MUSIC
CONTENTS
Close Encounters
About the Performers
ARTbar
Gallery Concerts
No Exit
More Upcoming Events
CONCERT DATES
Thursday, September 12, 2024
Gallery Concert P
PIano Duo, Ralitsa Georgieva and Caroline Oltmanns
Thursday, September 26, 2024
ARTbar $
Gaetano Letizia Multi Genre Jazz Trio
Sunday, November 3, 2024
Close Encounters $ OUVRAGE DE DAME: Music for Winds by Women of the Gilded Age
Saturday, January 18, 2025
No Exit with Zeitgeist
Thursday, January 30, 2025
ARTbar $
Singout with Cleveland Cocktail Choir!
Friday February 21, 2025
No Exit presents John Faieta
Sunday, February 23, 2025
Close Encounters $
Bach and his Art of the Fugue
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Gallery Concert P
Cornelius + Karre violin/percussion duo.
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Gallery Concert P
The Baker’s Basement.
PRICING AND RESERVATIONS
Close Encounters
Full season $255 | member $215
Full season with 25th-Anniveresary
Continuing Conversations event*
$300 | member $100
Individual concerts $60 | member $51
Concert 5 ticket with Continuing Conversations event* $110 | member $100
*See page 17 for details
p. 12
p. 18
p. 30
p. 32
p. 34
p. 37
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Close Encounters $
Music from an Age of Empires
Open Rehearsal Wednesday, 4/9 P
Thursday, April 24, 2025
ARTbar $
Moises Borges, guitar.
Saturday, May 3, 2025
No Exit presents Geoffrey Burleson
Sunday, May 11, 2025
Close Encounters $
Beloved Trios of Dvorak and Beethoven
Open Rehearsal Friday, 5/9 P
Saturday, May 31, 2025
No Exit presents The Collective Sunday, June 1, 2025
Close Encounters $
The Omni Quartet plays Beethoven 25th-Anniversary Continuing Conversations 5:00–6:30 $
Sponsor: William Stigelman
Open Rehearsal Wednesday, 5/28 P
Thursday, July 3, 2025
ARTbar $
Hyperius Blake and the Sound Experiment.
ARTbar
Full season $100 | member $80
Individual concerts $30 | member $25
Gallery Concerts and Open Rehearsals Pay what you can
For Reservations, locations, and more information, please visit heightsarts.org
We Believe You Belong
Life. Access to the arts enriches the quality of life in a community.
Culture. The arts are a vital means of preserving and documenting cultural heritage.
Innovation. A community that values and invests in the arts encourages innovation and creative thinking.
Health. Engagement with the arts has been linked to improved mental health outcomes.
Economy. Arts and culture generate substantial economic benefits.
Education. The arts play a crucial role in education, enhancing creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Change. Art has the power to address social issues and provoke thought.
Belonging. Art brings people together, celebrating diverse cultures and fostering a sense of belonging.
Do you love our programming?
Your gift, no matter what level, makes a difference. Here some of the many ways:
Give to the Annual Fund
Few organizations support so many disciplines, and this sets us apart. We have supported our creative economy through commissions, sales, and performances in the amount of $1.5 million since our inception. Your support at any level allows us to stay flexible and take advantage of new opportunities, pay our staff, and retain our beautiful location on Lee Road. It also tells us that you value what we do and would like us to continue—so THANK YOU if you have already made your gift to Heights Arts, and if you haven’t already, please consider giving to support our mission today! Visit heightsarts.org/ giving or scan the QR code.
Donors of $50 or more become members of Heights Arts and receive discounts at performances, our Store, and business partners.
Membership levels:
PAL | $50 – $99
FRIEND | $100 – $249
GROUPIE | $250 – $499
PATRON | $500 – $999
ANGEL | $1000 – $2499
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE | $2500+
Join the Club – Leadership Circle and 2025 Club
Heights Arts turns 25 in 2025. The Heights Arts 2025 Club is a group of dedicated arts champions who donate $2,500 or more by June 30, 2025.
Club members receive recognition on our website and other materials and will be invited to a special event in the
Sponsor a Concert or Event
Heights Arts offers sponsorships for specific Close Encounters concerts, open rehearsals, or ARTbar concerts. Close Encounters sponsors can also choose to arrange special after-concert opportunities to join the musicians,
Thanks to our season sponsors
No Exit: Winter Season Event Sponsor
Luna Bakery and Café: Close Encounters Dessert Sponsor
fall of 2025 honoring their dedication to Heights Arts and celebrating our accomplishments over the last 25 years. Leadership Circle donors automatically become members of the club by donating at any time prior to June 30, 2025.
hosts, and other guests for lively conversation catered in the host home or at an off-site venue.
Want to sponsor a concert or Continuing Conversation event? Email programs@heightsarts.org
Cleveland Violins: Open Rehearsal Sponsor
Concert Sponsors: Rachel Rawson and Charles Cowap | Marjorie Simon | Robin Blossom, in memory of Jaymi Blossom Feeney
your neighborhood café + patisserie 9am til 4 pm wednesday thru saturday
Celebrate any season with Sophie -sablés & confections-teacher & hostess gifts-Sophie gift cards-
shop with us sophielagourmande.com
Welcome to the Heights Arts 2024–2025 Music Season!
HEAR HERE! Four Ways to Enjoy Heights Arts’ Music Programming
Heights Arts’ 2024-2025 music season once again features the highest level of performances from local musicians in intimate venues and our beautiful gallery on Lee Road. Our programming stands out even in a community already known for its diverse offerings. With four different opportunities to attend performances featuring the extraordinary talent of our local music scene, we provide new and special ways to engage on a deeper level through our Continuing Conversations and Open Rehearsal events.
Close Encounters Chamber Music Series – Season 18
Close Encounters is Heights Arts’ signature event. These Sunday afternoon chamber music concerts are performed by members of the Cleveland Orchestra and other elite performers—arguably the world’s most renowned musicians. Curated by Cleveland Orchestra cellist Dane Johansen, these performances are held in unique venues and local residences, where the audience hears the music as it was meant to be heard—up close and personal.
Close Encounters Open Rehearsals – Season 2
We are happy to continue the rare opportunity for students and adults to glimpse the process of preparing a Close Encounters performance prior to several of the concerts. This one-of-a-kind experience is not only educational but provides a deeper understanding of how a performance is put together by some of the world’s best musicians.
Gallery Concert Series – Season 9
Heights Arts’ Gallery Concerts provide paid opportunities for local musicians of diverse backgrounds and musical genres to perform in a unique gallery setting. These concerts are open to the public with a pay-what-you-can model to ensure that any who would like to attend can enjoy these performances.
ARTbar Series – Season 4
ARTbar creates an atmosphere like no other by mixing curated cocktails, music, and art in Heights Arts’ beautiful gallery on Lee Road. Four times a year we transform our gallery into a cocktail lounge setting where audience members gather to experience intimate performances in tandem with our current exhibitions.
Continuing Conversations Special Event*
Join us for this special event after the final Close Encounters concert of the season. Mingle with the Omni Quartet and past Close Encounters performers as you enjoy wine and heavy appetizers from Sophie La Gourmande. It’s a celebration of 25 years for Heights Arts, and 18 incredible years of chamber music.
* Priority will be given to season and final concert ticket holders
IN A WORLD that has been compromised to sound bites and 144 character communications, it is an honor to recognize Heights Arts for its multitude of contributions to the community and beyond, these past 25 years. As a founding member and current Board President, I’ve watched this “Little Red Train” huff and puff and grow into one of the most respected non profit Arts Organizations in our region.
Small, but mighty comes to mind as a quick and easy 3 word description, but the depth of what Heights Arts has accomplished, speaks volumes.
Under the initial strong leadership of Executive Director Peggy Spaeth to the growth and diversification of Heights Arts, these past 11 years, through the vision and stewardship of current Executive Director, Rachel Bernstein, Heights Arts continues to push the boundaries of what a small local arts organization can accomplish.
Who knew what Ekphrastacy means, let alone how to spell it?
Or what the heck is a Haiku Death Match? How about Heights Arts creating the first and longest-running Poet Laureateship in the State of Ohio.
Where else can you and your friends sit in a person’s living room and experience renowned musicians, many of whom have performed in the world’s finest orchestra halls?
Did I mention an art gallery and a holiday gift shop that represents our talented regional artists? As the song goes...”These are a few of my favorite things”
Thanks goes out to so many wonderful Board members (past and present), staff members, and volunteers, who collectively helped Heights Arts become what it is today.
Finally...Special thanks to you: the individuals, families, foundations, fellow non profits, small businesses, and the community for your support for all of these years!
Happy Silver Anniversary Heights Arts...now on to the Gold!
Steve Presser, Board President
Our Vision for the Next 25 Years
AROUND THE THEMES of Belonging and Collaboration, we will pull from the deep roots we already have in the community. You will see programming with our longtime dedicated partners, and new collaborations with partners who are excited to work with us to accomplish this refined vision for our mission. We will strive to remove any barriers facing our artists, musicians, poets, and community members that might prevent them from participating in or experiencing our rich programming.
If you are interested in supporting this new vision—a world where our artists and audiences are helped with any barrier that prevents them from participating, including framing or other materials, transportation to and from events, reimbursement for childcare, or reduced and free admissions, please visit our anniversary page or email us at using the information below.
We’ll be sure to keep you informed about how you can help us become barrier free.
With gratitude,
Rachel Bernstein, Executive Director
Visit heightsarts.org/25th-anniversary/ or email: anniversary@heightsarts.org for more information
AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR for the Close encounters concert series, I am thrilled to introduce our upcoming season, the 18th year of intimate concerts since the series was started in 2006. It has been a distinct pleasure helping to facilitate the development of this season’s provocative and inspiring performances. Inviting some of our community’s finest musicians to dream up “bucket list” programs, I am perennially thrilled by the fruits of these collaborations. What a privilege to work with such incredible artists, breathing passion, and brilliance into great works of art.
Our season opens with compositions by women of the gilded age, performed by pianist, Christina Dahl, alongside wind soloists of The Cleveland Orchestra. The Blossom Quartet will present the last work of J.S. Bach, his “Art of the Fugue,” providing a rare opportunity to experience a live performance of Bach’s dying expressions and the culmination of his creative powers. The season features piano quartets by Bridge and Brahms, trios by Beethoven, Dvorak, and Ernst von Dohnanyi, the grandfather of Cleveland’s own, Christophe von Dohnanyi. We close the season with an installment of Beethoven’s String Quartets performed by another local favorite, the Omni String Quartet.
It has been my honor to help ensure that this small but mighty series continues to evolve and progress. I want to express my gratitude to all of our sponsors, hosts, and partners in this endeavor. Those who donate their time, financial support, and homes to the continuation of this series do immeasurable good for our community and our devoted audience. As a musician, it is a distinct privilege to help people connect with musical languages from throughout the ages, and to witness the joy and excitement shared by a room full of people transported by music. We could not share music in such a profoundly intimate way without an audience, so thank you for your continued support. I hope you say hello at one of our concerts and join us year after year!
Dane Johansen Close Encounters Artistic Director and Cleveland Orchestra Cellist
Close Encounters
CONCERT 1: Sunday, November 3, 2024 | 3:00pm
Heights Theater
OUVRAGE DE DAME: Music for Winds by Women of the Gilded Age
Christina Dahl, Piano
Joshua Smith, Flute
Frank Rosenwein, Oboe
Robert Woolfrey,Clarinet
Gareth Thomas, Bassoon
Nathaniel Silberschlag, French Horn
Mélanie Hélène “Mel” Bonis (1858-1937)
Les Scènes de la forêt, op. 123 (1904)
I. Invocation
II. Nocturne
Joshua Smith, flute
Nathanial Silberschlag, horn
Christina Dahl, piano
Fernande Decruck (1896-1954)
Pavane (1933)
Capriccio (1933)
Frank Rosenwein, oboe
Robert Woolfrey, clarinet
Gareth Thomas, Bassoon
Elsa Jacqueline Barraine (19101999)
Ouvrage De Dame (1937)
Joshua Smith, flute
Frank Rosenwein, oboe
Robert Woolfrey, clarinet
Gareth Thomas, Bassoon
Nathanial Silberschlag, horn
- intermission -
Concert Sponsor: Marjorie Simon
Dessert Sponsor: Luna Bakery and Cafe
Marguerite Canal (1890-1978)
Sonata for violin and piano (1922) arr.
Kristen Stoner
I. Andantino con moto
II. Sourd et haletant
III. Adagio expressif
IV. Allegro con bravura
Joshua Smith, flute
Christina Dahl, piano
Louise Farrenc (1804-1875)
Sextet in C Minor, op. 40 (1852)
I. Allegro
II. Andante sostenuto
III. Allegro vivace
Christina Dahl, piano
Joshua Smith, flute
Frank Rosenwein, oboe
Robert Woolfrey, clarinet
CONCERT 2: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2025 | 3:00 PM
Dunham Tavern
Bach and his Art of the Fugue
The Blossom Quartet
Stephen Tavani, Violin
Yun-Ting Lee, Violin
William Bender, Viola
Dane Johansen, Cello
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
The Art of Fugue Part I, BWV 1080 (1750)
Contrapunctus I
Contrapunctus II
Contrapunctus III
Contrapunctus IV
Contrapunctus V
Contrapunctus VI
Canon in Augmentation and Contrary Motion
Contrapunctus VII
Canon at the Octave Contrapunctus VIII
- intermission -
Dessert Sponsor: Luna Bakery and Cafe
Open Rehearsal Sponsor: Cleveland Violins
The Art of Fugue Part II, BWV 1080 (1750)
Canon at the Twelfth in Counterpoint of the Fifth Contrapunctus IX
Canon at the Tenth with Counterpoint of the Third Contrapunctus X
Contrapunctus XI
Contrapunctus XII (a) Origen (b) Inversion
Contrapunctus XIII (a ) Origen (b) Inversion
Contrapunctus XIV
Open Rehearsal Monday, February 17, 2025 at 6:00 PM
CONCERT 3: SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2025 | 3:00 PM
Shaker Heights Villa
Music from an Age of Empires
Daniel Overly, Piano
Jason Yu, Violin
William Bender, Viola
Dane Johansen, Cello
Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
Phantasy for Piano Quartet in F-sharp minor, H. 94 (1910)
Ernst von Dohnányi (1877-1960)
Serenade in C Major for String Trio, Op. 10 (1902)
I. Marcia: Allegro
II. Romanza: Adagio non troppo
III. Scherzo: Vivace
IV. Tema con variazioni: Andante con moto
V. Rondo (Finale): Allegro vivace
- intermission -
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Piano Quartet No. 3 in G minor, Op. 25 (1856-61)
I. Allegro
II. Intermezzo: Allegro ma non troppo — Trio: Animato
III. Andante con moto
IV. Rondo alla Zingarese: Presto
Concert Sponsors: Rachel Rawson and Charles Cowap
Dessert Sponsor: Luna Bakery and Cafe
Open Rehearsal Sponsor: Cleveland Violins
Open Rehearsal Wednesday, April 9 2025 at 6:00 PM
CONCERT 4: SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2025 | 3:00 PM
Heights Theater
Beloved Trios of Dvorak and Beethoven
Yaron Kohlberg, Piano
Amy Lee, Violin
Dane Johansen, Cello
Set of solo works to be announced from the stage. Yaron Kohlberg, piano
Antonín Leopold Dvorák (1841-1904)
Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90 (1891)
I. Lento maestoso — Allegro quasi doppio movimento
II. Poco adagio — Vivace non troppo — Vivace
III. Andante — Vivace non troppo — Allegretto
IV. Andante moderato — Allegretto scherzando — Quasi tempo di marcia
V. Allegro
VI. Lento maestoso
- intermission -
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 (1811)
I. Allegro moderato
II. Scherzo (Allegro)
III. Andante cantabile, ma però con moto
IV. Allegro moderato
Concert Sponsor: Robin Blossom—in memory of Jaymi Blossom Feeney
Dessert Sponsor: Luna Bakery and Cafe
Open Rehearsal Sponsor: Cleveland Violins
Open Rehearsal Friday, May 9 2025 at 6:00 PM at Cleveland Violins
CONCERT 5: SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2025 | 3:00 PM
Herrick Mews Carriage House
The Omni Quartet plays Beethoven
The Omni Quartet
Amy Lee, violin
Alicia Koelz, violin
Joanna Patterson Zakany, viola
Tanya Ell, cello
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2 (1808)
I. Allegro
II. Molto adagio “Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento”
III. Allegretto, Maggiore – Thème russe
IV. Finale. Presto
- intermission -
String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat Major, Op. 127 (1825)
I. Maestoso
II. Adagio, ma non troppo e molto cantabile
III. Scherzando vivace
IV. Allegro
Concert Hosts: Kathy and Dennis Barrie
Dessert Sponsor: Luna Bakery and Cafe
Open Rehearsal Sponsor: Cleveland Violins
Continuing Conversation 5:30–7:00
Join us for this special event after the final Close Encounters concert of the season. Mingle with the Omni Quartet and past Close Encounters performers as you enjoy wine and heavy appetizers from Sophie La Gourmande. It’s a celebration of 25 years for Heights Arts, and 18 incredible years of chamber music. Priority will be given to season and final concert ticket holders
Catering Sponsor: Sophie la Gourmande
Event Sponsor: William Stigelman
Open Rehearsal Wednesday, May 28 2025 at 6:00 PM
William Bender was appointed to the viola section of The Cleveland Orchestra in November of 2021. Before Cleveland, he was Assistant Principal Viola of The Philharmonia Orchestra in London, England. While in London, Mr. Bender played principal viola with The Philharmonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Echor Music, and the London Concertante. Mr. Bender is an enthusiastic performer of the chamber music repertoire. He plays in a quartet with fellow TCO members Stephen Tavani, Yun-Ting Lee, and Dane Johansen. Hailing from Franklin, Tennessee, Mr. Bender studied with Kathryn Plummer at Vanderbilt University’s Blair Academy (pre-college), Heidi Castleman at The Juilliard School, and Robert Vernon at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Christina Dahl has been on the piano faculty at Stony Brook University for almost thirty years. She has been the Graduate Program Director there, and is currently beginning her second term as Chair of the Department of Music. As Chair she oversees an elite program of more than fifty faculty noted for their distinguished careers in the field and their devotion to teaching, as well as multiple degree programs, including a very large performance DMA. The holistic graduate piano program that she has created with noted American pianist Gilbert Kalish is an enlightened model of collaboration, innovation, and collegiality.She has been a visiting faculty member variously at the Cleveland Institute, Peabody Conservatory and Ithaca College. She has twice been a cultural ambassador for the US State Department and she is active at summer festivals, including Yellow Barn and Icicle Creek Center for the Arts. She has given masterclasses around the world, and is in demand as a chamber musician, collaborating with distinguished artists such as the Emerson Quartet, The Happy Dog Ensemble, Factory Seconds Brass Trio, and the Calidore Quartet, She splits her time between Cleveland and New York; her husband is Cleveland Orchestra trombonist Rick Stout.
Cellist Tanya Ell enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician and soloist, and is honored to be a member of The Cleveland Orchestra. Tanya is a founding member of the Omni String Quartet, which has been featured in concert by the Cleveland Orchestra at the United States Consulate in Bratislava, on WCLV Radio at Cleveland State University, and at Kent State University. She has collaborated with such notable musicians as William Preucil, Donald and Vivienne Weilerstein, Edgar Meyer, members of the Cavani String Quartet, and with her husband, Cleveland Orchestra clarinetist, Robert Woolfrey. In recent years she has soloed with the Cleveland Philharmonic, the Suburban Symphony, the Cleveland State University Symphony, and the Lansing Symphony. Tanya received her Bachelor of Music at the Juilliard School with Aldo Parisot. While finishing her Master’s
Degree with Richard Aaron at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Tanya won a position with the Milwaukee Symphony, and was appointed Acting Assistant Principal a year later. She was invited to solo with the MSO twice during her tenure there. Other important musical influences have been teachers Louis Potter Jr. and Marilyn Kesler, as well as her musician parents, Frank and Eva Ell.
Dane Johansen joined The Cleveland Orchestra in 2016. He was formerly the cellist of the Escher String Quartet, and was a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist, a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Martin Segal Award from Lincoln Center. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician around the world. Mr. Johansen made his Lincoln Center debut in a performance of Elliott Carter’s Cello Concerto under the direction of James Levine in celebration of the composer’s centennial. He made his Carnegie Hall debut as first winner of the Juilliard Leo Ruiz Memorial Award and, in 2016, performing William Walton’s Cello Concerto, made his debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. For many years, Dane Johansen has dedicated time and energy exploring Johann Sebastian Bach’s Six Suites for Solo Cello. He performed them at New York’s Alice Tully Hall in 2010 and also throughout his 580-mile pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain in 2014; the story of his adventure on the Camino with Bach was made into a documentary film called Strangers on the Earth. A native of Fairbanks, Alaska, Dane Johansen studied with Richard Aaron at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Michel Strauss at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, and with Joel Krosnick at the Juilliard School, where he earned his artist diploma. He studied with Bernard Greenhouse for the last five years of the legendary cellist’s life, fostering a connection through him to the legacies of Pablo Casals, Emanuel Feuermann, and the Beaux Arts Trio.
Steinway Artist Yaron Kohlberg, born in Jerusalem, is President of Piano Cleveland and a presenter of the Cleveland International Piano Competition, in which he was the silver medalist in 2007. He played in major halls in forty countries over five continents and has won many international prizes. Kohlberg has performed as soloist at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kremlin in Moscow, the UN Hall in Geneva, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Asahi hall in Tokyo, and in other major halls in cities around the world. He has also played at the Israel Parliament (Knesset) and the residence of the Israeli President. His performances have been broadcast on major TV stations in China, Korea and Japan. Kohlberg has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Copenhagen philharmonic orchestra, the Beijing symphony orchestra, the Oslo radio orchestra and the Palermo orchestra in Italy. He also played with all the leading Israeli orchestras, including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Israel Camerata, Haifa Symphony orchestra, Tel Aviv Soloist Ensemble and others. Kohlberg holds a graduate degree (with distinction) from the Buchmann-Mehta school of music of Tel Aviv University and is a student of the late Luisa Yoffe as well as Eitan Globerson and Arie Vardi.
Alicia Koelz joined the first violin section of The Cleveland Orchestra in 2005. Prior to joining the orchestra, she spent two years as concertmaster of Chicago Civic Orchestra. Ms. Koelz has appeared as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Chicago Civic Orchestra, among others. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she moved to Cleveland to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music and then received a graduate degree from Northwestern University. As a founding member of the Omni Quartet, she has performed extensively in the Cleveland area, as well as on the east coast and in Europe. Alicia lives in Moreland Hills with her husband, three lovely and extremely energetic children, and many pets.
Violinist Amy Lee oined the Cleveland Orchestra as Associate Concertmaster in 2008. She has appeared as soloist several times, most recently in Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto in a 2019 concert at the Blossom Music Center and Fratres by Arvo Pärt released on The Cleveland Orchestra’s Adella streaming platform in 2021. A native of Seoul, Korea, Lee made her solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of 15 and enrolled at The Curtis Institute of Music when she was 16. After completing her bachelor’s degree there she went to The Juilliard School where she earned her master’s degree. She has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras in Europe and across the United States and took first prize at the 2004 Irving M. Klein International String Competition and the 2005 Corpus Christi International Competition for piano and strings. An active chamber musician, she is a member of the Omni Quartet and Ensemble HD, and performs at the Marlboro Music Festival. Lee is a former member of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two. In great demand as a teacher, Lee has been appointed to the Oberlin Conservatory faculty as associate professor of violin as of the fall 2024. She also currently coaches chamber music at the Cleveland Institute of Music and, for a decade, served as violin professor at Kent State University in the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music. She spends her summers as a faculty member at the Kent Blossom Music Festival, the Ascent Music festival and the Marlboro Music Festival. She lives in Beachwood with her husband Frank Rosenwein (principal oboe of the Cleveland Orchestra) and her three sons Joshua, Julian, and Benji and dog Rosie.
Taiwanese-American violinist Yun-Ting Lee joined the second violin section of The Cleveland Orchestra in 2013. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where his principal teachers were David Cerone, William Preucil, and David Updegraff. He has also studied with Dr. Phyllis Skoldberg and Ming-De Zhang. Yun-Ting has appeared as soloist with Spoleto Festival USA, Music Academy of the West, Cleveland Institute of Music, National Repertory, and Phoenix Symphony orchestras. A dedicated chamber musician, Mr. Lee received the Dr. Bennett Levine Memorial Award in Chamber Music from CIM. Yun-Ting has collaborated with Orion Weiss, Lyrica Baroque Ensemble, and members of the Juilliard,
Cavani, and Tokyo String Quartets. He has also performed in the Dame Myra Hess Memorial concert series and the Duluth Chamber Music Festival. Yun-Ting has performed with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Musicfest, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. Mr. Lee was also a member of the Canton symphony and Citymusic Cleveland. He is an alumnus of the New York String Orchestra Seminar, the Holland International Music Sessions, Encore School for Strings, and the Pacific Music Festival.
The Omni Quartet, comprised of Amy Lee and Alicia Koelz, violins, Joanna Zakany, viola, and Tanya Ell, cello, are all members of The Cleveland Orchestra. Formed in 2009, they have toured the world’s greatest venues as members of the orchestra, including Carnegie Hall, the Edinburgh Festival, Vienna’s Musikverein, The Kennedy Center, and the Salzburg Festival. Each member of the group brings a seasoned career to the mix, striving to give concert goers a more personal experience of what individual musicians in the Cleveland Orchestra are all about: getting to the heart of the music and communicating it to the listener with a legacy of precision that has been handed down for generations. This versatile group plays concerts regularly in the greater Cleveland area, as well as branching off to do innovative concerts in alternative venues, from playing at Cleveland’s Happy Dog bar, to the prestigious Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, or in the stunning Hall of Mirrors at the Primate’s Palace for the Ambassador of Bratislava.
Daniel Overly has forged a versatile career as a pianist, chamber musician, and coach. He has performed as a recitalist across the United States and Europe with members of The Cleveland Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Vienna State Opera, and Vienna Philharmonic. As a rehearsal pianist, he regularly assists leading conductors of our time, including John Adams, Sir George Benjamin, Bernard Labadie, Klaus Mäkelä, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Franz Welser-Möst. Recent performance highlights include the two-piano version of Brahms’s A German Requiem and Whitacre’s The Sacred Veil (with the composer conducting) at Severance Music Center with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, his Philadelphia Chamber Music Society debut, and regular chamber music appearances with members of The Cleveland Orchestra. Rehearsal piano highlights include working with John Adams in the preparation of his El Niño with The Cleveland Orchestra and with Franz Welser-Möst on a wide variety of operas and oratorios, such as Schubert’s Mass no. 6, Walker’s Lilacs, and Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. Festival appearances include Aspen, Ravinia, and Tanglewood. The recipient of a Fulbright grant, Overly studied at the Musik und Kunstuniversität der Stadt Wien and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Overly currently serves on the collaborative piano faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music and
as pianist for the Cleveland Orchestra Choruses. Previous positions include visiting assistant professor of collaborative piano at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and collaborative piano fellow at the Yale School of Music.
Frank Rosenwein joined The Cleveland Orchestra as principal oboe at the beginning of the 2005–06 season. He made his solo debut with the Orchestra in February 2007, in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. Since then he has performed many times as soloist, including playing the Richard Strauss Oboe Concerto in 2012 and the first Cleveland Orchestra performances of the Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto in 2017. Since 2006, Mr. Rosenwein has served as head of the oboe department at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where in 2015 he was given the Alumni Achievement award. He also teaches at the Kent Blossom Music Festival, and is in demand as a guest artist and masterclass clinician in schools all over the world. An avid chamber musician, he has spent many summers at the Marlboro Festival and has performed with the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and the Seattle Chamber Music Society. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Mr. Rosenwein holds a bachelor of music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with John Mack (Cleveland Orchestra principal oboe, 1965–2001), and a master of music degree from the Juilliard School. He served as principal oboe (2002–05) of the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera. Mr. Rosenwein is married to Cleveland Orchestra associate concertmaster Jung-Min Amy Lee. They live in Beachwood with their three sons, Joshua, Julian and Benjamin, and their dog, Rosie.
Nathaniel Silberschlag was appointed principal horn of The Cleveland Orchestra in 2019. He previously served as assistant principal horn of the Washington National Opera/Kennedy Center Opera House orchestra, where at 19 he was the youngest member ever to win a position with the ensemble. He completed his bachelor of music degree from New York’s Juilliard School in May 2019, where he was a student of Julie Landsman and recipient of the Kovner Fellowship.Born in Leonardtown, Maryland, Mr. Silberschlag comes from of a family of professional musicians across several generations. These include former principal players of the New York Philharmonic, Italian National Orchestra RAI, and Jerusalem Symphony. He is the third generation of his family to attend the Juilliard School. He made his debut in Italy at age 9, with news of the performance appearing on the front page of Italy’s newspaper La Stampa. As soloist, Nathaniel has performed with the Juilliard Orchestra, Bulgarian Philharmonic, Romania State Symphony, New York’s Little Orchestra Society, and the Chesapeake Orchestra. He has also played concerts with a variety of ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. At the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Mr. Silberschlag became a graduate of the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship program under the tutelage of Sylvia Alimena as part of
her “Brass of Peace” scholarship program. In 2015, he was the first recipient of the Edwin C. Thayer / Laurel Bennert Ohlson award for artistry and excellence in horn performance.
Firmly established as one of America’s outstanding flutists, Joshua Smith is equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. He was appointed as The Cleveland Orchestra’s principal flute at age twenty, joining the ensemble in 1990. Mr. Smith received a Grammy nomination for his Telarc recording, Air, and has recorded two discs with harpsichordist Jory Vinikour dedicated to the Sonatas of J.S. Bach. He appeared on a Live from the Marlboro Music Festival recording and can be heard on more than 100 Cleveland Orchestra recordings. Smith appears as a chamber musician throughout the United States, including recent and ongoing appearances with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society series, at the Marlboro and Santa Fe Music Festivals, and with the Israeli Chamber Project. He has performed in collaborative concerts at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Pensacola Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami, and the 92nd Street Y in New York City. In the summer of 2025, he looks forward to appearances at Chamber Music Northwest and the Taipei Music Academy and Festival. Joshua Smith performs most often on a new granadilla Powell or on an old Rudall-Carte and is a Powell Artist. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, he worked closely with renowned pedagogue Frank Bowen before attending Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner. A passionate educator, Joshua will release an audition prep book for flutists in the fall of 2024.
Violinist Stephen Tavani joined The Cleveland Orchestra as Assistant Concertmaster in 2018. He was featured playing Rismky Korsakov’s Scheherazade with the Cleveland Orchestra at the 2022 summer Blossom season. He appeared as guest concertmaster with the Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, and Louisiana Philharmonic, and before joining the Cleveland Orchestra, he was concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. He has performed as soloist with the Youngstown Symphony, the Orchestra of the Americas, and at the MasterWorks festival. An avid chamber musician, Mr. Tavani has appeared at many music festivals and chamber music series, including the Marlboro Music Festival, Dresden Music Festival, Music From Angel Fire, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Colburn Chamber Music Society, Curtis Recital Series, and with Curtis On Tour. Tavani visits Northeast Ohio inmates with the Cleveland- based Renovare to help provide hope and healing through music. He is a member of Third Culture Ensemble, which serves diverse communities through music. He also is involved with the MasterWorks Festival, which integrates Christian faith and life in the performing arts. Stephen resides on Cleveland’s east side with his wife Amanda, a double bassist and music educator,
and their two young sons. He grew up in Northern Virginia in a musical family; his mother is a voice teacher and lyric soprano, his father a family physician and pianist. Learn more about Mr. Tavani at his website: stephentavani.com, and visit his youtube page at youtube.com/stavani1 to see many of his live performances.
Gareth Thomas joined the Cleveland Orchestra as second bassoon during the 2014-15 season, after having served as principal bassoon of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra from 2010-2014. He was a featured soloist with the Toledo Symphony in a performance of Mozart’s Bassoon concerto, and made his solo debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra as the winner of the 2006 NAC Orchestra Bursary competition, in his hometown of Ottawa, Ontario. Mr. Thomas has made appearances as a guest artist at festivals and master classes in Canada and the Midwest, and regularly collaborates as a chamber musician with Cleveland Orchestra colleagues. He has performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and participated in numerous summer music festivals, including Pacific Music Festival and the National Repertory Orchestra. Gareth Thomas received a bachelor of music degree with honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2009, as a student of TCO principal John Clouser, where he was awarded the George F. Goslee prize for outstanding artistry. He holds a master of music degree from Northwestern University, where he studied with Christopher Millard, former principal bassoonist of the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Robert Woolfrey joined the clarinet section of The Cleveland Orchestra in November 2008. Prior to his appointment, he was the Principal Clarinet of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra (2007-2008) as well as a member of the IRIS Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Mr. Woolfrey has collaborated with Michael Tilson Thomas, Dawn Upshaw and musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra. In previous summers, he has participated in a variety of music festivals, including Tanglewood Music Center and the Aspen Music Festival. Performances by Mr. Woolfrey have been heard on National Public Radio’s Performance Today, classical music station WQXR and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio Two. As an educator, he serves as a coach of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, and he is on the faculty of the Kent Blossom Summer Music Festival. Woolfrey has presented lessons and masterclasses at many schools including Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, University of Michigan, University of Toronto, University of Miami, San Francisco Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Mr. Woolfrey studied with Joaquin Valdepeñas at the University of Toronto and at Yale University with David Shifrin, where he received a master’s degree in music. He is also an alumnus of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, where he performed as the soloist for Nielsen’s “Clarinet Concerto.” He returns frequently to Miami as a coach. Robert is married to Cleveland Orchestra cellist Tanya Ell, and they have two young children.
Violinist Jason Yu joined the Cleveland Orchestra as Assistant Principal Second Violin in January 2024 after spending nine seasons with the New York Philharmonic. Previously, he was a fellow at the New World Symphony, in which he served as concertmaster under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas and appeared as a soloist, having won the concerto competition. Yu has performed in the Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta symphony orchestras. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Yu started playing the violin at age 5 and attended the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he was concertmaster and winner of the concerto competition as well as a valedictorian. He went on to receive his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at The Juilliard School, studying with Naoko Tanaka and Joseph Lin. He received additional instruction from Mark Steinberg at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Joanna Patterson Zakany (Jo for short) enjoys a mosaic-inspired life as a musician, yogi, coach and entrepreneur. She joined the viola section of The Cleveland Orchestra at the age of 21 years old, and in addition to performing with this incredible group, she has been Guest Principal of the Detroit Symphony and performs with the All-Star orchestra. She also has an active chamber music career as a founding member of the Omni Quartet, and has 15+ years of teaching experience as a Professor and educator at both CSU and KSU. Outside of the performing world, she is a Certified Yoga Instructor, and after training at Duke University as a Health and Well-being coach, she put it all together in the creation of her coaching business: MindfulOpus. Her mission is to to help those in the classical music world find physical and mental wellness, so they can enjoy a balanced and thriving life both on and off stage.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS HISTORICAL PERFORMERS LIST
We would like to thank the past and current performers of our Close Encounters series over the last quarter-century. The list is long and impressive – a testament to the deep talent of our community
Christopher Bagan
William Bender
Peter Bennet
Charles Bernard
Dror Biran
Katherine Bormann
David Bowlin
Sonja Braaten
Dan Bruce
Rachel Cama-Lekx
Charles Carleton
Jinju Cho
Jiah Chung
Hans Clebsch
Diana Cohen
Franklin Cohen
Wesley Collins
Ralf Curry
Christina Dahl
Alan DeMattia
Maximillian Dimoff
Scott Dixon
Kirsten Docter
Mark Dumm
Amir Eldan
Tanya Ell
Robert English
Paul Ferguson
Mary Kay Fink
Jason Friedman
Ying Fu
Annie Fullard
Randy Fusco
Josue Gonzalez
Kelton Hale
Miho Hashizume
Mark Jackobs
Yu Jin
Dane Johansen
Richard King
Ian Kinneman
Alicia Koelz
Yaron Kohlberg
Mark Kosower
Paul Kushious
James Larson
Amy Lee
Jessica Lee
Yun-Ting Lee
Tommy Lehman
Mary Lynch
Takako Masame
Jesse McCormick
Dave Morgan
Aaron Mossburg
Debra Nagy
Eleisha Nelson
Edward Niedemaier
Jung Oh
Nathan Olson
Peter Otto
Jessica Oudin
Dan Overly
Timothy Paek
Roxanna Patterson
Joanna PattersonZakany
Drew Pattison
Merry Peckham
Daniel Pereira
Henry Peyrebrune
Amanda Powell
William Preucil
Keith Robinson
Frank Rosenwein
Stephen Rosenwein
Marisela Sager
Peter Salaff
Mari Sato
Renée Schiffer
Daniel Shapiro
Sae Shiragami
Emma Shook
Nathaniel Silberschlag
Sandra Simon
Rafael Skorka
Howie Smith
Joshua Smith
Barrick Stees
Rick Stout
Michael Strauss
Trina Struble
Jack Sutte
Kevin Switalski
Anthony Taddeo
Stephen Tavani
Gareth Thomas
Brian Thornton
Isabel Trautwein
Jason Vieux
Dan Wall
Robert Walters
Carolyn Warner
Richard Waugh
Donald Weilerstein
Vivian Weilerstein
Richard Weiss
Anne Wilson
Patti Wolf
Eric Wong
Robert Woolfrey
Jason Yu
Afendi Yusuf
Derek Zadinski
Jeffrey Zehngut
ARTbar and Gallery Concerts
Whether working at Nighttown, Bop Stop, or now at The Cleveland Museum of Art, I have been amazed at how the arts contribute to creative placemaking. Performance venues bring people together, create community, and uplift our spirits, which instills in us an immense sense of pride. We often celebrate and highlight large institutions like The Cleveland Orchestra and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but I love bragging about Heights Arts. Heights Arts has a scrappiness and grittiness that allows it to make a significant impact while highlighting , amplifying, and uplifting local creatives. When Rachel invited me to be a part of The Music Community Team nearly two years ago, I knew that I could not pass up the opportunity.
It has been great to work with my team members, whom I now consider friends, to review applications and ultimately select performers for the upcoming Artbar and Gallery Concert series’. Just as The Cleveland Museum of Art’s Performing Arts Series is robust and wide-ranging, spanning classical, contemporary, and global music traditions so too are the performances at Heights Arts. Acts were chosen for the excitement they bring to a crowded musical landscape, and we are thrilled that they all call Northeast Ohio home. I hope to see you at an upcoming concert. If you are lucky, I will be your volunteer bartender.
Gabe Pollack Director of Performing Arts, Cleveland Museum of Art and Music Community Team Member
ARTbar
ARTbar 1: Thursday, September 26, 2024 | 7:00 pm
Gaetano Letizia Multi Genre Jazz Trio
Gaetano Letizia, Guitar; Lenny Gray, Bass; John Stebal, Drums
Gaetano (Tom) Letizia leads an exciting multi-genre jazz trio playing all styles of jazz including contemporary, latin, smooth, blues and funk. Lenny Gray has been a professional bassist for over 30 years and has shared the stage with such national musicians as Barry Bailey, Victory Wooten, Roy “Future Man” Wooten, Howard Levy, Pharez Whitted, and jazz trombonist Slide Hampton. John P. Stebal III has been actively performing across various genres since 1975, and he owns and operates Stebal Drums, a highly acclaimed drum shop in Willowick, OhioAudiences consistently rate the trio five stars at venues like the Rock Hall, Severance Hall, Cleveland Browns Stadium and other top shelf jazz festivals and clubs throughout the country.
ARTini Selections: Sazerac | French 75*
ARTbar 2: Thursday, January 30, 2025 | 7:00 pm
Singout with Cleveland Cocktail Choir!
Nathan Bachofsky, Facilitator; Kevin Monaco, Piano
Singing together has been a longstanding practice at parties, places of worship, concerts, and even in casual spaces like pubs and restaurants. Whether you join in or sit back and absorb the sound around you (and a cocktail or two), you will leave the experience with a song in your heart.
ARTini Selections: Tears of Joy | Kir Royale*
ARTbar 3: Thursday, April 24, 2025 | 7:00 pm
Moises Borges, Guitar
Dubbed “The Bossa Nova king of Northeast Ohio” - by Dave DeOreoNPR, Moises Borges is a storyteller, a prolific, vivid, and funny performer, and a gifted vocalist and guitarist who plays in the Samba and Bossa Nova tradition, interpreting his original songs and classics by Jobim, Gilberto, Bosco and many others.
ARTini Selections: Samba Sunset | Caipirinha*
ARTbar 4: Thursday, July 3, 2025 | 7:00 pm
Hyperius Blake and the Sound Experiment
Known for their electrifying stage presence and chemistry, Hyperius Blake & the Sound Experiment bring their music to life in dynamic live performances. From intimate venues to grand stages, each show is an immersive and passionate experience, leaving audiences captivated by the energy and emotion conveyed through their music. They acknowledge genre while transcending it at the same time. Influenced by all the music of the Black Diaspora, they combine the sounds of jazz, disco/ house, hip-hop, neo-soul and world music with finesse, creating something truly unique.
ARTini Selections: Green Horn | Beerita*
*ARTbar selections include beer, wine, sparkling wine, featured curated cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages. One drink minimum.
Gallery Concerts
Gallery Concert 1: Thursday, September 12, 7:00 pm
Piano Duo, Ralitsa Georgieva and Caroline Oltmanns
Ralitsa Georgieva, a pianist with degrees from the State Conservatory of Music in Bulgaria and the Cleveland Institute of Music, has been a faculty member there since 2007. Pianist Caroline Oltmanns is Professor of Piano at Youngstown State University, she regularly presents master classes and workshops in the United States and abroad. Her newest solo concept album WIND was released in 2022 on the Filia Mundi Label.
Gallery Concert 2: Thursday March 6th, 2025
Cornelius + Karre - violin and percussion duo Performers: Emily Cornelius, violin, Ross Karre, percussion
Cornelius and Karre focus their programming on concert music that shares many of the same characteristics as classical music and contemporary chamber music. Every piece on a Cornelius and Karre program is adventurous, inventive, and engaging. Toe-tapping rhythms, soaring melodies, virtuosity, and yet unheard wonders of sound are featured in every Cornelius Karre event. Every piece is also introduced by the performers to provide a window into the composers, the pieces, and ways to deepen the listening experience.
Tue–Fri 9–5 Sat 10–4 Closed Sun/Mon
No Exit Collaboration
Heights Arts and No Exit have a long history of collaboration dating back to 2012. Over the years, this relationship has transformed into new ways to work together, including bringing all of Heights Arts’ disciplines into the mix. We look forward to many future projects that will inspire the imagination by taking our mutual audiences beyond what they thought was possible.
ALL CONCERTS BEGIN AT 7:00 pm and are free and open to the public. More info: noexitnewmusic.com
New Season, New Sounds
Hot off the tails of Surreality, No Exit begins their 16th concert season with a slew of diverse and enticing musical offerings. The ensemble will be joined by special guest, the incomparable Mari Sato (violin), in performing world premiere works by Josef Marek and No Exit’s own Katy La Favre, James Praznik and Timothy Beyer. Also featured will be Hannah Kendall’s mesmerizing and otherworldly Tuxedo Crown; Sun King and Arthur Hernandez’s The Desperation of Jesus Christ.”
Thursday, October. 17 at Cleveland State University
Friday, October 18 at Waterloo Arts
Saturday, October 19 at SPACES
No Exit Presents: The Meridian Arts Ensemble
Celebrated for their remarkable virtuosity and diverse repertoire, No Exit is thrilled to present the Meridian Arts Ensemble. CD Review referred to the group as, “Brass Wizards” and The Washington Post proclaimed that Meridian displayed, “Extraordinary command of whatever they happened to be addressing at the moment.” Meridian will be performing works by Daniel Grabois, Moshe Shulman, George Lewis, F.J. Haydn and David Sanford. www.meridianartsensemble.com
Thursday, November 7 at Trinity Cathedral
Friday, November 8 at The Bop Stop
Saturday, November 9 at Fynette Kulas Music Hall (co-presented w/ Baldwin Wallace University)
No Exit and Zeitgeist: Here and There
No Exit and their longtime collaborators Zeitgeist join forces once again to bring you a program of extraordinary and engaging music. For almost 10 years, these two ensembles have been getting together annually to share a stage, in both Northeast Ohio and Minnesota. Included on the program will be world premiere works by Christopher Goddard and Luis Daniel Jiménez. Co-presenting with Heights Arts.
Thursday, January 16 at Cleveland State University
Friday, January 17 at The Bop Stop
Saturday, January 18 at Heights Arts
No Exit & Heights Arts Present: John Faieta
No Exit and Heights Arts are pleased to present the most singular talents of trombonist John Faieta. Following up on his captivating 2022 No Exit Presents program, John is back for a series of encore performances which will include works by Leonard Bernstein, Bernard Rands, Enrique Crespo, David Felder and a brand new world premiere piece by Marti Epstein.
Fri, Feb 14 Kent State University
Fri, Feb. 21 Heights Arts
Fri, February 28 at Trinity Cathedral
The Music of Greg D’Alessio
No Exit celebrates one of Cleveland’s great musical luminaries with a concert series devoted entirely to the works of Greg D’Alessio. Imbued with a singular wit and immense artistry, Greg’s work exists somewhere between the ingenious and the uncanny. In addition to a retrospective of Greg’s past creations, the program will feature an all-new world premiere composition, Quintet.
Thursday. March 13 at Trinity Cathedral
Friday, March 14 at SPACES
Saturday, March 15 at Praxis Fiber Workshop
No Exit Presents: Geoffrey Burleson
No Exit welcomes internationally renowned pianist Geoffrey Burleson, whose solo performances have been hailed by The New York Times as “vibrant” and “compelling”. Musical magic, and a little mayhem, abounds as Geoffrey presents an extraordinary evening of new music.
Burleson is a remarkable pianist, with tireless attack, unflagging rhythm and energy to burn. – Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe
Friday, May 2 at The Bop Stop
Saturday, May 3 at Heights Arts
The Collective
No Exit brings their 2024-25 season to a close with a presentation of new works from The Collective — an international consortium of composers who represent some of the most individual and poetic voices in new music today. This eclectic program will be premiered in Cleveland before being performed throughout Europe by No Exit in June. https://www.theccollective.org/
Wednesday, May 28 at Cleveland Museum of Art
Friday, May 30 at The Bop Stop
Saturday, May 31 at Heights Arts
European Tour June 8–22
See noexitnewmusic.com for details.
Community Teams
Our Programming Comes from Community
The Music Community Team (MCT) engages the resources of the surrounding community to provide expertise and ensure the Height Arts’ music programming is relevant and reflects our community. The purpose of Heights Arts’ community teams —the Music Community Team, the Exhibitions Community TEam, and the Heights Writes community team—is to expand community engagement in developing and presenting the organization’s programs and to tap the significant expertise that resides in our community. We invite poets, musicians, artists, and other members of the community to work with us to select and showcase the region’s visual artists, poets and musicians in our literary, musical, and exhibition programming.
To learn more about Heights Arts community teams, visit https://www.heightsarts. org/volunteer-community-teams/ or scan the QR code.
MORE THAN music
At Heights Arts, we go beyond traditional boundaries by creating a vibrant combination of music, visual arts, and poetry. Our unique programming combines these disciplines whenever possible, offering experiences such as musical performances amidst our exhibitions, or live poetry in response to visual artists’ creations. By blending these art forms, Heights Arts not only showcases the versatility of artistic expression but also fosters innovative collaborations that captivate and inspire audiences in new and unexpected ways.
We know that together we are greater than the sum of our parts. The synergy between our poets, musicians, and visual artists inspires audiences and fuels their own creative spirit, sparking new collaborations and innovative works that inspire and elevate the entire community.
MORE THAN Heights Arts
And what you can’t find at Heights Arts, you can experience in less than a mile in either direction along Lee Road. Visit Cain Park for a summer concert or arts festival, take in a movie on the big screen at the Cedar Lee Theatre, or see a live performance at Wizbang or Dobama. The Lee Road cultural corridor is MORE THAN you could ever wish for in one magnificent mile.
2271 Lee Road • Cleveland Heights
More Upcoming Events
At Heights Arts, 2175 Lee Road, unless noted
November 1, 2024–December 30, 2024
Heights Arts Holiday Store
The Heights Arts Holiday Store offers arts and crafts gifts from over a hundred local artists, with something for everyone—and every kind of celebration.
2025 Exhibition Schedule
5 X 5 Exhibition
January 10, 2025 – March 9 , 2025 Ekphrastacy
Thursday, February 13, 2025
NEO regional Exhibition
March 14, 2025 – May 11, 2025 Ekphrastacy
Thursday, April 14, 2024
CHHS Student Exhibition
June 13, 2025 – August 10, 2025
Ekphrastacy
July 17, 2025
Partner Exhibition with Artist Archives of the Western Reserve
August 15, 2025 – October 12, 2025
Celebrating 25 Years of connecting arts and community
Please join us in marking our 25th Anniversary throughout 2025 by attending our regular programming and other special events.
Visit our anniversary page at heightsarts.org/25th-anniversary/ for more information.
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING OUR EVENT!
25% off of one item in Heights Arts Store or Holiday Store
To celebrate our 25th Anniversary, we want to reward our loyal audiences. You can receive 25% off of one item in our Store or Holiday Store by presenting this coupon after attending one of our events now through December 31, 2025.
Customer Printed Name Event Attended
Customer Email (required) Address (optional)
Customer Address (optional)
Customer Signature
Staff to include a copy of the receipt with the completed coupon.
Rules and Restrictions:
Coupons are valid through 12/31/2025. Coupons have no cash value. Coupons are not transferable. Only one coupon per customer, per event attended. Discount applies to the highest priced item purchased up to $200 (maximum $50 discount)
Coupons must be redeemed in person, during regular store hours..
Staff Only: Date Redeemed: Staff Initials: Entered (date / initials)
2175 Lee Road • 216-371-3457
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About Heights Arts
Heights Arts is a nonprofit community arts organization in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The community’s proximity to University Circle, home to cultural destinations in Cleveland which include the Cleveland Museum of Art and Severance Hall, has created a place rich with visual and literary artists, musical performers, arts educators, administrators and others who make their livelihood in the literary, performing, and visual arts. Our three dedicated volunteer community teams whose members share expertise and passion in our supported disciplines, work together with staff and interns to determine core programming and partnerships according to our mission and values. We contribute to the region’s artistic vitality by showing and selling artworks by Northeast Ohio artists at Heights Arts Gallery and Store, presenting chamber music and community concerts in intimate settings and public spaces, presenting regular poetry readings in tandem with our exhibitions, and by conferring and managing the Heights Poet Laureateship, which is the longest-running poet laureateship in Ohio. As a multi-disciplinary arts organization, we tap into the potential of our creative residents to enrich community life.
Foundation Acknowledgements
Heights Arts is supported by the following foundations and governmental agencies (as of November 2022): AHS Foundation
Arthur E, Elsie G, and Betty M Kranz Family Foundation
Jean, Harry and Brenda Fuchs Family Foundation
Mandel Foundation
Peggy and John Garson Family Foundation
WWMR Foundation
Visit our store to find unique gifts crafted by over 80 local artists
