“An ensemble at the peak of their powers, making vital statements about the world.”
– SEEN & HEARD INTERNATIONAL (UK)
Dear Friends,
As history seems to repeat itself around us, we hope to learn from the lessons of the past. So we bring you ancient tales that ring with meaning in our own time.... Dido and Aeneas – a legend of destiny and betrayal; Mozart's 1791 vision of life and death in the Requiem, echoed by voices from Africa and the Caribbean in that same year; and the vibrant sounds of the Old City of Jerusalem –music that reminds us of our shared humanity. Join us for this journey of soul-searching and discovery....
THE 34TH SEASON: 2025-2026
An International Baroque Orchestra at Home in Northeast Ohio
GRAMMY® winners Apollo's Fire and Jeannette Sorrell bring “joyous spontaneity” (THE NEW YORKER) to performances around the world – with standing ovations at Carnegie Hall, the BBC Proms, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and more. But what we love most is bringing world-class concerts to your doorstep, at venues all across Northeast Ohio.
Sorrell is praised for her “superlative music-making” (THE TIMES, London). With over 20 million views on YouTube, Apollo's Fire and Jeannette are thrilled to bring baroque music to audiences today with contemporary immediacy – not only with period instruments, but with the emotional impact the music was meant to convey.
Dido & Aeneas
Friday
October 3, 7:30pm
Greystone Hall
AKRON
Thursday
October 9, 7:30pm
Morley Hall
Lake Erie College PAINESVILLE
Friday
October 10, 7:30pm
The Tudor Arms Hotel* CLEVELAND
*free valet parking
Saturday
October 11, 7:30pm
Kulas Hall
CLEVELAND Institute of Music
Sunday
October 12, 4:00pm
Gamble Auditorium
Baldwin-Wallace University
BEREA
Toast the opening of our
Aryssa Leigh Burrs, mezzo-soprano (Dido) Edward Vogel, baritone (Aeneas) Andréa Walker, soprano (Belinda) Cody Bowers, countertenor (Sorceress) with Apollo’s Singers
Dido & Aeneas, the ancient Roman myth of love and betrayal, was recounted 2000 years ago in Virgil’s Aeneid – and still resonates today. The Trojan hero Aeneas lands on the shores of Carthage, where the beautiful and proud Queen Dido reigns. Just after winning her love, Aeneas suddenly departs – summoned by the gods. Was it destiny or betrayal? No composer has evoked this question with more poignancy than Henry Purcell, whose renowned 17th-century opera Dido & Aeneas is a gem of the baroque repertoire. The program includes sparkling instrumental dances from Purcell’s King Arthur and The Fairy-Queen
MOZART Requiem
+GOULD
1791: Requiem for the Ancestors (World Premiere)
Sonya Headlam, soprano
Guadalupe Paz, mezzo-soprano
Jacob Perry, tenor | Kevin Deas, bass-baritone with Apollo’s Singers
Against the backdrop of worldwide unrest and revolution, Mozart composed his masterful Requiem in 1791 – as aspirations for democracy were unfolding in France, Haiti, and the American colonies. At the same time, economic forces were creating a personal crisis for Mozart – a situation that resonates for so many people today. Apollo’s Fire is thrilled to revisit Mozart’s Requiem alongside a world premiere by composer Eric Gould. 1791: Requiem for the Ancestors evokes the neglected voices of African, Caribbean, and Native American peoples from the time of Mozart’s Requiem. Jeannette Sorrell leads 70 of the nation’s finest period-instrument specialists and early music singers in these concerts.
Friday November 7, 7:30pm
St. Bernard Catholic Church AKRON
Saturday November 8, 7:30pm SEVERANCE MUSIC CENTER CLEVELAND
"This Mozart verged on the revelatory... full of inner life and drama."
–THE CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER
Paradiso (Canto XXX): Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest Heaven
/ Gustave Doré
(1832–1883)
/ Engraving
PRAETORIUS Christmas Vespers
Friday
December 12, 7:00pm
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church AKRON
Thursday & Friday
December 18 & 19, 7:00pm Trinity Cathedral CLEVELAND
Saturday
December 20, 7:00pm First Baptist Church SHAKER HEIGHTS
Sunday
December 21, 4:00pm
St. Raphael Catholic Church BAY VILLAGE
Celebrate the season with holiday treats with Jeannette and the musicians!
Gabriela Estephanie Solís, mezzo-soprano Michael Jones, Matthew Newhouse, tenors Matthew Dexter, bass with Apollo’s Singers and members of Apollo’s Musettes (Treble Youth Choir)
Praised as “a sheer delight” (NEW YORK TIMES), Apollo’s Fire’s acclaimed Christmas program returns! Artistic Director Jeannette Sorrell weaves the extraordinary works of 17th-century composer Michael Praetorius into a Vespers service. The cathedral resounds in a splendor often reminiscent of Monteverdi – with antiphonal choirs, trumpets, sackbuts, cornettos, lutes, harp, strings and recorders. Familiar highlights include “Lo, how a Rose e’re blooming” and “In Dulci Jubilo.” Children’s voices shine in this haunting and joyous celebration of the Christ child.
WINTER Sparks from Bach & Vivaldi
Kathie Stewart, flute
Debra Nagy, oboe
Alan Choo, violin HyunKun Cho, viola da gamba
In this cozy winter program, eight Apollo's Fire musicians set sparks flying in virtuoso works of J.S. Bach, Telemann, Vivaldi, and more. Debra Nagy takes the spotlight in a lively Vivaldi oboe concerto, while Kathie Stewart and Alan Choo lead a fiery chamber performance of Bach's Orchestral Suite no. 2. Viola da gambist HyunKun Cho steals the thunder in Marais' famous Sonnerie de Sainte Geneviève, an imaginative showpiece evoking the sounds of church bells in Paris.
“The featured soloists, who can knock the socks off an audience with their dazzling playing alone, reached deep into their reservoirs of charm to make personal connections with their listeners.“
Thursday
January 29, 7:30pm
First United Methodist Church CUYAHOGA FALLS
Friday
January 30, 7:30pm St. Paul’s Episcopal Church CLEVELAND HEIGHTS
Saturday
January 31, 7:30pm Federated Church CHAGRIN FALLS
Sunday February 1, 4:00pm ROCKY RIVER Presbyterian Church
Enjoy light bites, “spark”ling beverages, and great conversation after the concert!
Feu D'Artifice a Venise ("Fireworks in Venice") / Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer (1865-1953) / Charcoal and Pastel
Palace ofVERSAILLES
Thursday
March 5, 7:30pm
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church AKRON
Friday & Saturday
March 6 & 7, 7:30pm
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church CLEVELAND HEIGHTS
Sunday
March 8, 4:00pm ROCKY RIVER Presbyterian Church
Apollo’s Fire visits the palace of Louis XIV –the Sun King, who was known to dress as our muse Apollo. The gorgeous music of Lully, Marais, and Rameau shows the orchestra at its finest. Flutes, oboes, and theorbos join the strings in the sumptuous program full of the majesty of 17th-century France.
“Apollo’s Fire doesn’t just play, you see. It inhabits the music. In the hands of this award-winning chamber orchestra, scores become veritable pieces of theater, animated scenes replete with drama... By the end, the house was on its feet, clamoring for more.”
Savor French bon-bons and pastries and meet the musicians! Open to all.
Ringing with urgency in our time, this acclaimed program created by Jeannette Sorrell returns in a fresh version. Honoring the peoples whose music and faith brought such vibrancy to the MiddleEast, 26 artists from Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim, and Christian backgrounds perform on oud, theorbo, medieval harp, zither, strings, and exotic percussion.
In this musical tour of the four quarters of Old Jerusalem (Jewish, Christian, Arab, and Armenian), surprising cross-influences emerge. A Sephardic ballad leads to a classical Arabic love song; selections from Monteverdi’s great Vespers of 1610 echo the florid and rapturous singing of the Jewish cantors in the temples. The rhythms of daily life –love, singing, dancing and prayer – culminate in a joyous celebration of shared humanity.
“A voyage of faith for the 21st century”
Thursday
April 9, 7:30pm
The Bath Church (UCC)
Friday
April 10, 7:30pm
CLEVELAND
Museum of Art
Saturday April 11, 7:30pm
Congregation Mishkan Or BEACHWOOD
Join the musicians for a baklava bash with Middle Eastern treats – and see the instruments close up!
ROUND ONE:
LATE SUMMER NIGHTS
Friday
August 8, 7:30pm
The BATH Church (UCC)
Saturday
August 9, 3:00pm & 7:30pm
Harkness Chapel (CWRU)
UNIVERSITY CIRCLE
Sunday
August 10, 4:00pm
ROCKY RIVER
Presbyterian Church
Join us for "pairings" of sparkling drinks and light snacks, plus a brief Q&A with the musicians.
ROUND TWO: SPECIAL TOUR SEND-OFF
Friday April 16, 7:30pm
AVON LAKE
United Church of Christ
Fencing Match
The season begins and ends with these special concertschoose 1 or both to add to your subscription!
LATE SUMMER NIGHTS
Late summer nights are for passion, romance, and sometimes… fiery duels. Join us for a red-hot concert of dueling double-concertos by Vivaldi, Dall’Abaco, J.S. Bach, and Telemann. This evening of dazzling agility features Alan Choo and Susanna Perry Gilmore in Bach’s Double Violin Concerto, as well as René Schiffer and Rebecca Landell in Vivaldi’s stormy Concerto for Two Cellos. Flautists Kathie Stewart and Daphna Mor steal the thunder with Telemann’s Concerto for Flute and Recorder, with its famous Polish folk-inspired finale.
SPECIAL TOUR SEND-OFF
Inspired by the 18th-century tradition of instrumentalists facing off in friendly yet breathtaking displays of skill, AF principal players step into the spotlight with double-concertos by Bach, Vivaldi, and more. This program heads to London following the local performance!
Jourdain Fences his Maid, Nicole with his Wife Looking on. Scene From \'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme', Act III, Scene 3 (oil on canvas) Leslie, Charles Robert (1794-1859) / Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK/ Bridgeman Images
CATCH APOLLO'S FIRE ON TOUR!
ACROSS THE COUNTRY
August 13, 2025 – Ravinia Festival, CHICAGO
November 9, 2025 – Early Music COLUMBUS
December 16, 2025 – University of Notre Dame, INDIANA
February 6, 2026 – Sanibel Island, FLORIDA
February 8, 2026 – VIRGINIA Commonwealth University
April 12, 2026 – Music Before 1800, NEW YORK CITY
LONDON MINI-RESIDENCY
at St. Martin-in-the-Fields | April 2026
FENCING MATCH: Apollo's Fire vs. The Brits! Friday, April 24, 7:30pm
JOIN US in LONDON!
A musical duel between Apollo's Fire and members of the world-renowned English Baroque Soloists –all led by Jeannette Sorrell. Not to be missed!
BAKLAVA BASH: A Middle Eastern Celebration Friday, April 24, 10:00pm (Late-Night Bistro Concert in the Crypt)
Israeli recorder virtuoso Daphna Mor and Palestinian-American oud master Ronnie Malley join friends Alan Choo, Emi Tanabe, and Tina Bergmann to evoke a Middle Eastern café in 1700.
O JERUSALEM! – Crossroads of Three Faiths Saturday, April 25, 7:30pm
The troupe of 26 international artists brings Jeannette Sorrell's acclaimed program to London's most beautiful baroque venue. A memorable night!
APOLLO'S FIRE CHICAGO SERIES
"Apollo’s Fire has secured an indispensable place in Chicago’s musical life.” –CHICAGO CLASSICAL REVIEW
October 4 - 5 | Purcell's DIDO & AENEAS
December 14 - 15 | Praetorius CHRISTMAS VESPERS
February 3 - 4 | WINTER SPARKS from Bach & Vivaldi
April 17-19 | O JERUSALEM! Crossroad of Three Faiths
Harmony + Diversity = Hope
Apollo’s Fire believes that the arts are most compelling when they truly represent our diverse communities, including people of color.
The MOSAIC Project, underway at Apollo’s Fire since January 2020, offers training, performance, and mentoring for talented young musicians of color.
Learn more at apollosfire.org/mosaic
COMMUNITY ACCESS INITIATIVE
Share the Music. Share the Love.
Apollo’s Fire believes that all people, regardless of location and economic status, deserve to share in the inspirational and transformative powers of classical music.
The Community Access Initiative has served over 50,000 youth and adults in Northeast Ohio – through Presto Seats, free student tickets, and outreach programming.
More info: apollosfire.org/community-access-initiative
FUN & CASUAL RESTAURANT PERFORMANCES
Adventurous 70-minute performances at the crossroads of folk and baroque. Come 30-60 minutes early to begin dining, and finish dessert during the concert!
“Never again think that ‘classical music’ is boring. Never if it’s done by Apollo’s Fire.” –COOLCLEVELAND.COM
Visit apollosfire.org/bistro for details!
photo credit: Malcolm Henoch
HOW TO ORDER
MAIL: Return your form with payment to: 3091 Mayfield Road, Suite 217, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
PHONE: Call the AF Box Office at 216.320.0012 x 1 or 800.314.2535 x 1
ONLINE: Subscribe online at apollosfire.org. Single tickets will be sold online beginning August 8.
SINGLE TICKETS
Please indicate number of seats for each concert
ADD FENCING MATCH – Late Summer Nights & Tour Send-Offs
Choose your performance(s) and seating section
PAYMENT INFORMATION
DISCOUNT (10% off Subscriber Single Tickets)
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APOLLO’S FIRE BEYOND THE STAGE
Take Apollo's Fire home with you! AF's 33 acclaimed CD recordings can be found on all major streaming services or shop at apollosfire.org/cds-shop.
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VENUES
Avon Lake United Church of Christ 32801 Electric Boulevard, 44012
Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory (Berea) Gamble Auditorium, 96 Front Street, 44107
The Bath Church, UCC 3980 West Bath Road, 44333
Cleveland Institute of Music Kulas Hall, 11021 East Boulevard, 44106
Cleveland Museum of Art 11150 East Boulevard, 44106
Congregation Mishkan Or (Beachwood) 26000 Shaker Boulevard, 44122
Federated Church (Chagrin Falls) 76 Bell Street, 44022
First Baptist Church (Shaker Heights) 3630 Fairmount Boulevard, 44118
First United Methodist Church (Cuyahoga Falls) 245 Portage Trail, 44221
The Tudor Arms Hotel (Cleveland) The Tudor Room, 10660 Carnegie Avenue, 44106
SEATING DETAILS | Seating is assigned at all venues. All venues are ADA accessible, with designated seating for patrons with restricted mobility. For preferred seating, order by August 1.
TICKET ORDERS | Ticket orders are processed in the order they are received, with priority given to subscribers. Listed prices included taxes and processing fees.
DISCOUNTS | Discounted tickets are available for Seniors (65+) and Young Adults (40 and under) in sections A and B. Tickets for full-time students are $10.
STUDENT RUSH TICKETS | FREE at the door for full-time students with a valid student ID.
PRESTO SEATS | $12 Presto Tickets go on sale 3 weeks before each concert. Seats are guaranteed, but assigned by the box office.
GROUP DISCOUNTS | Please call the box office to learn more group rates. Groups of 10-14 receive a 10% discount; groups of 15-19 receive a 15% discount; groups of 20 or more receive a 20% discount.
EXCHANGES | Tickets (other than Presto Seats) can be exchanged for other performances in the 2025-2026 season. There is a $2 exchange fee per ticket – subscribers have free exchange privileges. All exchanges must be made at least 48 hours before the performance.
TICKET DONATIONS | Can’t attend? You can donate your ticket(s) back to Apollo’s Fire and receive a tax acknowledgement for the value of your tickets by calling the box office at least 48 hours before the concert date.
All programs, artists, dates, and venues are subject to change. —STAGE—
