Blossom Music Festival 2025 August 10 Concert

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August 10, 2025

THE MUSIC OF BILLY JOEL

PRESENTED BY

THE MUSIC OF BILLY JOEL

Sunday, August 10, 2025, at 7 PM

The Cleveland Orchestra

SEASON PARTNERS

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PARTNER

MOVIE NIGHT PRESENTING SPONSOR

Stuart Chafetz, conductor Featuring TONY DE SARE , vocals and piano

Tonight’s selections will be announced from the stage.

Total approximate running time: 1 hour 40 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission

This concert is sponsored by .

Tonight’s concert is dedicated to Iris and Tom Harvie in recognition of their generous support of music.

TONY DESARE

vocals and piano

Tony DeSare performs with infectious joy, wry playfulness, and robust musicality. Named a Rising Star Male Vocalist in DownBeat magazine, he has garnered critical and popular acclaim for his concert performances throughout North America and abroad. From jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to Las Vegas headlining with Don Rickles and major symphony orchestras, DeSare has brought his fresh take on old-school class around the globe.

DeSare has four top ten Billboard jazz albums and has been featured on the CBS Early Show, NPR, A Prairie Home Companion, and The Today Show. His Lush Life recording debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Chart, and he released Song Diaries Vol. 2 in early 2022. DeSare’s latest singles, available on all streaming platforms, include “Two Sleepy People,” “Let’s Do It,” and “My Blue Heaven.”

In addition, DeSare has collaborated with YouTube icons Postmodern Jukebox, and his music has been shared by celebrity juggernaut George Takei. He can also be seen on Hulu’s Godfather of Harlem (season 3, episode 9) performing the Frank Sinatra classic “That’s Life.”

Alongside his critically acclaimed turns as a singer/pianist, DeSare is an awardwinning composer. His compositions include a wide range of romantic, humorous, and soulful sounds that can be found on his top-selling recordings. DeSare wrote the theme song for My Date with Drew and music for several broadcast commercials and films, including the Hallmark Channel’s Love Always, Santa and Lifetime’s Nanny Nightmare and A Welcome Home Christmas. In addition, DeSare won first place in the USA Songwriting Contest.

DeSare’s forthcoming engagements include appearances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Seattle Symphony, The Phoenix Symphony, Grand Teton Music Festival, Rockport Music, and Birdland Theatre.

DeSare releases new recordings and videos of standards on YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to stay connected.

Tony DeSare is a Yamaha Artist.

Photo: Matt Baker

STUART CHAFETZ

Stuart Chafetz is the principal pops conductor of the Columbus Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, and Marin Symphony. A conductor celebrated for his dynamic and engaging podium presence, Chafetz is increasingly in demand with orchestras across the continent. This season, he will be on the podium in Detroit, Naples, Buffalo, Kansas City, Vancouver, and Seattle. He also enjoys a special relationship with The Phoenix Symphony, where he leads multiple programs annually.

Chafetz is well-regarded for his experience working with a wide array of artists across many genres. He has led concerts with renowned artists including Ne-Yo, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kenny G, David Foster with Katharine McPhee, Chris Botti, Michael Bolton, John Denver, Marvin Hamlisch, and Bernadette Peters. He was recently invited by Nas to conduct his residency at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas.

Chafetz’s original programming is a signature of his artistic profile. His popular programs, including Symphonic Genesis & Phil Collins and Totally 80s, showcase the orchestra in an especially entertaining way and attract large audiences throughout North America.

Chafetz previously held posts as resident conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and associate conductor of the Louisville Orchestra. As principal timpanist of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra for 20 years, he also conducted annual performances of The Nutcracker with Ballet Hawaii and principals from the American Ballet Theatre.

When not on the podium, Chafetz makes his home near San Francisco with his wife, Ann Krinitsky. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and a master’s from the Eastman School of Music.

THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA

Franz Welser-Möst Music Director

KELVIN SMITH FAMILY CHAIR

FIRST VIOLINS

Joel Link

CONCERTMASTER

Blossom-Lee Chair

Liyuan Xie

FIRST ASSOCIATE

CONCERTMASTER

Virginia M. Lindseth, PhD, Chair

Jung-Min Amy Lee

ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

Gretchen D. and Ward Smith Chair

Stephen Tavani

ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Dr. Ronald H. Krasney Chair

Wei-Fang Gu

Drs. Paul M. and Renate H. Duchesneau Chair

Kim Gomez

Elizabeth and Leslie Kondorossy Chair

Chul-In Park

Harriet T. and David L. Simon Chair

Miho Hashizume

Theodore Rautenberg Chair

Jeanne Preucil Rose

Larry J.B. and Barbara S. Robinson Chair

Alicia Koelz

Oswald and Phyllis Lerner Gilroy Chair

Yu Yuan

Patty and John Collinson Chair

Isabel Trautwein

Trevor and Jennie Jones Chair

Katherine Bormann

Analise Handke

Gladys B. Goetz Chair

Zhan Shu

Youngji Kim

Paul and Lucille Jones Chair

Genevieve Smelser

SECOND VIOLINS

Stephen Rose*

Alfred M. and Clara T. Rankin Chair

Eli Matthews 1

Patricia M. Kozerefski

and Richard J. Bogomolny Chair

Jason Yu2

James and Donna Reid Chair

Sonja Braaten Molloy

Carolyn Gadiel Warner

Elayna Duitman

Ioana Missits

Jeffrey Zehngut^

Sae Shiragami

Kathleen Collins

Beth Woodside

Emma Shook

Dr. Jeanette Grasselli Brown and Dr. Glenn R. Brown Chair

Yun-Ting Lee

Deborah L. Neale Chair

Jiah Chung Chapdelaine

Gawon Kim

VIOLAS

Wesley Collins*

Chaillé H. and Richard B. Tullis Chair

Stanley Konopka 2

Mark Jackobs

Jean Wall Bennett Chair

Lisa Boyko

Richard and Nancy Sneed Chair

Richard Waugh

Lembi Veskimets

The Morgan Sisters Chair

Eliesha Nelson^

Anthony and Diane Wynshaw-Boris Chair

Joanna Patterson Zakany

William Bender

Thomas Lauria and Christopher Lauria Chair

Gareth Zehngut^

CELLOS

Mark Kosower*

Louis D. Beaumont Chair

Richard Weiss 1

The GAR Foundation Chair

Charles Bernard2

Helen Weil Ross Chair

Bryan Dumm

Muriel and Noah Butkin Chair

Tanya Ell

Thomas J. and Judith Fay Gruber Chair

Ralph Curry

Brian Thornton

William P. Blair III Chair

David Alan Harrell

Martha Baldwin

Dane Johansen

Marguerite and James Rigby Chair

Paul Kushious

BASSES

Maximilian Dimoff *

Clarence T. Reinberger Chair

Charles Paul1

Mary E. and F. Joseph Callahan Chair

Derek Zadinsky2

Mark Atherton

Thomas Sperl

Henry Peyrebrune

Charles Barr Memorial Chair

Charles Carleton

Scott Dixon

Brandon Mason

HARP

Trina Struble*

Alice Chalifoux Chair

FLUTES

Joshua Smith*

Elizabeth M. and William C. Treuhaft Chair

Saeran St. Christopher

Jessica Sindell2^

Austin B. and Ellen W. Chinn Chair

Mary Kay Fink

PICCOLO

Mary Kay Fink

Anne M. and M. Roger Clapp Chair

OBOES

Frank Rosenwein*

Edith S. Taplin Chair

Corbin Stair

Sharon and Yoash Wiener Chair

Jeffrey Rathbun 2

Everett D. and Eugenia S. McCurdy Chair

Robert Walters

ENGLISH HORN

Robert Walters

Samuel C. and Bernette K. Jaffe Chair

CLARINETS

Afendi Yusuf *

Robert Marcellus Chair

Robert Woolfrey

Victoire G. and Alfred M. Rankin, Jr. Chair

Daniel McKelway2

Robert R. and Vilma L. Kohn Chair

Amy Zoloto

E-FLAT CLARINET

Daniel McKelway

Stanley L. and Eloise M. Morgan Chair

BASS CLARINET

Amy Zoloto

Myrna and James Spira Chair

BASSOONS

John Clouser*

Louise Harkness Ingalls Chair

Gareth Thomas

Jonathan Sherwin

CONTRABASSOON

Jonathan Sherwin

HORNS

Nathaniel Silberschlag*

George Szell Memorial Chair

Michael Mayhew §

Knight Foundation Chair

Jesse McCormick

Robert B. Benyo Chair

Hans Clebsch

Richard King

Meghan Guegold Hege^

TRUMPETS

Michael Sachs*

Robert and Eunice Podis Weiskopf Chair

Jack Sutte

Lyle Steelman 2^

James P. and Dolores D. Storer Chair

Michael Miller

CORNETS

Michael Sachs*

Mary Elizabeth and G. Robert Klein Chair

Michael Miller

TROMBONES

Brian Wendel*

Gilbert W. and Louise I. Humphrey Chair

Richard Stout

Alexander and Marianna C. McAfee Chair

Shachar Israel2

BASS TROMBONE

Luke Sieve

EUPHONIUM & BASS TRUMPET

Richard Stout

TUBA

Yasuhito Sugiyama*

Nathalie C. Spence and Nathalie S. Boswell Chair

TIMPANI

Zubin Hathi*

Otto G. and Corinne T. Voss Chair

Peter Nichols2

Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Smucker Chair

PERCUSSION

Marc Damoulakis*

Margaret Allen Ireland Chair

Thomas Sherwood

Tanner Tanyeri

Peter Nichols

KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS

Carolyn Gadiel Warner

Marjory and Marc L. Swartzbaugh Chair

LIBRARIAN

Michael Ferraguto*

Joe and Marlene Toot Chair

ENDOWED CHAIRS CURRENTLY UNOCCUPIED

Clara G. and George P. Bickford Chair

Sandra L. Haslinger Chair

Charles M. and Janet G. Kimball Chair

Sunshine Chair

Rudolf Serkin Chair

CONDUCTORS

Christoph von Dohnányi

MUSIC DIRECTOR LAUREATE

Taichi Fukumura

ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

Elizabeth Ring and William Gwinn Mather Chair

James Feddeck

PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR & MUSICAL ADVISOR OF THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA YOUTH ORCHESTRA

Sidney and Doris Dworkin Chair

Lisa Wong

DIRECTOR OF CHORUSES

Frances P. and Chester C. Bolton Chair

* Principal

§ Associate Principal

1 First Assistant Principal

2 Assistant Principal

^ Alum of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra

This roster lists full-time members of The Cleveland Orchestra. The number and seating of musicians on stage varies depending on the piece being performed. Seating within the string sections rotates on a periodic basis.

Now firmly in its second century, The Cleveland Orchestra, under the leadership of Music Director Franz Welser-Möst since 2002, is one of the most sought-after performing ensembles in the world. Year after year, the ensemble exemplifies extraordinary artistic excellence, creative programming, and community engagement. In recent years, The New York Times has called Cleveland “the best in America” for its virtuosity, elegance of sound, variety of color, and chamber-like musical cohesion.

Founded by Adella Prentiss Hughes, the Orchestra performed its inaugural concert in December 1918. By the middle of the century, decades of growth and sustained support had turned it into one of the most admired globally.

The past decade has seen an increasing number of young people attending concerts, bringing fresh attention to The Cleveland Orchestra’s legendary sound and committed programming. More recently, the Orchestra launched several bold digital projects, including the streaming platform Adella.live and its own recording label. Together, they have captured the Orchestra’s unique artistry and the musical achievements of the Welser-Möst and Cleveland Orchestra partnership.

The 2025–26 season marks Franz Welser-Möst’s 24th year as music director, a period in which The Cleveland Orchestra has earned unprecedented acclaim around the world, including a series of residencies at the Musikverein in Vienna, the first of its kind by an American orchestra, and a number of celebrated opera presentations.

Since 1918, seven music directors — Nikolai Sokoloff, Artur Rodziński, Erich

Leinsdorf, George Szell, Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Franz Welser-Möst — have guided and shaped the ensemble’s growth and sound. Through concerts at home and on tour, broadcasts, and a catalog of acclaimed recordings, The Cleveland Orchestra is heard today by a growing group of fans around the world.

@ClevelandOrchestra

@cleveorch

@CleveOrchestra

@clevelandorchestra

YOUR VISIT

LATE SEATING

Guests with Pavilion seats who arrive after the start of the concert may be asked to wait outside the Pavilion until the first convenient pause in the music, after which our ushers will help you to your seats.

LAWN SEATING

Guests on the Lawn may bring their own chairs, but guests with high-backed chairs that obstruct others’ views may be asked to relocate to the rear of the Lawn. Rental chairs are available for a fee of $10 per evening. Tents, flags, balloons, or other structures that might obstruct views or present a hazard are prohibited. Open flames are also prohibited.

PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOGRAPHY & RECORDING

Audio recording, photography, and videography are prohibited during performances at Blossom. Photographs and videos can only be taken when the performance is not in progress. As a courtesy to others, please silence all electronic devices prior to the start of the concert.

SMOKING

All Blossom Music Festival events are presented in a smoke-free environment. Smoking or vaping are not allowed anywhere on the grounds or in buildings once you have entered through the ticket gates. A smoking area is available outside the gates in a designated area of Parking Lot A.

WEATHER INFORMATION

In the event of severe weather, a coordinated alert will be issued. Guests will be directed to safety by our staff and loudspeaker system. Visit clevelandorchestra.com/weather for weather updates and more information.

FREE TRAM & ADA VAN SERVICE

Free tram service between the parking lots and Smith Plaza and the Pavilion is available on a continuous basis before and after each concert. The ADA Van Service can pick up at the Main Gate with service to the Tram Circle.

QUESTIONS?

Visit our Information Center, hosted by the Blossom Friends of The Cleveland Orchestra, inside the Main Gate on Smith Plaza.

NEW! THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA APP

Official Mobile App of TCO

The Cleveland Orchestra is grateful to these organizations for their ongoing generous support of The Cleveland Orchestra: National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Ohio and Ohio Arts Council, and to the residents of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

© 2025 The Cleveland Orchestra and the Musical Arts Association

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For more information and direct links to download, visit clevelandorchestra.com/tcoapp or scan the code with your smartphone camera to download the app for iPhone or Android.

Available for iOS and Android on Google Play and at the Apple App Store.

Program books for Cleveland Orchestra concerts are produced by The Cleveland Orchestra and are distributed free to attending audience members.

EDITORIAL

Kevin McBrien

Editorial & Publications Manager

The Cleveland Orchestra kmcbrien@clevelandorchestra.com

Ellen Sauer Tanyeri

Archives & Editorial Assistant

The Cleveland Orchestra

DESIGN

Judy Barabas, Red Swing Creative

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