

Service Award

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA is proud to honor Nancy McCann as the 2024 –25 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, recognizing extraordinary service to the Orchestra.

Nancy McCann is president and treasurer of the John P. Murphy Foundation, which sponsors arts and culture in northeast Ohio, and the Kulas Foundation, a leading organization for funding music therapy research. She was instrumental in creating the Kent State Fashion Museum with Jerry Silverman and Shannon Rodgers and led the successful scholarship campaign, Radiance, for Cleveland State University. McCann also developed a successful marketing career with Higbee’s and Forest City Enterprises, where she gained a national reputation for innovative marketing.

With The Cleveland Orchestra, McCann has served on the Board of Trustees since 2001, was Gala Co-chair from 2015 to 2018 and Gala Chair from 2019 to 2022, and is part of the Campaign Cabinet and the Executive Committee. In addition, she conceived the Orchestra’s annual “Star-Spangled Spectacular,” a free community concert held in downtown Cleveland from 1990 to 2019.

“Nancy McCann’s contributions and dedication to The Cleveland Orchestra

Cultural arts activist Nancy McCann, recipient of the 2024 – 25 Distinguished Service Award, at The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2024 Gala in September.

and Greater Cleveland exemplify the spirit of excellence and service, making her a truly deserving recipient of the Distinguished Service Award,” said André Gremillet, The Cleveland Orchestra’s President & CEO. “This award is not just in recognition of her past achievements, but also a celebration of the lasting impact she continues to make. We are incredibly fortunate to have Nancy as part of The Cleveland Orchestra family.”

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS

1996 – 97 Dorothy Humel Hovorka, trustee

1997 – 98 David Zauder, trumpet and Orchestra personnel manager

1998 – 99 Ward Smith, trustee

1999 – 2000 Christoph von Dohnányi, music director emeritus

2000 – 01 Gary Hanson, executive director

2001 – 02 John Mack, oboe

2002 – 03 Richard J. Bogomolny, trustee

2003 – 04 Thomas W. Morris, executive director

2004 – 05 Alex Machaskee, trustee

2005 – 06 Klaus G. Roy, program editor and annotator

2006 – 07 Amb. John D. Ong, trustee

2007 – 08 Gerald Hughes, chorus

2008 – 09 Louis Lane, assistant conductor

2009 – 10 Clara Taplin Rankin, trustee

2010 – 11 Robert Conrad, trustee and president of WCLV

2011 – 12 Richard Weiner, percussion

2012 – 13 Milton and Tamar Maltz, trustees

2013 – 14 Pierre Boulez, conductor

2014 – 15 James D. Ireland III, trustee

2015 – 16 Rosemary Klena, assistant to the executive director

2016 – 17 Robert Vernon, viola

2017 – 18 Dennis W. LaBarre, trustee

2018 – 19 Franz Welser-Möst, music director

2019 – 20 The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus

2021 – 22 Joela Jones, keyboard

2022 – 23 Jane B. Nord, philanthropist

2023 – 24

Robert P. Madison, architect and entrepreneur

“I’m deeply honored to receive The Cleveland Orchestra’s Distinguished Service Award,” McCann said. “Throughout my journey with America’s finest orchestra, I have been inspired by the incredible musicians, staff, and community members who share a passion for the arts. I look forward to continuing our incredible work together.”

The Cleveland Orchestra’s Distinguished Service Award was established in 1996 by the Musical Arts Association, the non-profit organization overseeing the

Orchestra’s operations, to recognize ongoing and extraordinary commitment and service to the Orchestra. Recipients are chosen from written nominations reviewed by a committee currently chaired by Cleveland Orchestra Trustee

Katherine T. O’Neill.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD COMMITTEE

Katherine T. O’Neill, chair

Richard J. Bogomolny

Dennis LaBarre

Robert P. Madison

Amb. John D. Ong

Clara Taplin Rankin

Richard Smucker

Meredith Weil

Adella Digital Season Continues with New Productions

ALONGSIDE IN-PERSON CONCERTS at Severance, there is plenty of exciting content to discover this season on Adella.live, the digital home of The Cleveland Orchestra.

Four more Live from Severance concerts, streamed in real-time from Mandel Concert Hall, are planned for the rest of the 2024 – 25 season. December 1 will feature pianist Marc-André Hamelin playing Gershwin’s timeless Rhapsody in Blue Franz Welser-Möst leads the Orchestra and rising Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian in works by Richard Strauss and Puccini on March 15. The Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival concert on May 24 showcases a dizzying variety of music from J.S. Bach to Ustvolskaya. And don’t miss the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Concert on January 19.

In addition, seven digital premieres will be released through July 2025, featuring recent concerts, exclusive behind-the-scenes features, and interviews with guest artists. A special Christmas presentation appears on December 23, followed in succeeding months by concerts with conductors Franz Welser-Möst and Thomas Adès and guest artists Pekka Kuusisto and Garrick Ohlsson. One particularly notable production drops on June 17, 2025, featuring Welser-Möst leading the Orchestra and baritone Simon Keenlyside in works by Mahler — a concert that was recorded during the Orchestra’s Vienna tour in fall 2023.

Visit clevelandorchestra.com/adella for more information. Use code ADELLA30 for a 30-day free trial to Adella.

TCO Trumpet Section Celebrates Record 16 Seasons

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA trumpets are celebrating an exciting milestone. With the start of the 2024 – 25 season, the current trumpet section — comprising (l-r above) Michael Miller, Assistant Principal Lyle Steelman, Jack Sutte, and Principal Michael Sachs —  is now in their 16th season of playing together, making them the longestserving four-person trumpet section in the Orchestra’s history. Previously, the record was held by Cleveland Orchestra trumpeters Bernard Adelstein, David Zauder,

Allan Couch, and James Darling, who collectively played together for 15 seasons (1973–74 to 1987–88). Zauder, who passed away in 2013, is currently the longestserving trumpet player with the Orchestra (at 40 years), with Sachs a close second at 37 years.

Reflecting upon this landmark moment, Sachs stated, “I cannot imagine a more wonderful and inspiring group of colleagues, musicians, collaborators, and dear friends to be lucky enough to be in the same section with for the past 16 years. This kind of stability in any orchestra section is rare and has given us the unique opportunity to craft a particular sound, style, and blend together within The Cleveland Orchestra. I can only hope that we have the chance to continue this partnership for many more years to come!”

Fuchs Foundation Supports TCO Soloists

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA has a long tradition of bringing its own musicians to the forefront as solo artists. In the first part of the 2024–25 season, Principal Percussionist Marc Damoulakis (Margaret Allen Ireland Chair) took the stage to perform Tan Dun’s Water Concerto. Later on, Principal Cellist Mark Kosower (Louis D. Beaumont Chair) will present Dutilleux’s cello concerto Tout un monde lointain… [February 7 – 9, 2025].

and assistant principal cello from 1949 until his retirement in 1979.

During his time at The Cleveland Orchestra, Fuchs was a featured soloist on several occasions and was an early member of The Cleveland Orchestra String Quartet. Fuchs also made substantial contributions to music education in Cleveland, teaching at the Cleveland Institute of Music and The Music Settlement.

The Fuchs Family Foundation is honored to continue Fuchs’s love for The Cleveland Orchestra and further the legacy that the Orchestra provides the entire Cleveland community.

For the past 11 years, featured solo performances by musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra have been supported by the Jean, Harry, and Brenda Fuchs Family Foundation — in tribute to longtime Cleveland Orchestra cellist Harry Fuchs (right).

Fuchs was a member of The Cleveland Orchestra for 40 years, joining the orchestra in 1937 under the baton of Music Director Artur Rodziński, and continuing to work under five different music directors during his tenure. He served as principal cello between 1943–47,

The Fuchs Family Foundation is honored to continue Fuchs’s love for The Cleveland Orchestra and further the legacy that the Orchestra provides the entire Cleveland community. Their support enables us to celebrate the Orchestra’s musicians, who, like Fuchs, bring an immense amount of pride to Cleveland through their extraordinary artistry. We are honored to have our legacy tied to that of the entire Fuchs family and are grateful for the Fuchs Family Foundation’s generous gift.

SNAPSHOTS

FALL CONCERTS

The 2024 – 25 season started off with a bang in September, featuring an exciting lineup of guest conductors, stellar soloists, and incredible music.

1) Guest conductor Elim Chan led an exhilarating all-Rachmaninoff program, featuring the composer’s Symphonic Dances and Third Piano Concerto (played by Yefim Bronfman).

2) Esa-Pekka Salonen returned to Severance for the first time in 21 years, bringing colorful works by Ravel and Sibelius. The concert also spotlighted Salonen’s own Cello Concerto, with Finnish cellist Senja Rummukainen in the challenging solo role.

3) The stage of Severance was packed to the brim in October when Klaus Mäkelä (below) led a performance of Mahler’s world-embracing 4 3 1

Third Symphony, which included vocal contributions from mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston alongside The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and Children’s Chorus.

4) Earlier in the season, the sounds of Latin jazz, salsa, and mariachi filled the hall during the Orchestra’s second Hispanic Heritage Month Concert. Attendees danced the night away to music provided by Las Sirenas and Sammy DeLeon y su Orquesta.

2024 GALA

5) The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2024 Gala brought a touch of elegance to Severance with an evening of food, drinks, and an all-French program performed by the Orchestra.

6) l-r: President & CEO André Gremillet, Gala Co-chairs Helen Rankin Butler and Michelle Shan Jescheling, and Board Chair Richard K. Smucker take in the festivities.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PHOTOS BY KEVIN LIBAL, ROGER MASTROIANNI, EXTRAORDINAIRE PHOTOS, EXTRAORDINAIRE PHOTOS, SCOTT ESTERLY, ROGER MASTROIANNI

We are deeply thankful for the generosity of every member of The Cleveland Orchestra family.

To learn more, visit clevelandorchestra.com/give

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT

Adella Prentiss Hughes Society

Gifts of $1,000,000 and more

Mr. and Mrs.* Geoffrey Gund

Joan Y. Horvitz*

Anne H. and Tom H. Jenkins

Milton and Tamar Maltz

Mrs. Jane B. Nord

Mr. and Mrs.* Richard K. Smucker

Gifts of $200,000 to $999,999

The Musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra (in-kind contribution for community programs and opportunities to secure funding)

Art of Beauty Company, Inc.

Mary Freer Cannon*

Iris and Tom Harvie

Haslam 3 Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Anthony T. Lauria

Mrs. Norma Lerner

Jan R. Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. Albert B. Ratner

Jenny and Tim Smucker

Anonymous

Gifts of $100,000 to $199,999

Gay Cull Addicott*

Mr. and Mrs.* Eugene J. Beer

Mr. Yuval Brisker

Rebecca Dunn

Dr. Michael Frank and Patricia A.* Snyder

Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Horvitz

The Walter and Jean Kalberer Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Kloiber (Europe)

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis W. LaBarre

Thomas E. Lauria (Miami)

Ms. Beth E. Mooney

Patrick and Milly Park

Ilana and Chuck Horowitz Ratner

James* and Donna Reid

Jim and Myrna Spira

Ms. Ginger Warner

Mrs. Jayne M. Zborowsky

Lillian Baldwin Society

Gifts of $75,000 to $99,999

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander M. Cutler

Dr. Hiroyuki and Mrs. Mikiko Fujita

Richard and Michelle Jeschelnig

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas A. Kern

Mr. and Mrs. Alfred M. Rankin, Jr. Anonymous

George Szell Society

Gifts of $50,000 to $74,999

Randall and Virginia Barbato

Brenda and Marshall B. Brown

Irad and Rebecca Carmi

JoAnn and Robert Glick

Ms. Alexandra Hanna

Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Jack, Jr.*

Elizabeth B. Juliano

Richard and Christine Kramer

Nancy W. McCann

The Oatey Foundation (Cleveland, Miami)

William J. and Katherine T. O’Neill

Mrs. Alfred M. Rankin, Sr.

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Ratner

The Ralph and Luci Schey

Foundation

Sally and Larry Sears

Astri Seidenfeld

The Seven Five Fund

Richard and Nancy Sneed

Dr. Russell A. Trusso

Mr. and Mrs. Franz Welser-Möst

Paul and Suzanne Westlake

Barbara and David Wolfort

Tony and Diane Wynshaw-Boris

Anonymous

Elisabeth DeWitt

Severance Society

Gifts of $25,000 to $49,999

Victor and Abby Alexander

Dr. and Mrs. Wolfgang Berndt (Europe)

Mr. William P. Blair III*

Robin Dunn Blossom

Jeanette Grasselli Brown and Glenn R. Brown*

Dr. Robert Brown and

Mrs. Janet Gans Brown

Dr. Thomas Brugger* and Dr. Sandra Russ

J. C. and Helen Rankin Butler

Jim and Mary Conway

Judith and George W. Diehl

Elliot and Judith Dworkin

Mary Jo Eaton (Miami)

Mr.* and Mrs. Bernard H. Eckstein

Drs. Wolfgang and Gabi Eder (Europe)

Dr. and Mrs. Robert Ehrlich (Europe)

Mrs. Connie M. Frankino

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Gillespie

David and Robin Gunning

Sondra and Steve Hardis

Mrs. Lynn Heisler

Amy and Stephen Hoffman

David and Nancy Hooker

Richard Horvitz and Erica Hartman-Horvitz (Cleveland, Miami)

Mrs. Marguerite B. Humphrey*

Allan V. Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Keithley

Cynthia Knight

John D. and Giuliana C. Koch

Ms. Cathy Lincoln

Jon A. and Virginia M. Lindseth, PhD

Mr. Jeff Litwiller

Mr. and Mrs. Ben Mathews

Mr. Stephen McHale

Randy and Christine Myeroff

The Honorable John Doyle Ong

Catherine and Hyun Park

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin N. Pyne

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Ratner

James and Marguerite Rigby

Mr.* and Mrs. David A. Ruckman

Mark and Shelly Saltzman

Donna E. Shalala (Miami)

Hewitt and Paula Shaw

R. Thomas and Meg Harris Stanton

Mr.* and Mrs. Donald W. Strang, Jr.

Tom and Shirley* Waltermire

Anya Weaving and Tom Mihaljevic

Meredith and Michael Weil

Anonymous (2)

Dudley S. Blossom Society

Gifts of $15,000 to $24,999

Mr. James Babcock

Mr. and Mrs. Jules Belkin

Mr. and Mrs. C. Perry Blossom

Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Bolton

Dr. Christopher P. Brandt and Dr. Beth Sersig

Mr. D. McGregor Brandt, Jr.

Dr. Ben H. and Julia Brouhard

Meghan and Trent Brown

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin C. Conway

Mary* and Bill Conway

Mrs. Barbara Cook

Mrs. Anita Cosgrove

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew V. Crawford

Maureen A. Doerner and Geoffrey T. White

Nancy and Richard Dotson

Mr. Brian L. Ewart and Mr. William McHenry

Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Fedorovich

Friends of The Cleveland Orchestra

Richard and Ann Gridley

Mr. Calvin Griffith

Gary L. and Cari T. Gross

Mr. and Mrs. Harley I. Gross

Kathleen E. Hancock

Jack Harley and Judy Ernest

Gerald Hughes

Mr. and Mrs. Brinton L. Hyde

Sarah Liotta Johnston and Jeff Johnston

Rob and Laura Kochis

Eeva and Harri Kulovaara (Miami)

Mr. and Mrs. S. Ernest Kulp

Ms. Heather Lennox

Daniel R. Lewis (Miami)

In honor of Emma Skoff Lincoln

Linda Litton

Mr. and Mrs. Alex Machaskee

Alan Markowitz M.D. and Cathy Pollard

Ann Jones Morgan

Sally S. and John C. Morley*

Jennifer and Alexander Ogan

Dr. Roland S. Philip and Dr. Linda M. Sandhaus

Douglas and Noreen Powers

Mr. Winthrop Quigley and Ms. Bonnie Crusalis

Saul and Mary Sanders (Miami)

Rachel R. Schneider

Dr. and Mrs. James L. Sechler

Meredith M. Seikel

Robyn Shifrin

Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Stovsky

Kathryn and Duncan Stuart

Dr. Elizabeth Swenson

Bruce and Virginia Taylor

Philip and Sarah Taylor

Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Umdasch (Europe)

Karen Walburn

Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Molly Walsh

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery J. Weaver

Robert C. Weppler

Max and Beverly Zupon

Anonymous (3)

Frank H. Ginn Society

Gifts of $10,000 to $14,999

Dr. and Mrs. D. P. Agamanolis

Mr. and Mrs. A. Chace Anderson

Ms. Viia R. Beechler

Laura and Jon Bloomberg

Ted and Donna Connolly

Mr. and Mrs. Chester F. Crone

Mrs. Barbara Ann Davis

Giles Debenham

Dr.* and Mrs. Lloyd H. Ellis Jr.

Joan Alice Ford

Dr. Edward S. Godleski

Mr. Robert Goldberg

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gröller (Europe)

Alfredo and Luz Maria Gutierrez (Miami)

Robin Hitchcock Hatch

Dr. Robert T. Heath and Dr. Elizabeth L. Buchanan

Dr. Fred A. Heupler

Ms. Mary Joe Hughes

Donna L. and Robert H. Jackson

Barbara and Michael J. Kaplan

Andrew and Katherine Kartalis

Jonathan and Tina Kislak (Miami)

David C. Lamb

Charles and Josephine Robson Leamy*

Dr. Edith Lerner

Dr. David and Janice Leshner

Mr. Fredrick W. Martin

Mr.* and Mrs. Arch J. McCartney

Drs. Amy and James Merlino

Loretta J. Mester and George J. Mailath

Claudia Metz and Thomas Woodworth

Mr. William A. Minnich

Brian and Cindy Murphy

Deborah L. Neale

Mr. David A. Osage and Ms. Claudia C. Woods

Mr. J. William and Dr. Suzanne* Palmer

Julia and Larry Pollock

Ms. Rosella Puskas

Mr. and Mrs. Roger F. Rankin

Kim Russel and Dirk Brom

Dr. Isobel Rutherford

Dr. and Mrs.* Martin I. Saltzman

Patricia J. Sawvel

David M. and Betty Schneider

Kenneth Shafer

Rev. George Smiga

Roy Smith

Michalis and Alejandra Stavrinides

Ryan and Melissa Stenger

Mrs. Mary L. Sykora

Taras Szmagala and Helen Jarem

Dr. Gregory Videtic and Rev. Christopher McCann

Susanne Wamsler and Paul Singer (Europe)

Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Watkins

Denise G. and Norman E. Wells, Jr.

Sandy and Ted Wiese

Sandy Wile and Sue Berlin

Katie and Donald Woodcock

Anonymous (6)

The 1929 Society

Gifts of $5,000 to $9,999

Mr. and Mrs. Todd C. Amsdell

Claudia Bacon

Robert and Dalia Baker

Thomas and Laura Barnard

Fred G. and Mary W. Behm

Deena and Jeff Bellman

Mel Berger and Jane Haylor

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence R. Beyer

Marilyn and Jeffrey Bilsky

Dr. and Mrs. Eugene H. Blackstone

Doug and Barbara* Bletcher

Laurel Blossom

Jeff and Elaine Bomberger

Ms. Kristina E. Boykin

Mr. and Mrs. David* Briggs

Frank and Leslie Buck

William and Barbara Carson

Ms. Maria Cashy

Victor A. Ceicys M.D. and Mrs. Kathleen Browning Ceicys

Mr. and Mrs. James B. Chaney

Ellen Chesler and Matthew Mallow (Miami)

Drs. Wuu-Shung and Amy Chuang

Drs. Mark Cohen and Miriam Vishny

Ellen E.* and Victor J. Cohn

Kathleen A. Coleman

Diane Lynn Collier and Robert J. Gura

Marjorie Dickard Comella

Robert and Jean* Conrad

Mr. and Mrs. Manohar Daga

Mr.* and Mrs. Ralph Daugstrup

Allan and Connie Dechert

Pete and Margaret Dobbins

Henry and Mary* Doll

Michael Dunn

Carl Falb

Regis and Gayle Falinski

Bruce* and Nancy Fisher

Jan and John Fitts

Ms. Nancy Flogge

Mr. and Ms. Dale Freygang

Barbara and Peter* Galvin

Joy E. Garapic

Mr. James S. Gascoigne and Ms. Cynthia Prior

Anne* and Walter Ginn

Brenda and David Goldberg

Barbara H. Gordon

André and Ginette Gremillet

Nancy Hancock Griffith

Candy and Brent Grover

The Thomas J. and Judith Fay Gruber

Charitable Foundation

Nancy* and James Grunzweig

Ms. Marianne Gymer

Mr. Newman T. Halvorson, Jr.

Gary Hanson and Barbara Klante

Clark Harvey and Holly Selvaggi

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Hatch

Barbara L. Hawley and David S. Goodman

Matthew D. Healy and Richard S. Agnes

Dr. Toby Helfand

Anita and William Heller

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Herschman

Mr. and Mrs. Martin R. Hoke

Dr. Keith A. and Mrs. Kathleen M. Hoover

James* and Claudia Hower

Phillip M. Hudson III (Miami)

Elisabeth Hugh

Mrs. Laura Hunsicker

David and Dianne Hunt

Richard and Jayne Janus

Reuben Jeffery (Miami)

Robert and Linda Jenkins

Mr. David and Mrs. Cheryl Jerome

Dr. Richard* and Roberta Katzman

Rod Keen and Denise Horstman

Howard and Michele Kessler

Joanne Kim and Jim Nash

Dr. and Mrs.* William S. Kiser

Audrey Knight

Mr. and Mrs.* S. Lee Kohrman

Dr. Ronald H. Krasney and Vicki Kennedy*

Douglas and Monica Kridler

Peter* and Cathy Kuhn

Mr. and Mrs.* Arthur J. Lafave, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. John R. Lane

Dr.* and Mrs. Roger H. Langston

Kenneth M. Lapine and Rose E. Mills

John N.* and Edith K. Lauer

Young Sei Lee

Judith and Morton Q. Levin

Dr. Stephen B. and Mrs. Lillian S. Levine

Drs. Todd and Susan Locke

David and Janice* Logsdon

Joan C. Long

Caetano R. Lopes (Miami)

Anne R. and Kenneth E. Love

Richard and Terry Lubman (Miami)

Neil and Susan Luria

David Mann and Bernadette Pudis

Mr. Keith G. Marsh

Dr. Ernest and Mrs. Marian Marsolais

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce V. Mavec

James and Virginia Meil

Dr. Susan M. Merzweiler

Lynn and Mike Miller

Drs. Terry E. and Sara S. Miller

Curt and Sara Moll

Amy and Marc Morgenstern

Eudice M. Morse

Mr. Bert and Dr. Marjorie Moyar

Mr. and Mrs. Scott C. Mueller

Mr. Raymond M. Murphy

Mr. Christopher B. Nance and Ms. Jessica V. Colombi

Richard and Kathleen Nord

Mr. and Mrs. Forrest A. Norman III

Malinda and Robert Och

Thury O’Connor

Harvey* and Robin Oppmann

Richard Organ and Jamie Nash

Mr. Henry Ott-Hansen

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Outcalt

Chris and Susan Pappas

Eliot Pedrosa (Miami)

Alan and Charlene Perkins

Dr. Marc A. and Mrs. Carol Pohl

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Porter

Dr. and Mrs. John N. Posch

Mr. Robert and Mrs. Susan Price

Sylvia Profenna

Pysht Fund

Lute and Lynn Quintrell

Beth and Clay Rankin

Brian and Patricia Ratner

Mr. and Mrs.* Robert J. Reid

Ms. Julie Severance Robbins

Lisa Robinson and Robert Hansel

Amy and Ken Rogat

Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Ross

Robert* and Margo Roth

Dr. Adel S. Saada

Dr. Vernon E. Sackman and Ms. Marguerite Patton*

Mr. and Mrs.* James A. Saks

Richard Salomon and Laura Landro

Richard B. and Cheryl A. Schmitz

Ms. Beverly J. Schneider

Gary Schwartz and Constance Young

Mr. Eric A. Seed and Ms. Ellen Oglesby

Deborah Sesek

Drs. Daniel and Ximena Sessler

Mr.* and Mrs. Michael Shames

Mr. Philip and Mrs. Michelle Sharp

Howard and Beth Simon

Mr. James S. Simon

The Shari Bierman Singer Family

Drs. Charles Kent Smith and Patricia Moore Smith

Mrs. Gretchen D. Smith

Sandra and Richey* Smith

Mr. and Mrs. William E. Spatz

George and Mary* Stark

Howard Stark M.D. and Rene Rodriguez (Miami)

Sue Starrett and Jerry Smith

AJ and Nancy Stokes

Ms. Lorraine S. Szabo

Robert and Carol Taller

Alan and Barbara Taylor

Mr. John R. Thorne and Family

Mr. and Mrs. Gary B. Tishkoff

Mr.* and Mrs. Robert N. Trombly

Drs. Anna* and Gilbert True

Steve and Christa Turnbull

Robert and Marti* Vagi

Bobbi and Peter* van Dijk

Mr. and Mrs. Les C. Vinney

Kenneth H. Kirtz*

Mr. Randall Wagner

Mr. and Mrs. Eric Wald

John and Jeanette Walton

Greg and Lynn Weekley

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Allen Weigand

Dr. Edward L. and

Mrs. Suzanne Westbrook

Stephen Whyte and

Rebecca Ralston

Dr. Paul R. and Catherine Williams

Ms. Linda L. Wilmot

Bob and Kat Wollyung

Mr. Graham Wood

Anonymous (3)

Composer’s Circle

Gifts of $2,500 to $4,999

Mr. Leonard H. Abrams*

Ms. Nancy A. Adams

Kristen and Matthew Alloway

Sarah May Anderson

Susan S. Angell

Chris Ansbacher

Ms. Bonnie M. Baker

Eric Barbato and Elisha Swindell

Ms. Katherine Barnes

Dr. James Bates

Mrs. Lois Robinson Beck

Drs. Nathan A.* and Sosamma J. Berger

Margo and Tom Bertin

Mitch and Liz Blair

Zeda W. Blau

Marilyn and Lawrence Blaustein

Ms. Pamela M. Blemaster

Blossom Friends of The Cleveland Orchestra

Mr. John and Mrs. Robyn Boebinger

Dr. and Mrs. Timothy Bohn

Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Bole

David and Julie Borsani

Ms. Ellen Botnick

Dr. David Bowers

Lisa and Ronald Boyko

Adam and Vikki Briggs

Matthew D. Brocone

Mr. and Mrs. Dale R. Brogan

Dale and Wendy Brott

Bennett Brown

Mrs. Frances Buchholzer

Mr. Gregory and Mrs. Susan Bulone

James Burke

Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Busha

Mr. and Mrs. William D. Buss II

Mr. William Busta and Joan Tomkins

Dr. and Mrs. William E. Cappaert

Peter and Joanna Carfagna

Mr. and Mrs. John J. Carney

Dr. Ronald Chapnick* and Mrs. Sonia Chapnick

Mr. and Mrs. Kerry Chelm

Gregory and Kathrine Chemnitz

Gertrude Kalnow Chisholm and Homer D.W. Chisholm

Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Chuhna

Robert and Judy Ciulla

Pete Clapham and Anita Stoll

Jill and Paul Clark

Richard J. and Joanne Clark

Dr. William and Dottie Clark

Drs. John and Mary Clough

Mr. John Couriel and Dr. Rebecca Toonkel (Miami)

Laura Cox

Drs. Kenneth and Linda Cummings

Karen and Jim Dakin

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Daniel

Jeffrey Dean and Barbara and Karen Claas

Mr. Douglas Dever

Michael and Amy Diamant

Dr. and Mrs. Howard Dickey-White

Mr. and Mrs. David C. Dillemuth

Do Unto Others Trust (Miami)

Carl Dodge

Jack and Elaine Drage

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dreshfield

Mr. Barry Dunaway and Mr. Peter McDermott

Bill Durham (Miami)

Ms. Mary Lynn Durham

Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Duvin

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Dziedzicki

Peter and Sandy Earl

Erich Eichhorn and Ursel Dougherty

S. Stuart Eilers

Peter and Kathryn Eloff

Andy and Leigh Fabens

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick A. Fellowes

Anne Ferguson and Peter Drench

Mr. William and Dr. Elizabeth Fesler

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Filippell

Nancy M. Fischer

Mr. Dean Fisher

Joan and Philip Fracassa

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Frankel

Howard Freedman and Rita Montlack

Mr. William Gaskill and

Ms. Kathleen Burke

Mr. and Mrs. M. Lee Gibson

Daniel and Kathleen Gisser

Holly and Fred Glock

Dr.* and Mrs. Victor M. Goldberg

Pamela G. Goodell

Ms. Aggie Goss

Mr. Robert Goss

Dr. and Mrs. Ronald L. Gould

Bob Graf and Mia Zaper

Mr. James Graham and Mr. David Dusek

Drs. Erik and Ellen Gregorie

Mr. Morgan Griffiths

Mr. Davin and Mrs. Jo Ann Gustafson

Mr. Ian S. Haberman

Mary Louise Hahn

Dr. James O. Hall

Megan Hall and James Janning

Mr. and Mrs. David P. Handke, Jr.

Jane Hargraft and Elly Winer

Mr. Samuel D. Harris

Lilli and Seth* Harris

In Memory of Hazel Helgesen

Drs. Gene and Sharon Henderson

T. K.* and Faye A. Heston

Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Hirshon

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen J. Holler

Thomas and Mary Holmes

Charles M. Hoppel and Marianne Karwowski Hoppel

Lois Krejci-Hornbostel and Roland Hornbostel

Xavier-Nichols Foundation/

Robert and Karen Hostoffer

Phillip Huber

Mr. Brooks G. Hull and Mr. Terry Gimmellie

Dr. and Mrs. Grant Hunsicker

Donald* and Joyce Ignatz

Ruth F. Ihde*

Ms. Melanie Ingalls

Ms. Kimberly R. Irish

Dr. and Mrs. Paul C. Janicki

Dylan Jin

Mr. Jeremy V. Johnson

Joela Jones and Richard Weiss

Dr. Eric Kaler

Mr. Donald J. Katt and Mrs. Maribeth Filipic-Katt

Milton and Donna* Katz

Mr. Karl W. Keller

The Kendis Family Trust: Hilary & Robert Kendis and Susan & James Kendis

Bruce* and Eleanor Kendrick

Mrs. Judith A. Kirsh

Steve and Beth Kish

Michael Kluger and Heidi Greene

Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Kimberly Kolz

Ursula Korneitchouk

Dr. and Mrs. John P. Kristofco

Dr. Christine A. Krol

Dr. Jeanne Lackamp

Alfred and Carol Lambo

Mr. and Mrs. John J. Lane, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Larrabee

Mrs. Sandra S. Laurenson

Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Lavin

Richard and Barbara Lederman

Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Christine Legow

Michael and Lois Lemr

Robert G. Levy

Mr. and Mrs.* Thomas A. Liederbach

Eva and Rudolf Linnebach

Mr. Henry Lipian

Ms. Agnes Loeffler

Mary Lohman

Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Lopez-Cantera (Miami)

Linda* and Saul Ludwig

Peter and Pamela Luria

Mr. and Mrs.* Robert P. Madison

Robert M. Maloney and Laura Goyanes

Janet A. Mann

Herbert L. and Ronda Marcus

Martin and Lois* Marcus

Dr.* and Mrs. Sanford E. Marovitz

Ms. Dorene Marsh

Kevin Martin and Hansa Jacob-Martin

Ms. Amanda Martinsek

Mr. and Mrs. Sandy McMillan

Ms. Nancy L. Meacham

Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Meany

Mr. James E. Menger

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald A. Messerman

Mr. Glenn A. Metzdorf

Beth M. Mikes

Amy Miller and Nikhil Rao

Mr. and Mrs. David S. Miller

Mary Ellen Miller

Mr. Tom Millward

Anton and Laura Milo

Dr. Shana Miskovsky

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Morris

Susan B. Murphy

B Murray

Dave and Nancy Murray

Karen and Bernie Murray

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Myers

Joan Katz Napoli and August Napoli

Dr. Anne and Mr. Peter Neff

Mark and Paula Nylander

Richard and Jolene O’Callaghan

Mr. and Mrs. John Olejko

Dr. and Mrs. Paul T. Omelsky

George Parras and Mary Spencer

Drs. James and Marian Patterson

Dr. Lewis E. and Janice B. Patterson

David Pavlich and Cherie Arnold

Robert S. Perry

Dale and Susan Phillip

Mr. Richard W. Pogue

Donna L. Pratt* and

Patrick J. Holland

Karen Pritzker

Drs. Raymond R. Rackley and Carmen M. Fonseca

Dr. James and Lynne Rambasek

Mr. Todd J. Reese

David J. Reimer and Raffaele DiLallo

Dr. Robert W. Reynolds

Mr. Chris Rhodes

David and Gloria Richards

Joan and Rick Rivitz

Mr. D. Keith* and Mrs. Margaret B. Robinson

Mr. and Mrs. Jay F. Rockman

Eric Rose (Miami)

David and Mitsuko Rosinus (Miami)

Drs. Edward and Teresa Ruch

Anne Sagsveen

Michael and Deborah Salzberg

Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Satre

Ms. Patricia E. Say

Bryan and Jenna Scafidi

Mr. Paul H. Scarbrough

Don Schmitt and Jim Harmon

John and Barbara Schubert

Mr. James Schutte

Dr. John Sedor and Ms. Geralyn Presti

Ms. Kathryn and Mr. Michael Seider

Caltha Seymour

Lee Shackelford

Ginger and Larry Shane

Harry and Ilene Shapiro

Ms. Frances L. Sharp

Larry Oscar & Jeanne Shatten

Charitable Fund of the Jewish Federation

Dr. and Mrs. William C. Sheldon

Mr. John F. Shelley and Ms. Karen P. Fleming

Mr. Richard Shirey

Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Shiverick

Michael Dylan Short

Zachary and Shelby Siegal

Jim Simler and Dr. Amy Zhang

James Simon

Sarah Sloboda and Oskar Bruening

Bruce L. Smith

David Kane Smith

Mr. Joshua Smith

Mr. Eugene Smolik

Drs. Nancy and Ronald Sobecks

Drs. Thomas and Terry Sosnowski

Diane M. Stack

Maribeth and Christopher Stahl

Edward R. & Jean Geis Stell Foundation

Ms. Natalie Stevens

Frederick and Elizabeth Stueber

Mike and Wendy Summers

Mr. Marc L. Swartzbaugh

Mr. Robert D. Sweet

Eca and Richard Taylor

Ms. Aileen Thong-Dratler

Dr. and Mrs. Michael B. Troner (Miami)

Dr. and Mrs. Wulf H. Utian

Joan Venaleck

Mr. and Mrs. Steven M. Venezia

Teresa Galang-Viñas and Joaquin Viñas (Miami)

George and Barbara von Mehren

John and Deborah Warner

Margaret and Eric* Wayne

Tilles-Weidenthal Foundation

Mr. Peter and Mrs. Laurie Weinberger

Emily Westlake and Robertson Gilliland

Ms. Jennifer Wynn

Rad and Patty Yates

Ms. Carol A. Yellig

Ms. Helen Zakin

Dr. Rosemary Gornik and Dr. William Zelei

Mr. Kal Zucker and

Dr. Mary Frances Haerr

John and Jane Zuzek

Anonymous (7)

CORPORATE SUPPORT

The Cleveland Orchestra extends heartfelt gratitude to these generous organizations and partners who bring concerts and educational programs to life for our community.

Learn more at cleveland orchestra.com/partners

Gifts of $300,000 and more

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc.

NACCO Industries, Inc.

Gifts of $200,000 to $299,999

Jones Day Foundation

Ohio CAT

The J. M. Smucker Co.

Gifts of $100,000 to $199,999

CIBC KeyBank

Gifts of $50,000 to $99,999

FirstEnergy Foundation

NOPEC

Parker Hannifin Foundation PNC

Gifts of $15,000 to $49,999

Akron Children’s Hospital

BakerHostetler

Buyers Products Company

Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland Clinic

DLR Group | Westlake Reed Leskosky

Frantz Ward LLP

The Giant Eagle Foundation

Lake Effect Health

Miba AG (Europe)

Northern Haserot

Northern Trust

Olympic Steel, Inc.

Park-Ohio Holdings

RPM International Inc.

RSM US LLP

Thompson Hine LLP

Westfield Insurance

Anonymous

Gifts of $2,500 to $14,999

BDI

Blue Technologies, Inc.

Brothers Printing Company

BWX Technologies, Inc.

Callahan Carpet

The Cedarwood Companies

Citymark Capital

The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation

Eaton

Evarts Tremaine

The Ewart-Ohlson Machine Company

Gross Residential

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz, PLL

The Lincoln Electric Foundation

McKinley Strategies

Nordson Corporation

The Sherwin-Williams Company

Solich Piano & Music

Ver Ploeg & Marino (Miami)

Margaret W. Wong & Associates LLC

FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Gifts of $1,000,000 and more

The Brown and Kunze Foundation

Mary E. & F. Joseph Callahan Foundation

The Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation

David and Inez Myers Foundation

State of Ohio

The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation

Richard & Emily Smucker Family Foundation

Timken Foundation of Canton

Gifts of $500,000 to $999,999

The William Bingham Foundation

Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts & Culture

Ohio Arts Council

The Payne Fund

Gifts of $250,000 to $499,999

The Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation, Inc. (Miami)

Gifts of $100,000 to $249,999

Paul M. Angell Family Foundation

Cleveland Browns Foundation

The Cleveland Foundation

Haslam 3 Foundation

Jewish Federation of Cleveland

Myra Tuteur Kahn Memorial Fund of the Cleveland Foundation

Kulas Foundation

John P. Murphy Foundation

Park Foundation

Anonymous

Gifts of $50,000 to $99,999

The George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation

The Jean, Harry and Brenda Fuchs Family Foundation, in memory of Harry Fuchs

GAR Foundation

The George Gund Foundation

Martha Holden Jennings Foundation

The Oatey Foundation

Wesley Family Foundation

Gifts of $15,000 to $49,999

The Abington Foundation

Akron Community Foundation

The Batchelor Foundation, Inc. (Miami)

The Bruening Foundation

The Mary S. and David C. Corbin Foundation

Mary and Dr. George L. Demetros Charitable Trust

The Sam J. Frankino Foundation

The Gerhard Foundation, Inc.

The Helen Wade Greene Charitable Trust

The Catherine L. & Edward A. Lozick Foundation

With the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners

National Endowment for the Arts

The Nord Family Foundation

The PNC Charitable Trusts

The Esther and Hyman Rapport Philanthropic Trust

The Reinberger Foundation

Albert G. & Olive H. Schlink Foundation

The Sisler McFawn Foundation

Third Federal Foundation

The Veale Foundation

The George Garretson Wade Charitable Trust

The Welty Family Foundation

The Thomas H. White Foundation, a KeyBank Trust

Anonymous

Gifts of $2,500 to $14,999

The Ruth and Elmer Babin Foundation

The Bernheimer Family Fund of the Cleveland Foundation

Cleveland State University Foundation

C.S. Craig Family Foundation

Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities

James Deering Danielson Foundation

Dorn Family Foundation

Fisher-Renkert Foundation

The Harry K. Fox and Emma R. Fox Charitable Foundation

The Hankins Foundation

The Muna & Basem Hishmeh Foundation

George M. and Pamela S. Humphrey Fund

In His Step Foundation

The Kirk Foundation (Miami)

The Laub Foundation

The Lehner Family Foundation

The G. R. Lincoln Family Foundation

Elizabeth Ring Mather and William Gwinn Mather Fund

Ohio Humanities Council

The M. G. O’Neil Foundation

The O’Neill Brothers Foundation

The Perkins Charitable Foundation

Charles E. & Mabel M. Ritchie

Memorial Foundation

SCH Foundation

Lloyd L. and Louise K. Smith

Memorial Foundation

The South Waite Foundation

Stroud Family Trust

Uvas Foundation

The Edward and Ruth Wilkof Foundation

The Wuliger Foundation

Anonymous

Listing as of August 2024

YOUR VISIT

LATE SEATING

As a courtesy to the audience members and musicians in the hall, late-arriving patrons are asked to wait quietly until the first convenient break in the program. These seating breaks are at the discretion of the House Manager in consultation with the performing artists.

CELL PHONES, WATCHES & OTHER DEVICES

As a courtesy to others, please silence all electronic devices prior to the start of the concert.

PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOGRAPHY & RECORDING

Audio recording, photography, and videography are prohibited during performances at Severance. Photographs can only be taken when the performance is not in progress.

HEARING AIDS & OTHER HEALTH-ASSISTIVE DEVICES

For the comfort of those around you, please reduce the volume on hearing aids and other devices that may produce a noise that would detract from the program. For Infrared Assistive-Listening Devices, please see the House Manager or Head Usher for more details.

IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY

Contact an usher or a member of house staff if you require medical assistance. Emergency exits are clearly marked throughout the building. Ushers and house staff will provide instructions in the event of an emergency.

AGE RESTRICTIONS

Regardless of age, each person must have a ticket and be able to sit quietly in a seat throughout the performance. Classical Season sub-

FREE MOBILE APP TICKET WALLET

Download today for instant, secure, and paperless access to your concert tickets.

For more information and direct links to download, visit clevelandorchestra.com/ticketwallet or scan the code with your smartphone camera to download the app for iPhone or Android.

Available for iOS and Android on Google Play and at the Apple App Store.

Cleveland Orchestra performances are broadcast as part of regular programming on ideastream/WCLV Classical 90.3 FM, Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 4 PM.

scription concerts are not recommended for children under the age of 8. However, there are several age-appropriate series designed specifically for children and youth, including Music Explorers (for 3 to 6 years old) and Family Concerts (for ages 7 and older).

FOOD & MERCHANDISE

Beverages and snacks are available at bars throughout Severance Music Center. For Cleveland Orchestra apparel, recordings, and gift items, visit the Welcome Desk in Lerner Lobby.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE

We are so glad you joined us! Want to share about your time at Severance? Send your feedback to cx@clevelandorchestra.com Hearing directly from you about what we are doing right and where we can improve will help us create the best experience possible.

The Cleveland Orchestra is grateful to the following organizations for their ongoing generous support of The Cleveland Orchestra: the State of Ohio and Ohio Arts Council and to the residents of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

The Cleveland Orchestra is proud of its long-term partnership with Kent State University, made possible in part through generous funding from the State of Ohio.

The Cleveland Orchestra is proud to have its home, Severance Music Center, located on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, with whom it has a long history of collaboration and partnership.

© 2024 The Cleveland Orchestra and the Musical Arts Association Program books for Cleveland Orchestra concerts are produced by The Cleveland Orchestra and are distributed free to attending audience members.

EDITORIAL

Kevin McBrien, Publications Manager The Cleveland Orchestra kmcbrien@clevelandorchestra.com

DESIGN

Elizabeth Eddins, Eddinsdesign eddinsdesign@gmail.com

ADVERTISING

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