Courtesy Cleveland Orchestra
A week bursting with classical music all over town. Here are our choice picks:
- On Saturday July 30 at 7:00 pm, Swiss conductor Ruth Reinhardt makes her Blossom Music Center debut with a program that features Grażyna Bacewicz’s Overture, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 5. Violinist Alexi Kenney will be making his own Blossom debut as soloist in the Mendelssohn, stepping in for Sergey Khachatryan, who has withdrawn due to visa complications. And on Sunday, July 31at 7:00 pm Richard Kaufman returns to the Blossom podium to lead “Broadway Legends” with vocalists Hugh Panaro, Dee Roscioli, and Scarlett Strallen. Program includes music by Lloyd Webber, Sondheim, and Bernstein. Purchase tickets here.
- Piano Days @CLE continues on Thursday the 28th at 7:30 pm with the dynamic duo-pianists Igudesman & Joo at the Hannah Theater in Playhouse Square. Read a preview article here and purchase tickets here.
- On Friday the 29th at 7:00 pm, Piano Days presents “Rock the Classics” at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s outdoor stage at their Union Home Mortgage Plaza. Experience local bands and classical pianists rocking out to your favorite classic hits. Performers include Yaron Kohlberg, Alexander Kostritsa, Ralitsa Georgieva, Apostle Jones, and Michael Abbadini. The event is free. Read a preview article featuring Apostle Jones’ Mikey Silas here.
And on Tuesday, August 2, you can catch the PianoDays “Concert Truck” featuring Nick Luby and Susan Zhang, a mobile music venue that makes live music accessible to all by transforming a 16-foot box truck into a state-of-the-art concert hall, complete with lighting, sound system, and piano. At 12 noon you’ll find it parked at 50 Public Square in Cleveland and at 6:00 pm at the Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center. It’s also free.
- Ohio Light Opera enters its final week with a number of shows still to enjoy. Pirates of Penzance runs on the 27th at 7:30 pm and on the 30th at 2:00 pm. Cinderella takes center stage on the 28th at 2:00 pm and on the 30th at 7:30 pm. On the 28th you can catch The Mock Marriage at 7:30 pm and on the 29th it’s The Student Prince at 2:00 pm and Hello, Dolly! at 7:30. All shows are in Freedlander Theatre at the College of Wooster.
- Moving outdoors at the Wayne Center for the Arts, OLO’s The Fantasticks plays its final performances on the 27th and the 31st at 2:00 pm. Limited shade: lawn chairs, hats, sunscreen & sunglasses encouraged. Bottled water supplied. In case of rain, performances will be moved to Freedlander Theatre. Tickets for all OLO shows are available online. Read our thoughts on the OLO season here. (We were impressed!)
- There are also three concerts in diverse musical styles to consider. On Thursday the 28th at 7:00 pm at The Grove in Mayfield Village, master klesmer artist Steven Greenman (violin), and apprentice Liza Grossman (violin), will join Walt Mahovlich, accordion, and Henry Samuels, double bass, in a Concert of Klezmer Fiddle Music, presented by The Ohio Arts Council’s Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program.
- On Saturday the 30th at 7:30 pm, Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz Ensemble comes to town, featuring Sean Jones, trumpet and director, with Melissa Aldana, tenor sax & Wycliffe Gordon, trombone. The initial stop on the ensemble’s first U.S. Tour brings young musicians ages 16-19 from across the U.S. to Tri-C. Students from the Tri-C JazzFest Academy under the direction of Dominick Farinacci will open the concert at Cuyahoga Community College Metro Auditorium, E. 30th & Woodland, Cleveland. Tickets are available online.
- And on Sunday the 31st at 5:00 pm, STARS in the Classics will present a Musical Summer Evening in the Garden. The program, which explores folk themes in classical music, will be held at a private garden in Orange Village. Details and tickets are available online.
More events can be found on the Clevelandclassical.com Concert Listings page.
