Joffrey Ballet, PIXAR IN CONCERT and More Set for Cleveland Orchestra's 2013 Blossom Music Festival, 7/3-9/1
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The Cleveland Orchestra has announced the 2013 Blossom Music Festival season. The Orchestra will present 19 concerts at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Valley National Park from July 3 - September 1. Continuing a 40-year tradition, the Blossom season opens with Salute to America concerts with the Blossom Festival Band. Music Director Franz Welser-Möst conducts three programs at Blossom, including opening night for The Cleveland Orchestra. Highlights of the season are The Joffrey Ballet's return under the direction of Tito Muñoz and the Blossom Music Festival premiere of Pixar in Concert with conductor Richard Kaufman. The Blossom season showcases the Orchestra in nine programs and features three principal musicians as soloists: Joshua Smith, flute, Mark Kosower, cello, and Franklin Cohen, clarinet. Conductors Nicholas McGegan, Stéphane Denève, Bramwell Tovey, Jahja Ling, and David Afkham return to Blossom, and Kirill Karabits makes his Cleveland Orchestra debut. Returning guest artists include pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, soprano Christine Brewer, bass Alan Held, and violinist Gil Shaham. Debut artists include soprano Luba Orgonášová, pianist Cédric Tiberghien, violinist Ray Chen, and pianist Martin Helmchen. A wide variety of popular music will be featured at Blossom this summer, including a premiere performance of the music of Simon & Garfunkel under the direction of Michael Krajewski. Broadway stars will take the stage in a Broadway's Leading Men program, led by Jack Everly. Cleveland Orchestra conductor Robert Porco will conduct highlights from the Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, and Bramwell Tovey leads an evening of the music of popular song, including music by Cole Porter and Jerome Kern. Franz Welser-Möst Conducts Mr. Welser-Möst will lead Beethoven's Grosse Fuge for string orchestra, Liszt's Totentanz for piano and orchestra with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica") on Saturday, July 6. A commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Wagner's birth will be presented Saturday, July 13. Mr. Welser-Möst will conduct selections from Tristan and Isolde, Die Walküre, and Die Götterdämmerung. Soprano Christine Brewer and bass Alan Held will join the Orchestra in excerpts from the final scene of Die Walküre. Ms. Brewer will also sing the "Liebestod" from Tristan and Isolde and Brünnhilde's Immolation Scene from Die Götterdämmerung. The Joffrey Ballet Returns Pixar in Concert Orchestral Masterworks Cleveland Orchestra principals appearing as soloists at Blossom this season are: Joshua Smith in Mozart's Flute Concerto No. 1, Mark Kosower in Barber's Cello Concerto, and Franklin Cohen in Navarro's II Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra. Popular Favorites and Broadway Hits Highlights from the Gershwins' Porgy and Bess return to the Blossom stage conducted by Robert Porco. Acclaimed for her recent portrayal of Bess at the San Francisco Opera, soprano Laquita Mitchell will be joined onstage by Leontyne Price Vocal Competition winner Eric Greene, baritone, as Porgy, Broadway star Rodrick Dixon, tenor, as Sportin' Life, and the Blossom Festival Chorus. Four of today's most talented Broadway leading men, along with one leading lady, join conductor Jack Everly and the Orchestra for great moments in musical theater history, including selections by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, and Rodgers & Hammerstein. The hits include "Ya Got Trouble" from The Music Man, "Maria" from West Side Story, and a medley from LES MISERABLES. Blossom Festival Band Kent/Blossom Music Twenty Cleveland Orchestra musicians serve on the faculty at Kent/Blossom Music. Twenty alumni of Kent/Blossom Music are now members of The Cleveland Orchestra. Family-friendly "Under 18s Free" tickets continue at every Blossom Music Festival concert The "Under 18s Free" initiative is an integral part of The Cleveland Orchestra's Center for Future Audiences, which was created to provide broader access for the Northeast Ohio community and is endowed through the leadership and generosity of the Maltz Family Foundation. 2013 Blossom Music Festival Calendar Wednesday, July 3, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. A Salute to America Northeast Ohio's favorite Independence Day concerts feature patriotic favorites from some of the country's best-loved composers, including Gershwin and Sousa, topped off with the "1812" Overture and a spectacular fireworks display. Pavilion Tickets: $25; Box Seats: $45. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Friday, July 5, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. Blossom Music Festival Opening Night Strauss: Four Last Songs Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Saturday, July 6, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. Heroic Beethoven Beethoven: Grosse Fuge Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Saturday, July 13, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. Wagner's Valkyrie Wagner: Prelude and "Liebestod" from Tristan and Isolde Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Sunday, July 14, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. Sounds of Simon & Garfunkel Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's literary lyrics, sculpted melodies, and exquisite harmonies created a folk-pop sound that propelled them to the top of the charts and left a mark on thousands of future singer-songwriters. With voices that blend effortlessly into that signature duo's sound, AJ Swearingen and Jonathan Beedle re-create the memories of these classic hits, performing "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "The Sound of Silence," "The Boxer," "America," "Mrs. Robinson," and more. Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Saturday, July 20, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. Much Ado About Mozart Mozart: Symphony No. 33 Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Sunday, July 21, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. Porgy and Bess Williams: Liberty Fanfare Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Saturday, July 27, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. The French Connection Berlioz: Overture to Les Francs-juges * Kent/Blossom Chamber Orchestra performs selections at 7:00 p.m. The Cleveland Orchestra's concert (program listed above) begins at 8:00 p.m. Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Sunday, July 28, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. Broadway's Leading Men A quintet of Broadway veterans joins The Cleveland Orchestra for the most memorable tunes of Broadway's legendary leading roles, such as Tony's "Maria" from West Side Story, Dr. Jekyll's "This is the Moment" from Jekyll and Hyde, Professor Harold Hill's "Ya Got Trouble" from The Music Man, a medley from LES MISERABLES, and more. Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Saturday, August 3, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto Glinka: Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Sunday, August 4, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. The Planets Walton: The Spitfire: Prelude and Fugue Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Sunday, August 11, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. The Four Seasons Rossini: Overture to The Thieving Magpie Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Saturday, August 17, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. The Joffrey Ballet: The Rite of Spring Gould/Robbins: Interplay An evening of ballet with the renowned Joffrey Ballet, highlighted by a staged performance of Stravinsky's profoundly influential and once-controversial ballet score, The Rite of Spring. The ballet's premiere in 1913 was scandalous - the adventurous score, outrageous costumes, unusual choreography, and bizarre story of pagan sacrifice caused audience riots in the streets. The music is now admired for its brilliance and innovation. Pavilion Tickets: $35, $45, $55; Box Seats: $100. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Saturday, August 24, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. Beethoven and Schubert Beethoven: Overture to Coriolan Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Sunday, August 25, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. Celebrating Popular Song: Cole Porter and Friends "Night and Day," "Begin the Beguine," "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" - some of the cleverest, funniest, and most romantic songs ever written came from the pen of Cole Porter and his contemporaries, including Richard Rodgers and Duke Ellington - an era of unmatched songwriters and lyricists. Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) Saturday, August 31, 2013, at 8:30 p.m. Pixar in Concert From Toy Story to The Incredibles and Up, Pixar has forever impacted filmmaking and given audiences of all ages some of the most beloved characters onscreen today. Now, The Cleveland Orchestra performs memorable songs from Pixar's greatest movies live, accompanying visually stunning film scenes projected on large screens. Presentation licensed by Disney Concert Library © Disney/Pixar Pavilion Tickets: $25, $35, $45; Box Seats: $85. Lawn Tickets: $20 (Under 18s Free) All artists and programs are subject to change. LAWN TICKET BOOKS INCLUDE FREE "UNDER 18s" AND PAVILION UPGRADES CREATE-YOUR-OWN SERIES Pavilion tickets range in price from $25 to $100. Tickets for the Lawn and the General Admission sections of the Pavilion for Blossom Music Festival concerts are priced at $20. Individual tickets go on sale by telephone, in person at the Severance Hall Ticket Office, and online at clevelandorchestra.com on Tuesday, May 28. The Blossom Box Office opens for the season beginning on Saturday, June 1, and will be open throughout the summer on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. through intermission on concert days. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Call the Cleveland Orchestra Group Sales Office at Severance Hall at 216-231-7463 for more information. Blossom Music Center, which opened in 1968 as the summer home of The Cleveland Orchestra, is located 25 miles south of Cleveland just north of Akron, Ohio. The Center's name honors the Dudley S. Blossom family, major supporters of The Cleveland Orchestra throughout its history. Blossom is situated in the rolling hills of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which protects 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland. Blossom lies within the city limits of Cuyahoga Falls, an Ohio community first settled in the early 1800s, at 1145 West Steels Corners Road in Summit County. Blossom reopened in 2003 following the completion of the Blossom Redevelopment Project, which featured a highly-acclaimed renovation of the facility and improved patron amenities. The Blossom Redevelopment Project was the first major capital improvements project in the history of the facility, which serves more than 400,000 visitors each summer. The Blossom Festival is a smoke-free environment. Smoking is not permitted at concerts and other events during the Blossom Festival. Blossom Music Center address: 1145 W Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, OH. |
