The Cleveland Orchestra Does 'The Prometheus Project' and the Rest of the Classical Musical to Catch in Cleveland This Week

The Cleveland Orchestra ends its 100th anniversary season with “The Prometheus Project,” a festival that examines Beethoven’s music “through the inspiration of Enlightenment” to include performances of all nine symphonies. Read more about the festival and music director Franz Welser-Möst’s vision here.

You can also bone up on the thinking behind the festival by attending a panel discussion with Welser-Möst and Beethoven scholars Mark Evan Bonds (UNC, Chapel Hill) and Francesca Brittan (CWRU) in Reinberger Hall at Severance Hall on Wednesday, May 9 at 7:30 pm. It’s free, but tickets are suggested (reserve online).

The Orchestra has always considered the Beethoven symphonies to be its specialité de la maison, and the consensus is that nobody plays these works better than the Clevelanders. The first eight symphonies will be performed in concerts at Severance Hall on Thursday, May 10 at 7:30 pm, Friday and Saturday, May 11 and 12 at 8:00 pm, and Sunday, May 13 at 3:00 pm. Then the Orchestra plans three performances of the Ninth Symphony on Thursday, May 17 at 7:30 pm, and Friday and Saturday, May 18 and 19 at 8:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased online. Freude!

Quire Cleveland will revive “The Land of Harmony,” their program of American choral gems, for a concert at First Lutheran Church in Lorain on Sunday, May 13 at 3:00 pm. The program includes the 1814 version of the National Anthem, the Hymn of Peace, sung by a choir of 10,000 to mark the end of the Civil War, and music by Amy Beach, Patty Stair, William Billings, Stephen Foster, Edward MacDowell, and R. Nathaniel Dett. Ross Duffin conducts one of his last concerts before his retirement. A freewill offering will be received.

Got Mother’s Day plans? One suggestion: bringing mom to Music for Miles at Waterloo Arts in Collinwood on Sunday, May 13 at 4:00 pm for their program “Ten Flowerpots for Mother’s Day” featuring percussionist Mel CsiCsila, flutist Kyra Kester, and saxophonist John Perrine. Enjoy the art, and pop in for Jamaican food and drink next door at the Callaloo Cafe and Bar. It’s free.

Trinity Cathedral brings its Wednesday Brownbag Concerts to a festive conclusion on May 16 at 12 noon with a concert by Trinity Chamber Orchestra, Horst Buchholz, guest conductor, featuring organist Todd Wilson and harpsichordist Nicole Keller. Bring your own lunch or buy one for $7. A freewill offering will be received.

Check out details of these and many other classical music events on our Concert Listings page.